Side Effects of Pet Vaccines: A Closer Look

My dog had surgery last week for a tumor and the report came back today. She had an aggressive sarcoma. It is on her shoulder. The vet wanted to know if she'd ever been vaccinated there. Yes, the last time she was vaccinated, that's where the vet did it. This is the only time a vet has ever vaccinated one of my dogs on the shoulder, and it will be the last.

The vet was pretty certain that he had removed it all, but let's face it, it can and probably will come back.

It's been 2 1/2 years, but I still can not get over what happened to my precious cats. Here's my story.

On the evening of August 20, 2007 I took two of my cats in for their yearly FVRCP booster and Feline Leukemia booster. Within an hour after we returned home Rebel began vomitting and having breathing difficulties, and Levi began digging at himself and biting his paws. We called the after hours service as by this time the office was closed. The vet blew us off stating that it was the cats' nerves. Things were not better an hour or so later so we again called the vet and this time he agreed to see us. Upon seeing the two of them he agreed they were having some type of allergic reaction. He gave them both an antihistamine shot and steroid shot and sent us home with steroid pills to give them in the morning.

Levi got better within an hour or so of returning home, but Rebel did not. He vomitted and cried all night and labored for breath. I called the vet on the morning of August 21,2007 and they had me bring him in. The vet just said that it was taking longer to wear off and that they would keep him until evening and see how he was. Unfortunately, by evening he was no better. I asked if it could have been a bad batch of vaccines and was assured no because the vaccines were from highly reputable companies. The vet at this point also stated that something was affecting his nervous system and that this wasn't a typical vaccine reaction. He assured us that he would call the vaccine companies.

On the morning of August 22, 2007 I called to see how Rebel was doing he was rapidly declining. They just now had decided to give him IV fluids and do blood work. We could not understand why the delay in treatment. It seemed like it was a wait and see situation. I called back a few hours later and was told that he was in liver and kidney failure. The test also revealed that the phosphorous levels in his kidneys were high and that this could not have happened in such a short amount of time. The vet more or less insinuated that he was already sick before he received the vaccine, but that did not explain Levi's reaction. I even stated this to him again he just said he wasn't really sure.

After this phone conversation, I immediately left work and went to be with Rebel. When I got there he was just laying in the cage convulsing in pain and crying. His once bright pink tongue was now almost black. I knew then that he wasn't going to make it so I called my boyfriend to leave work. I couldn't even hold him one last time, even that hurt him too much.

At 12:45 P.M., Rebel began throwing up so I told my boyfriend to turn his head so he wouldn't choke. He stopped breathing, I ran out to get someone, who proceeded to take her good old time getting to him. I don't why she even bothered because all she did was put her hand on him and say yes there is no heartbeat. I know it was probably too late but a little effort may have been nice. She couldn't even bring herself to say she was sorry for our loss.

The office staff then called our vet because he was not even there when he died he was out on a farm call. Once he arrived, he half-heartedly apologized and asked if could do an autopsy. He then stated that he would call the vaccine company which he was supposed to have done the day before!

He did contact me that night by phone to tell me that he had done the initial part of the autopsy and that Rebel's kidneys were small, the liver was mottled, and that he had large amounts of blood in his colon which apparently is due to the immune system going into overdrive and causing the body to over clot blood. We have not heard from his since and don't know that we will. He was supposed to send samples from Rebel away for pathology tests but we were not even told how long it would take and in our state of grief and shock we didn't think to ask. We did finally get the results of the autopsy, several months later I might aid. The cause of death heart failure. I stated to the vet, that you mean the reaction caused his whole body and heart to shut down. All he could say was yes more or less.

I am blaming the vaccine companies for pushing these vaccines on animals that don't really need them and the veteranarians for not explaining the risks. I found much of this out too late through my own research. Rebel never went outside and neither was Levi so their risk to anything was minimal. I also can't understand why vets are giving more than one shot at a time. They would often say, "Well that way you only have to bring them one time". I thought I was giving them the best care possible, little did I know that it would kill one of them.

Levi seems to have fully recovered but I am concerned that there could be long term problems. My cats will no longer be receiving these booster shots. I will only do what is required by law, which in this state is a rabies shot every three years. We will also no longer use this vet or any of the other vets at their office because we really do not feel that Rebel received adequate care. Perhaps if the vet would have seen us the first time we called for help and not an hour and a half later, maybe it would have made a difference.

I apologize for the length of this e-mail. I tried to keep it as brief as possible without leaving out too much detail. Thank you for taking up this cause. Many people do not understand the bond with a pet and can not comprehend what someones goes through in situations like this.

Thank You,

Still Grieving in PA

My one year old standard dapple dachshund received his vaccinations this morning (DHPP, rabies and Bordetella). Seven hours later he had an allergic reaction, his mouth and eyes were swelling up. I had to take him back to the vet where they gave him a shot of steroid and antihistamine.

He's had these shots before and never reacted, but this time he did.

Vet uses Pfizer.

I have 2 English bulldog/Australian shepherd mix dogs. They are from the same litter and are about 2 years old. They recently had their first vaccinations at a vets office. Prior to this the farmer who had them used the 7 in one vaccination shot from tractor supply. She didn't mention any reaction to that. But they had rabies 3 yr. vac. w/out incident. The distemper shot both reacted to with not eating for a week and being very lethargic. We even tempted them with eggs and they didn't want to eat those either. Now they seem fine.

