VACCINATION READER FEEDBACK

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/11/2009: Ginny from Phenix City, Alabama writes: "I took my Malty to the vet on Wednesday for a Rabies shot required by the state of Alabama. He was slightly lame when we got home. The next day he was not himself kind of grouchy then he stopped eating and drinking, the next day he was vomiting and had watery stools.Now its Sunday and he still is not right. I am making sure he is hydrated by using an medicine dropper filled with bottled water every 30 minutes. On a previous Vaccination he got a lump from the shot, which is still there! and the one before that he lost the hair where the shot was given. I am no longer going to vaccinate my baby! They can FINE me, Jail me,or put ME to Death... My baby Conor has had his last vaccination."

Our one year old lab went in today for his routine vaccinations. A few hours later the vet called to say we forgot his Bordatella. Our lab received it (through the nose). About an hour later his eyes and mouth area were very swollen. The vet said to give him Benadryl. We also gave him a bag of ice to chew. This helped calm him and hydrated him at the same time."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/30/2008: Rainy from Tampa, FL writes: "My chihuahua had a reaction to her rabies vaccine. She has a lot of swelling at the site, fever, and trouble breathing. It was her 3rd rabies vaccine, she is almost 5 years old. "

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/28/2008: Narelle from Goulburn, NSW GOULBURN AUSTRALIA writes: "My dog had a severe allergic reaction to her 3rd (16 week) C5 injection. She is a Foxy cross Maltese, very small build. About 20 minutes after she had the injection (we had reached home) her eyes started to become blood shot. Having severe allergies myself, I saw the sign at once and said we better get back to the vet. Minutes later her face, ears started swelling, so we got in the car and rushed her to the vet. She stopped breathing on the way, so my husband had to give her mouth to nose/mouth. Once we got there they gave her a steriod injection and she lost control of her bowels. Thank GOD that she recovered.

We haven't gotten her immunised since then and she is going on 6 years old. She has gotten kennel cough since then (we also have a dog with addison's disease so have to go to the vet every 25 days) but on the whole has been healthy."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/23/2008: Jessi from Fairfield, IA USA writes: "You asked people to write and tell you if they had an experience with a side effect from a pet vaccination. My brown-and-black-striped tabby cat had problems with the leukemia vaccination. I don't remember if it started with the first vaccination or with the booster, but I believe it was with the first vaccination. What happened is, every time she got her anti-leukemia shot, she would be very ill for 3 days: TOTALLY lethargic, like a wet dishrag. After about 3 of these incidents, I said, "No more vaccinations for this cat!" She didn't respond as badly to the other vaccinations they give cats, but I decided to take her off those, too. She's an inside cat, and it was ridiculous to keep giving her vaccinations because she wasn't ever exposed to other cats. After seeing what she went through, I wouldn't give her a leukemia vac even if she were an outside cat. There was something very wrong going on inside my little girl from that shot, and I'm sorry I ever let them give it to her."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/18/2008: Gayle from Ingleside, IL writes: "My 3.5 year old Golden Doodle is extremely sick, she has been vomiting for 1.5 days and cannot keep down any food or liquid. She is scratching herself, and her nose is a little swollen. Today is 12.17.08, she had her vaccines on 12.09.08. Last year, again about 1 week after her vaccines, she became ill in exactly the same fashion! Had I known for certain that last year her vaccines caused this she would not have had the "booster" shots this year. She had the following: DA2PP Booster, Rabies Canine 1 yr Booster and the Bordetella Vaccine. The vet was not surprised, unlike last year when they had "no idea why Alphie was so sick". Now I know for sure why! The vet said to take away her food and give her only small amounts of water - too much of either will make her vomit. Small amounts of water and ID food, along with Pepcid AC and Benadryl. Rice and Boiled ground beef are also ok to feed her - although nothing - NOTHING - stays down."

