The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Mary (Worcester, Ma) on 03/04/2011
Why my dog reacted to a distemper shot w/ black pigment and loss of hair on the injection spot, and also on the other side were he had the rabies shot 2 months prior?
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Lisa (Charlotte, Nc, Usa) on 01/31/2011
Two of my male cats developed a bad skin rash after they were neutered (and given a rabies vacc). The rash is in the form of scabs all over the back half of their bodies.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Kathy (San Jose, Ca) on 01/17/2011
Both of my kitties were vaccinated with the three-year rabies vaccine on Saturday. My six year-old kitty did fine, but my year and a half year-old kitty got very sick a couple of hours after--vomitted all over the house about eight times. Last couple of days have been better, but still vomitted once per day. No other changes, differences, or exposure so pretty sure it was the vaccine. It cannot even be attributed to the stress of the ride to the vet because I have a mobile vet that comes to the house
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Danielle (Highland Mills, New York) on 12/05/2010
Oh my gosh... I hope your kitty gets 100% back to normal. I just took my 10 year-old cat in for a rabies and leukemia vaccine yesterday. He always acted like a puppy... He follows you around all the time, loves to interact and play and be held as he purrs, he buries his head in your neck as you rock him. He loves people.
Today he is isolating himself, hates when I pick him up, and when I do - he hisses and growls at me. HE NEVER did any of this before and has always been the sweetest cat. NOW, he seems angry and doesn't want me around him. All of these horror stories I am reading about dangerous vaccines are freaking me out. I am so mad at myself and can't help to think something horrible is going to happen to him.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Bob (Duarte, Ca Usa) on 12/02/2010
My 14 year old male 20lb Bichon Frise came down with AIHA (Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia) after receiving a rabies shot when he was 9 years old. He had been in perfect health, but after the injection I knew something wasn't right. He became very quiet and withdrawn for a few days. I didn't think much of this but a few weeks later he wouldn't eat and became very listless. After examining his gums I realized they were almost white which shocked me. I had no idea what was wrong but I took him to the vet.
After some testing and blood work the diagnosis came back. I had to take him for a transfusion, hospitalization, and meds. He survived this attack after a week in the hospital. Less than a year later the same thing happened... Long story short he's had 4 attacks in the last 5 years all requiring transfusions and hospitalizations. Prednisone stopped working for him and instead they gave him Atopica (cyclosporine). This was very effective and brought him out of his illness very quickly. He hasn't had an attack now in almost two years but I give him 25mg of Atopica twice a week. I also have him on 2000mg Vit. C and other natural and organic supplements, colloidal silver that I put in his water every day, and an organic diet of cooked turkey and veggies, Solid Gold WeeBits kibble, cottage cheese, and fish oil.
He's doing great and acts like a puppy now. I pray this disease does not reccur... It is a nightmare and very expensive to boot. Vaccines are deadly things for dogs as they wreak havoc with their delicate immune systems. He has a letter from his vet so he doesn't need any more vaccines. I had to have a rabies titer done which was 24. They say 5 is about normal.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Leann (Lake Bluff, I, Usa) on 11/27/2010
Please everyone, do not do the 3-year rabies shot for your beloved pet! Last year our vet recommended the 3-year to save us time from doing the yearly shot. We went ahead and did it for our 8 year old, 90 LB mountain dog/collie rescue. At first, we didn't see any major reactions to the new shot other than the normal sessions of seasonal allergies resulting in swollen nodes that a healthy dose of antibiotics would resolve. These allergies and resulting skin infections were a lot more frequent since doing the shot, but we didn't think it was out of the norm, nor did the vet.
Seven months later, we brought the dog in for allergies and swollen lymph nodes. Tests were taken and came back positive for lymphoma, which has no cure in the canine world. Incidentally, the cancer arose in the area that the shot was administered. Until getting involved in the canine cancer community in an attempt to treat and get a few more months with our dog, I made the discovery that many dogs faced with similar cancer diagnosis had owners that were doing the 3-year or even the yearly shots. We feel terrible that we put our beloved dog through the unnecessary multiple shots year after year. Vets commonly will give several shots at once, which puts a lot of undue stress on your dog's body. Humans get shots when they are little and as adults don't get a bunch more. If you are going to give your pet shots, please consider doing it in their early years and after doing a "blood titer test" to see if the vaccine levels in the dog's body are still acceptable. (They usually are for many years after). I believe the blood test costs more than the shots, but losing your pet to illnesses related to over-vaccinating them is worse.
Additionally, you should also be reading the label on commercial pet food to make sure that it doesn't contain "meat by-products. " I've researched and found that there wasn't a lot of regulation of the pet food market until recently. Meat by-products are things like chicken beaks, feathers, euthanized animals or rotting carcasses sold for rendering into pet food. Some companies have come out in response to not using by-products, and changing out their food to healthy meats like we would eat. Maybe I'm a little skewed because our dog has cancer, but in finding out some of the sources it can come from, we do have some choices.
