This past October, I took Sampson to the vet for his annual exam. Besides his annual check-up, he was due for tick disease screening, rabies, leptospirosis and a liver check due to his long term use of Gabapentin.

A while back Sampson had a immune system reaction where he broke out in a rash. Since that time, I’ve made the decision to give him his vaccines separately. It does cost a bit more (two different visits) but typically the subsequent visits and vaccines can be handled by a vet tech, so the fee isn’t as high as a typical office visit.

Sampson went in for his annual visit on October 26, 2017, since his rabies vaccine expired at the end of the month, we got the rabies vaccine first, and scheduled the Leptos for about two weeks later.

On November 1, 2017, I was getting the dog’s dinner ready when Hubby asked, “Did you notice his eye? It looks funny.”

Of course, I dropped everything to look, and sure enough, Sampson’s right eye looked like it was droopy, but it was also really red. I was worried that he had had a stroke, so I called our vet right away, and I got him in within 1/2 an hour.

Dr. Atz walked in, took one look and said, “Ah, Horner’s Syndrome.”

WHAT IS HORNER’S SYNDROME

I’d never heard of it, so there were lots of questions.

The way I understand it. The sympathetic nerve runs from the chest cavity, into the spinal cord, through the shoulder and into the base of the skull where it then meanders its way to the eye. It is part of the autonomic nerve system that automatically controls various bodily functions. It also controls the “fight or flight” reactions.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HORNER’S SYNDROME

According to the Eye Care of Animals website, there are four symptoms:

• A pupil that is constricted and will not dilate
• A droopy upper eyelid
• An appearance of the eye ‘sinking’ in
• A raised third eyelid

DOGS HAVE THREE EYELIDS

Yes, apparently all dogs have three eyelids. The upper, the lower, and the third one is called the nictitating membrane. This thin, opaque tissue’s purpose is to provide additional protection to the cornea, as well as spread tears in the eye. The third eyelid isn’t usually visible except when there’s injury to the eye, or sometimes when the dog is sleeping. You know when your dog looks up at you, and his eye is all red and you think, Dude looks like he smoked a fatty.

Dr. Atz said he had no idea what caused it. When I asked if it would get better he said there are a portion of dogs where it never gets better. There are some dogs where it gets better, but does not completely go away. And then there is another portion of dogs that recover completely. He said it would take time, not a couple of weeks, BUT months. Since Sampson is a slow healer, I figured it would take at least six months.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR HORNER’S SYNDROME

The condition is a parasympathetic nerve reaction and the nerves will either heal or not. There was nothing to do to help Sampson, it was something his body had to do on its own.

We knew we’d just have to wait and see what happened.

UGH, MY DOG LOOKS LIKE HE HAS A ZOMBIE EYE

Once we knew what it was, and our panic had subsided we had the opportunity to really look at it. For Sampson it ONLY LOOKED like his eye was droopy and sunken, mostly because that third lid was always up. We started calling it “Zombie eye.”

Every day we’d look at it (you can’t help it!) and your mind plays tricks “it looks like it might be getting better…no, it’s worse…wait, maybe it’s the same.”

There was never a day where we clearly knew it was better, suddenly it just was.

AN IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPONSE TO THE RABIES VACCINE

One Saturday evening in early December, Hubby and I were having dinner with our dear friend, Jo-Anne.  I had seen Jo-Anne in July and her dog, Achilles was very ill. The vet suspected he had Degenerative Myelopathy because his back end was super weak, and he kept falling. I can’t recall if he is part or full GSD, but Jo-Anne has been the DM route with most of her GSD’s, so it wasn’t unexpected.

So during this dinner in December I asked after Achilles health and was shocked when Jo-Anne said, “He’s fine!”

As we chatted she explained that the Holistic Vet suspected he’d had a immune reaction to his rabies shot. Now, I always ask the vet, what should I look for in a vaccine reaction, and typically I get, “swelling at the injection site.” It’s funny, because if you ask a vet that practices Eastern Medicine (Holistic) the same question, you’ll get a totally different answer. Holistic vets know that not all reactions are simply swelling.

COULD HORNER’S SYNDROME BE RELATED TO THE RABIES VACCINE

I’ve only heard of one Rabies vaccine reaction before, and it was a different reaction, so I was intrigued to hear about this. After we got done marveling at Achille’s recovery, Jo-Anne asked about my guys. Hubby and I started filling her in on Sampson and his Zombie eye. Then she said, “And there was nothing you did different? No vaccines?”

It was like a freight train slammed into my head, and the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Sampson had a rabies vaccine and six days later we noticed the zombie eye, Sampson had his rabies vaccine in his shoulder and the sympathetic nerve runs through the shoulder, the sympathetic nerve controls the fight or flight mode, vaccines target the immune system where the immune system chooses to ‘fight or flight.’

The three of us were all convinced that Sampson had had a reaction to the rabies vaccine.

When I mentioned this to my vet, she said it’s very possible.

Sampson is going to be 14 in July. He is next due for his Rabies vaccine in 2020, at that point he will be 16 years old. He will not have a rabies shot again. If he is still around, I will ask the Holistic vet for a waiver, and I intend on doing the same for Delilah.

HOW CAN I PREVENT VACCINE REACTIONS

I’m not sure there’s a 100% way to do so, but there are some things you can do to help reduce reactions.

• Don’t give more than one vaccine at a time. Try and space them out by a couple of weeks. This gives the immune system a little time to settle down.
• A week or so before vaccines try giving your pet something to help boost their immune systems. Jo-Anne uses something called “Thuja,” it is a homeopathic supplement you can find online or at your local natural health store.
• Know what’s normal with your pet and what’s not.
• Be aware that not all vaccine reactions are just swelling.

HOW SAMPSON’S EYE IS NOW

It’s been six months since the rabies vaccine, and I think Sampson’s eye is just about back to normal now. Most days we don’t notice that droopy eye look, unless he’s sleepy, but then that’s normal.

I like to take a natural approach with my healthcare and my body, and I like to do the same with my dogs. I am not anti-vaccine, BUT I do feel we over vaccinate in this country and that our immunities last longer than we know. I’ve had long discussions with my vet regarding vaccines, and which ones they need. We base their needs on their age, their previous vaccines, our geographical location and our lifestyle.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a Veterinarian, nor do I play one of TV, and I haven’t stayed at a Holiday Express recently. What I have shared here is my experience and understanding of Horner’s Syndrome in dogs. This post is not meant to be used as a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns that your pet might have Horner’s Syndrome, please consult a licensed Veterinarian.

Have you ever heard of vaccine reactions other than swelling at the injection site? If so, what was the reaction?