Meant to write earlier in the week about the shot Dude and Bestie got on Monday. I always dread spring shots because they've reacted in the past, mainly to the 5-way combined Eastern/Western encephalitis/tetanus/flu/rhino. It was strange how their reactions suddenly developed about three years ago; they'd always been fine before that, but suddenly started swelling up in a localized area around the shot entry point for the 5-way and with West Nile for Dude. It would happen regardless of whether they got the shot in the neck or the pec.
After their first reaction we started pre-dosing them with bute before shot days and that seemed to help, sometimes. And we've done the intravenous bute too, which seems to help, sometimes! The whole thing is so very unpredictable.
This year I predosed them with bute for two days before, at a level of only a half dose twice a day. My reasoning was that I'd do a half dose because they seem a whole lot more relaxed at the new barn, and I knew I could get them out and walk them. And on the half dose, neither one reacted to the shot! I am totally perplexed but happy that there was no reaction.
They'll get the remainder of their shots in a couple weeks. In our early years with Dude we used to do them all in a bunch, but have been splitting them into two and sometimes three appointments for several years. Otherwise it seems like a lot to pump into their systems. I used the same reasoning when Maddie had to get shots for Nicaragua last year. The doctor looked at me like I was nuts, but hey, you gotta go with your gut sometimes!
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