Use the navigation bar above to access articles and more discussions on this topic.
| Author |
Message |
    
Alicia Kost
Member
Username: Aannk
Post Number: 541
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 12:35 pm: |   |
Dr. O.,
My boy should be getting to me around this time next week. He has never been innoculated for flu, rhino, strangles, or potomac because he lived in a closed herd. I don't want him to get sick before he gets his vaccines. Besides isolating him, which would stress him more, is there anything I can give him to boost his immune system? I know humans can get a gamma globulin injection. Do they have something similar for horses?
Alicia |
Ella
Member
Username: Miamoo
Post Number: 140
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 2:02 pm: | |
I have been told the something called DMG is an equine immune booster. Don't know much about it but thought I would mention it as someone out there is bound to know something about it.
Ella  |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 14459
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Saturday, Jan 7, 2006 - 10:37 am: | |
Note that Potomac Horse Fever is not a disease horses contract with from each other but from exposure to infected caddis flies. But it is not common to many areas.
DMG is one of the miracle drugs that has no known beneficial effect on the body and a waste of money. Your best bet is good care in a stress free environment isolated from the other horses until it can be vaccinated and receive his secondary boosters. Though gamma globulin is available, usually used for failure of passive transfer in neonates, it is not without risks that are far more dangerous than a bout of flu, rhino, or even Strangles. Remember you can treat Strangles effectively.
DrO |
Alicia Kost
Member
Username: Aannk
Post Number: 543
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Jan 9, 2006 - 10:29 am: | |
Dr. O.,
What are the risks?
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the injections.
"Gamma globulin injections are sometimes given in an attempt to temporarily boost a patient's immunity against disease. Injections are most commonly used on patients who have been exposed to hepatitis A or measles. Injections are also used to boost immunity in patients who lack the ability to produce gamma globulins because of an immune deficiency, such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia and hyper IgM deficiency. Such injections are less common in modern medical practice than they were previously, and injections of gamma globulin previously recommended for travellers have largely been replaced by the use of hepatitis A vaccine."
I guess the fact that the guy who got the injection when he went to China got it over 10 years ago is explained by this statement!
Alicia |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 14477
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006 - 8:10 am: | |
The chief hazard in anaphalaxsis. See Equine Diseases » Respiratory System » Anaphylactic Shock for more. |
Alicia Kost
Member
Username: Aannk
Post Number: 544
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006 - 12:51 pm: | |
Ah, that is a large hazard. Are there any studies on how often that happens as compared to how often horses react to vaccines? Just curious. We plan on keeping him isolated as much as we can (which will still allow over the fence contact and through the bars in the stall contact) and starting him up on vaccines as soon as we can.
Keeping him separate from the herd is only so possible at our place.
I just hope he is a strong young guy!
Alicia |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 14485
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2006 - 8:18 am: | |
There are no studies but the incidence in much higher, as I have never seen an anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine but have to equine serum products despite much less use.
He does not need to be strong Alicia, just average, all horses are exposed to these diseases and the vaccines are not that effective and prior to vaccines these diseases were not considered killers either.
DrO |
Alicia Kost
Member
Username: Aannk
Post Number: 546
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2006 - 4:38 pm: | |
Got it, I feel better. I just don't want to get our barn quarantined if he gets strangles because he wasn't vaccinated properly because then it will be my fault, and I will never hear the end of it!
Alicia |
Shelley
Member
Username: Sswiley
Post Number: 120
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2006 - 10:34 am: | |
Does he have West Nile vaccine ? I question their logic for not vaccinating their horses. |
Alicia Kost
Member
Username: Aannk
Post Number: 548
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2006 - 4:44 pm: | |
All he has had his whole life is EWT and West Nile. He is up to date on all those. I don't know why they don't do rabies, but I understand when you have a closed herd that flu/rhino and strangles might not be needed. They NEVER bring other horses on their farm. They own all the mares and their stallions and ship out the babies.
I don't agree with it, and would not do it that way, but........
Alicia |