In most areas, titer tests are acceptable to pass the annual rabies vaccination requirement and receive the tags. Your vet will have to test the blood and then put it into writing that your pet has acceptable levels of the vaccine in their system and provide this to the local ordinance to receive the tags. I've contacted several vets and found there are quite a few out there that do the titering because they do not recommend over-vaccinating through an animal's entire life because the vaccines stay in their systems for so long. Hope this helps someone.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Ann (Yonkers, New York) on 09/23/2010
In 2007 I had a beautiful Golden Retriever and he needed his rabies vaccination for his license. So we went to a clinic and he received all of the yearly vaccines including a 3 yr. Rabies shot. A short time later 2-3 months we found out he had cancerous tumors on his jaw, liver and anal area. Long story short he lived for about 8 months longer. We decided to try and heal him naturally and he did have a good quality of life during that time. I wish I never had him vaccinated for the rabies and all of the others. I do believe the amount of vaccines was too much for a dog 11 years old.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Bailey's Mom (Tucson, Arizona) on 09/01/2010
My white toy poodle had a reaction to the rabies vaccine. She initially vomited right after injection. 2 months later at the sight of her injection her skin turned black and her hair fell out.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Connie (San Dimas, Ca, 91773) on 08/29/2010
My 4 year old Puggle had her rabies shot on Tuesday, noticed she was mellow that night but the next day she was lethargic, sore, wouldn't jump up or down on bed, and had a seizure called the vet they said to just watch her, by thursday she was moving down the stairs slower than normal and by friday when I got home from work she was completely paralyzed from the waist down. The vet that gave her the shot said they were closing early to take her to the animal hosp. Had an x-ray and they said it could be a back disc issue. It has been 2 days $600.00 later and they really dont know. She has no control over her bowel movements, we have to stand her up to pee and squeeze her stomach and as far as pooping, she just goes on herself and we have to clean her up. I just dont undertstand how we had a perfectly healthy dog and after the rabies shot everything went bad and they blame it on a disc. I think the vet hit a nerve or something. If anyone has any advice I would love to hear it.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Lindadoeshair (Wi) on 07/20/2010
We took our 8 yr old yorkie poo in for his rabies shot, one day after he cant eat, diarrhea, vomiting for 2 days after, now 5 days after shot and he still can not eat, the vet put fluids under the skin and told us to give him pepsid and a diarrhea pill. Took ex rays and nothing showed up. They doubt its from the shot, but Rocko was healthy and full of life before the shot. We are scared, from the info on the web about side effects, we had no idea of the side effects and or death. We will never give the shot to him again, if he lives that is.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Copper Tree (Waukesha, Wi) on 06/07/2010
We took our Welsh Corgi puppy in for his rabies vaccination when he was about 5 months old. Within a few hours his face swelled up like a balloon. He didn't seem to be in great distress but he looked awful. We had to put him on antihistamine and the swelling came down within a couple of hours. It was not a fun experience.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Theresa (Durham, Nc) on 04/20/2010
Reaction to rabies shot
I saw bruising on my dog and I thought she might have fallen. so to be safe I took her to vet to make sure she didn't injure herself inside. Turns out the shot cause her to have a problem with her blood (autoimmune) she is now being treated. i wish I would have known that this could have happen.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Kat (Peoria, Arizona, U.s.) on 04/08/2010
Rabies Booster Side Effects
In order to comply with my county's dog licensing laws, I took my adopted from rescue golden retriever to her vet for her rabies booster yesterday. She was her usual bouncy, playful, full of fun self before, during and after the appointment, but today she has been severely lethargic, not wanting to "get up" this morning to have her breakfast (she typically wakes me up in the morning, "hounding" me to get out of bed to feed her and play), and I had to call her three times so she would come out of the bedroom to eat. Since then, she has been in the same spot for hours except to drink two full bowls of water. I have had two other dogs and never experienced this kind of thing with either one, although I know that each dog is different. I called my vet's office and was told to give my dog an aspirin, but she's still so limp and lifeless, like a poorly stuffed animal, like someone gave her too much of a tranquilizer.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Eileen (Needham, Ma) on 03/31/2010
My 6 month old male akita puppy was given a rabies shot and developed a bacterial skin infection that was entering his blood stream. He became very ill 3 days after the shot. He could not sleep at night and was restless during the day. His skin had a terrible odor and we could not touch him. He yelpt in pain for weeks. He was treated with antibiotics and improved with the bacterial skin infection, but the restlessness and sleepless nights continued. He had liver damage as well. He did not sleep for 2 months at night. He has been scratching his fur off his elbows and ankles daily that the elbows bleed daily. The homeopathy treatments are working and he is now more restful and his liver is working normally, thanks to the homeopathy. I was wondering if anyone else had this experience?
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
Posted by Tru (Hardeeville, Sc) on 02/21/2010
I have a miniature Dachshund weighing 8 pounds and yesterday she just received her Rabies vaccination. This morning she is sleepy and lethargic and will not get out of her bed. After much research I can conclude she will not be getting another Rabies vaccination as she is a totally indoor dog.