My 5 YO Chihuahua, Jack Russell mix, had a 3 year rabies booster (kill type), and about 3 months later has major neurological distress, including lameness and lethargy. Nothing shows on xrays, blood tests and no indication of pain.

We are trying to keep his weight on. Any ideas for treatment are welcomed. Thanks"

I DO NOT RECOMMEND A DISTEMPER SHOT
My cat was fine before this shot. I was never informed of any side effects"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/06/2008: Britney from Bluffton, SC writes: "My 14 month old shihtzu was in for her annual3 days ago. Without looking at her file, the new vet gave her rabies, dhlpp, and bordatella all at once. within 5 minutes in the office she immediately began vomiting and losing control of her bowels. The vet took her to the back, and gave her some fluids under her skin and something for nausea. He told me she would be woozy for a few hours when i got her home, and when he handed her to me she was like a barely breathing puppy corpse. When we got home, she was extremely lethargic and her gums were tacky, and she started to have bright red bloody diarrhea. I called the emergency line for the vet and met him at the clinic, where he gave her more fluids under her skin because he was unable to find a vein bc her blood pressure was so low, and he also gave her some benadryl. We took her home again, hoping she would feel better in the morning. When we woke up, the bathroom was covered in blood from her stool, so we rushed her back to the vet where they admitted her. She has now been there nearly 48 hours, and all the vet can say is that I should not bring her home because she might not make it without her IV> ...anyone else had issues like this? I am devastated!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/06/2008: Heather from Shippensburg, PA writes: "Well, today I went to pick up my 8 week old Toy fox terrier. The breeder had givin her her first distemper-parvo vaccination just last night around 7pm. I brought her to my home. She was playful, crying and making noises like any puppy would do. At some point her stomach had hardened and she was kinda out of it. My brother was there who is familiar with seizures. The dog was placed on the floor at which she had a seizure. Her head tilted to the side and her body did too. After that she could not stand up, her breathing became very heavy, and she was very lathergic . I called the breeder and she did gladly take her back and was going to take her to the vet.

Once I got home I did some research and realised that this could all be do to the shots she had. I am a big believer now that these shots are really dangerous and not really needed.

I haven't heard the condition of the puppy but hope all is well."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/03/2008: Angelica from Los Angeles, CA writes: "hello
i have a 5.5 lb chuhuahua who developed a bald spot of her right rear hip about 6mo ago. after seeking vet care and finding nothing, i found out that others in her same family (dad and brother, who use same vet) have the same mark. no itching, dog doesn't notice spot, but it is hard and skin does not come away from muscle like it does on healthy skin. at another vet visit i mentioned that others in her fam had it and vet said probably from a shot. i went for her rabies (and bordatella) shot yesterday and they injected the same bald area for her rabies. i wish i had known that was the spot for that shot! today she is lethargic, wont leave bed to eat or anything else, the rabies injection site is swollen to about 3" circumference circle, adn i can see where she had lost hair that the skin is red. i am so mad, permanent hair loss and tissue rigidity is not a healthy reaction! and they tell you there should be no noticable side effects (yes i specifically asked). if anyone knows of a wholistic vet in the la area i would be very happy to know of a good one, thx "

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/01/2008: Pamela Whitney from Corrales, NM writes: "I sold a puppy and needed to get a rabies vaccine to comply with my state's health certificate to fly in the cabin of an airline. The puppy, six pounds, was 12 weeks old.

This was a perfectly adjusted puppy, happy, playful, not fearful of anything. The new owner reported that he was skiddish, shy and would not walk through doorways. Everyone has been perplexed by this new and strange behavior. A dog trainer was brought in, and stated that this dog had genetic defects. But neither parents demonstrated this behavior, nor did the puppy prior to getting the rabies vaccine.

My internet research has determined that behavior problems are a side effect of a vaccine. It also uncovered that the same amount of vaccine is given to all dogs regardless of their weight and size! All 27 Vet schools are re-examining their vaccine protocols.

