If you remember the horse that I wrote about last month – starting here – Streptococcus Myositis – a vaccine reaction
Well the story does not have a happy ending, which is why it has taken awhile to update all of you. I let the owners grieve for their loss and then I asked them today if I could post the update. Not only was the owner willing to let me post the update but I also have pictures so you can see what devastation this vaccine reaction can have.
Here is Tango in Tennessee where the owners first saw him and they tried him out on trail. Notice even in the shade you can see his good body weight and dappling. He looks overall like a healthy horse. He was given the vaccine earlier in the week as well as his Coggins test in anticipation of him being sold to the new owners and brought up to Illinois.
Four weeks later and a few days before he was euthanized (put down). He is a good 300 lbs lighter.
Tango tried hard and was at one point on the road to recovery. His blood values were increasing, meaning the anemia seemed to be improving. Unfortunately the treatment for this disease is to lower the immune system with corticosteroids, so the body stops attacking itself. There are two risks in this treatment – 1.) laminitis (founder) just from the corticosteriod use and 2.) another infection taking hold due to the lowered immune system. Even though Tango was on antibiotics, his lungs filled with fluid, possibly a consequence of the steroid use or possibly another infection causing pleuropneumonia. His temperature never remained stable and his blood values were sinking again. When he finally stopped eating and looked depressed again, enough was enough and the decision was made to put Tango down. Even though his new family had him just over a month and the majority of the time he was sick, he will be sorely missed.
His owners have this to say – “We do not want his death to be in vain; Please let this story of his death be a reminder of what powerful effects vaccines have on the immune system. Horse owners need to be conscious of what they are giving their horse. Hopefully this will save at least one other horse.”