I was given a 10 week old Rottweiler puppy for XMas.He was HEALTHY & HAPPY for the 11 days we had him. On his 12 week b-day, we took him to the vet for his check-up and the vet proceeded to give him: Rabies, Lymes and Bordatella shots (please note that the nurse questioned the doctor giving 3 shots and not 2 and his response was"he is a big boy, 3 is fine" - he was 15 pds!! Got home and puppy acting/eating fine until 10 hours AFTER the shots when he started having a seizure (foaming at mouth, VERY vocal, body out of control and thrashing, deficated and urinated). Called vet and took him in, only after 2nd seizure did we make it (same type seizure "violent". Vet did blood work and tested for parasite and gave me 0.7cc valium to bring home with me in the event he had another seizure (give him valium and go to vet ER hospital) PLEASE NOTE MY VET DID WRITE ON PAPERWORK: vx induced? (this tells me he knows it was!)

Went to ER on New Years Day at 2:20am in morning as puppy had 3rd seizure. Vet did more testing (ammonia levels etc) In the morning vet called at 8:00am to tell me puppy had 4th seizure and it was the worst he has seen (same as he had been having at home)- said "prognosis not good". Put puppy on anti-seizure meds and said to call later/ Went to visit puppy New Years Day around 4:00pm and he was great, happy to see me, walking, licking & kissing me and just looked normal (besides his cath in his arm).Came home and called hospital around 9:00pm to speak to vet who told me I should put puppy to sleep!!!!!! Devastated I headed to hospital and while in route - puppy had 5th seizure (while on seizure meds). Ended up putting puppy to sleep :0(

NOW...3 vets, the vaccinations companies and the breeder are ALL fighting to "clear" their names. Fighting over WHO should do autopsy (we did NOT requst autopsy but breeders vet said that my vet POISONED puppy with these shots). Puppy is on way to cornell university so they can autopsy and find out WHAT happend to this beautiful babay boy who never had a chance to live. My heart is broken into a million pieces as I feel I did not protect my friend from these shots. (I also have an autistic son who got MMR shot and days later was COVERED in Measles - 2 months later, all his words GONE and diagnosed Autistic shortly thereafter. I HATE vaccinations and although i now some are neccesary, I do not feel they are "one size fits all". There should be better vaccination schedules (for children and animals) and their health should be taken into consideration - not everyone can have the same shots at the same time! I am going to fight this terrible tragedy until SOMEONE takes the blame. the vaccinations company is VERY concerned, as well as the vets (only concerned they may get into trouble, of course). We are hiring a lawyer to help fight this battle (not for the money we spent - $2500.00 in 32 hours) but for this puppies life that was taken away from him, way to soon. Someone is going to be put to blame and fortunatly, the 3 vets have all mentioned "vx induced" as the cause of his downfall. The one vet is SURE he was poisend and so, having these vets AGAINST eachother, will only help me get the answer I need. WHO DID THIS to him?? The VET by giving him wasy to many shots at once? The vaccination company having a "bad bach"?? OR the Breeders vet who sold us a puppy who maybe had some underlying health issue? All I can say is that they told me "THIS PUPPY WILL NEVER AGAIN GET A VACCINATION - if he makes it, he will be EXEMPT" (what does that tell us?) I hope you all have great luck with your furry friends and again, if I could "re-do" this time of events, I would have more cautiously looked into the vaccinations and INSISTED he be put on a schedule that I thought safer for him. best of luck to you all!!

My 18 month old Doberman Pinscher received six vaccines from the vet (who was only supposed to give two). That was on November 10th, since then he's been having grand mal seizures sometimes more than one a day. He's also become more aggressive, backs away, and has constent relestness. We've been trying to treat him according to the treatment vaccinosis by Dr. Dodds. Basically, my dog now suffers from major illnesses that we still cant control, all caused by vaccines. Its heartbreaking to watch and financially draining, but we do everything we can for our loved friends. I just want to express my concern to others to only due what your pet needs for vaccines, not what most vets tell you they need. Do your research and save your pets life.

I have had several puppies die over the years after getting their 1st puppy vaccine at the age of 4- 6 weeks. I'm currently watching one (maltese) fade away as I type this. The breeds have been Maltese, cockers, shih tzu's and poodles.

My dogs were vaccinated for bortetella seven days ago, and have had chronic diarrhea ever since. The vet denies any connection between the vaccination and the diarrhea. The two dogs who were vaccinated (female Spitz mix age 6 and male Chihuahua mix age 7) began having diarrhea within approximately five hours of the vaccination. The one who was not vaccinated (male American Eskimo age 15) has no such issue. All three eat the same whole food made from scratch rotation diet they have been on since they were puppies.

This vet also refuses to sign a waiver exempting my 15 year old dog with a history of seizures that began after a rabies vaccination from the rabies vaccine. The seizures were eventually cured after three years of remedies including Taurine and raw proteins along with emergency measure like Valium.

Because the vet who originally vaccinated him also denies any connection between the seizures and the vaccines in the best interest of his practice, I cannot legally license my dog in the state of California without subjecting him to further risk.

Needless to say, I am not a big fan of vaccines or the government imposed "vaccinate your dog every year" policies.