I sold a beautiful, happy, well-adjusted puppy who is now coming back to me three weeks later a different dog.

One size fits all vaccines can ruin perfectly healthy puppies. Airlines who require these shots prior to six months of age, which more vets are recommending as the proper age for the first set of shots, should be brought up to date.

Puppy owners, beware of giving shots prior to six months of age!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/30/2008: Wong from NT, Hong Kong writes: "My Standard Schnauzer bitch was 17 years old, and had been having annual vaccinations all her life, and anti-rabies shots every 3 years as required by our law.

In 2006, when she was 17 years old, she took the annual vaccination as well as the anti-rabies shot at the same time ( as it was due for the 3-year time frame for the latter).

Within a week, she was sick - turned lethargic, intermittent vomiting. Went to the same vet who gave her the vaccinations. She gave my bitch bagfuls of pills, including some in halves, some in quarters. Had to do it 3 times a day.

My dear Belle was a super darling. The first few days she endured all these pills shoving down her throats, 5 or 6 of them in 5 or 6 shovings, repeated for 3 times a day = imagine, that means a total of close to 20 shovings each day down the throat of a patient who's already not feeling so well.
By about the 5th or 6th day, she started struggling with me during pill shovings, and even when successful, would throw up after 5 minutes with some of the pills seen. As I was not sure if some of the those unseen had been truly ingested by her or dissolved in her vomit, I dared not refeed, in case I would overdose the medicine. But when I didn't, that meant she did not get medicine coverage.

On the 7th day during return visit with the vet, I voiced my concern that all those bags of pills did not seem to make her any better, and each pill-feeding operation had become excruciatingly upsetting and distressing for me and for my dear Belle, as she struggled while I tried to made sure the pills went down her throat, also be careful that it didn't go down too far to choke her.

The vet just said matter-of-factly that "It's difficult. But it had to be done. Those are medicine to treat her." And she packed us off with exactly the same bagfuls of medicine again, to come back in another week.

My Belle had never skipped a meal in her entire 17 years of life. This time she was skipping some meals here and there. I knew in my heart of hearts that something was not right.

What the vet had said about her condition was only some stomach/intestinal disorder, and some of the medicine was for soothing her windpipe = sounded not very alarming, and no specific illness terminology was articulated.

The very night we came back from this return visit, Belle was pacing and yelping at times, obviously distressed. We stayed up with her the whole night. The next morning, I called the vet. She suggested for us to bring her in for something we all sensed at the back of our minds but didn't verbalize on the phone.

Once there, she examined her, and advised me to euthanize her.

There went my sweet Belle.

Within a week of getting her annual vaccination plus anit-rabies shot, she developed illnesses which the vet did not put a specific name to (just general discomfort and the like), and she departed 8 days after seeing the vet.

Meaning she departed after 2 weeks of getting the vaccinations.

I have still to come across a vet who would agree with me that it's the vaccines which took Belle's life.
But how can the connection not be made that my Belle, albeit 17 years old, was healthily eating, walking, pooping, sleeping (the 4 most important indicators of health), suddenly turned down slope in just 1 week after the injections, and departed in 2 ?

Needless to say, I did not go back to the same vet again with my other dogs. Not so much for her inability to save my Belle, but for her uncaring attitude that I should feed those bagfuls of pills to Belle while some dogs revolted even against 1 shoving, so how could the vet think my Belle could take 20 shovings each day, for an entire week, and then another more ?

But the new vet I'm seeing is also a vaccine supporter, and a forceful one at that.

Actually, is there any vet who is not supporting vaccinations, as it is their easy income source ?

I had been agonizing over the issue of "to bring or not to bring" my dogs in for vaccinations each year, especially during the last 4 or 5 years of Belle's life after she turned 'teenager'. Each year, my heart palpitated as I had known the "evil" effects of vaccinations from reading from articles similar to websites as this one ? But the vet made me fearful by saying that all the more I should vaccinate Belle in her senior years as she's in a weakened state of protecting herself against the illnesses.

Finally, after years of my heart-rending and dreaded decision of bringing my dogs in for vaccination, my sweet Belle succumbed in her 17th year.

Bless her. She has had 17 years of good life. And she had given me 17 years of her blessed sweetness.

Now my Was-chu is getting on to 10 years. In 3 or 4 years, I would start to face the dreaded decision each year again of bringing him in for vaccination. Moreso the anti-rabies shot is demanded by law = meaning I'd be a "criminal" if I don't..... how ridiculous our life has become !

If it's said the 21st-century is a high-tech world, why is it that we still have to agonize over the issue of seemingly innocent vaccinations, which may turn out not to be so innocent ?"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/30/2008: Jan from Nottinghamshire, England writes: "we took our very fit 11 yr old cocker spaniel fo his yearly booster,after he seemed very sleepy & 3 days later he was very sick ,has lost his appetite, been very lethargic & has had conjunctivitus.We took him back to the vets & they gave him an antibiotic injection & some medicine to settle his stomach.We are now 10 days further on and still there is no improvement."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/28/2008: Jeri from Fairfield, Iowa writes: "I have a 11 y.o. choc lab mix, male. He's been altered. last month I took him into my regular vet, and had his rabies shot given to him. NOW, he started urinating when he sleeps. sometimes he seems to be having problems when he does go outside to urinate. I have been giving him garlic and alfalfa tabs (arthiris prevention), and perhaps it's my hopes and prayers, he seems to not urinate as often. We do go for walks, he sleeps on my bed, (I've started putting a pad on it because of the urinating) What else can I do for him? I love him so much."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/28/2008: Jeri from Fairfield, Iowa writes: "I have a 11 y.o. choc lab mix, male. He's been altered. last month I took him into my regular vet, and had his rabies shot given to him. NOW, he started urinating when he sleeps. sometimes he seems to be having problems when he does go outside to urinate. I have been giving him garlic and alfalfa tabs (arthiris prevention), and perhaps it's my hopes and prayers, he seems to not urinate as often. We do go for walks, he sleeps on my bed, (I've started putting a pad on it because of the urinating) What else can I do for him? I love him so much."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/28/2008: Jeri from Fairfield, Iowa writes: "I have a 11 y.o. choc lab mix, male. He's been altered. last month I took him into my regular vet, and had his rabies shot given to him. NOW, he started urinating when he sleeps. sometimes he seems to be having problems when he does go outside to urinate. I have been giving him garlic and alfalfa tabs (arthiris prevention), and perhaps it's my hopes and prayers, he seems to not urinate as often. We do go for walks, he sleeps on my bed, (I've started putting a pad on it because of the urinating) What else can I do for him? I love him so much."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/28/2008: Jacquie from Eagle River, Alaska writes: "I took my Mini-Dachshund in for his annual check up and his rabies shot. This was not his first rabies shot. Since his shot he is slowly losing all the feeling in the leg he got the shot. He is normally a very happy active dog. Now he can't even walk up the stairs. Has this ever happened to any one else? Does any one know why this would happen? I think they gave the shot in a nerve and it's killing the nerves. If any one can give me some answers I'd be greatful. My vet is trying to blame it on him jumping around and hurting himself. But he doesn't cry when you grab, bend or press his leg. And never had a problem until after this shot."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/25/2008: Liz from Hancock, MI writes: "Our cat Gatsby went to the vet for a rabies shot. His records from previous owners showed he wasn't vaccinated for leukemia either, so we decided to do this as well. After the shots were given, we were told that they didn't have a leukemia shot by itself so he was given distemper along with it, which he had already had ten months before. When we got home, he ate a bit and promptly threw up seven times all over the house, the first three had food and the last four was just saliva. I called the vet and they said bring him back, he might be having an allergic reaction. I got him there very fast and they gave him a shot to counteract his reaction. He stayed there for a few hours and then came home. In the few days since, he hardly purrs and doesn't want to play. I hope he perks up soon. I've been reading about how boosters aren't necessary, that once vaccinated, cats have lifetime immunity. I don't think we'll be doing this again."

11/24/2008: Anika from Auckland, New Zealand writes: "Hi guys, I am sure that you are all caring pet owners who want what is best for your animals. I am shocked to see so many generalisations on this website. It is true that a very very low minority of animals develop some kind of vaccine related reaction. However, millions of pets are vaccinated for the core vaccines (distemper, parvo, canine adenovirus) on a yearly basis with no side effects (less than 0.001%). These are meant to ensure that the majority of animals are protected against diseases that are widespread, extremely virulent and highly infectious. These vaccines are safe & efficious and provide a high risk/benefit ratio to warrant their use.

In the past few years, a reduced overall prevalence of infectious disease has led to a decreased awareness and perception of risk, this is, for a great part, due to the great success of canine vaccines!!

Mass media in the UK and US have put pressure on vets and "freaked out" pet owners whilst overlooking the benefits of vaccination.

I am not saying there are no problems or never side effects. Just remember there are two sides to every argument and diseases like parvo & distemper are on the rise again and are a painful and miserable way to die!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/23/2008: Kathy from Chicago, Illinois writes: "My Boston Terrier had his annual rabies and distemper/parvo cocktail shots yesterday at the Animal Welfare League where I adopted him a year ago. He has been inactive and shaky since. He has eaten regularly and is going out on his own as usual.

Today, though, he started whining/yelping when he is picked up. He's not his high-energy self. I'm watching him closely. I know where the emergency vet is although now I think I want to seek out a holistic vet.

A sidenote, when I was a kid we had 3 dogs that saw the vet once when they were puppies, never took heartworm meds or any kind meds. They all lived to be 13+ years old so are vaccines really necessary if you are a mindful pet parent? Meaning you watch them when they go out, check for parasites, feed them good food, give them exercise, etc.

Last year, I had to put down my 13 y.o. lab mix after a pancreatitus attack that I'm convinced was caused by the "treats" of smoked pig ears. My vet said they are very fatty and older dogs shouldn't eat them. Why aren't there warnings on the bags?

Well, I guess I'm on sick pup watch for the day!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/21/2008: Molly from Raleigh, NC writes: "A year ago, I lived in Sweden and took my cat, Seven in for her annual rabies vaccination. In her carrier on the way home (about 45 minutes after her vaccination) she had diarrhea and some vomit. Not knowing what was going on, we proceeded to clean her up, and then noticed she was going limp and was becoming unresponsive. We called the vet who told us to bring her back in. We did, and on the way back to the vet, she started drooling. The vet did everything they could for her, but she could not be saved. That was the worst day of my life and now my little kitty is gone. I still miss her so much and I hope my experience will bring awareness to others. I wish I'd known then what I know now - vaccinations carry very REAL risks! I don't agree that indoor-only animals need to have annual vaccinations. Vets also need to inform patients of the risks of vaccinations and what symptoms to look for if an animal goes into anaphylactic shock."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/20/2008: Nicola from Lakewood, Ohio writes: "I took my Jack Russel Terrier (English/Irish) for her shots. She had the DHLPP and the Rabies shots in her thigh. That evening and the following day she was lethargic then she got a really high fever and her back was in pain. She would not get up, walk or go up and down the stairs. She has had these shots before but I never expected this and I am worried for the next time that the reaction may kill her. The vet gave her a shot and some medicine but could not really say what caused the illness. I feel it is to much of a coincidence for it not to be the vaccinations I just do not know which one!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/16/2008: Taryn from Lansing, Michigan writes: "I can't find help for our Pug. He is 1yr. 3months. He had Rabies and Canine Boosters (Dis. Lep. Par. Parvo Adeno.2) He is sick and I can't get him any help on Sunday."