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.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Debbie (Surrey, BC, Canada) on 02/05/2009
i have a poodle/havenesse mix and 8 months ago i took him in for his booster, and that will be the last time i do that, we thought we were going to lose him. i wont do it. he is 6 years old and there is alot of contervsory over vaccines and how often it is needed. we as humans only get one, not every year so why in animals,, is to make the vets richer? we must remember that it is a business.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Boaz (Tampa, FL) on 02/02/2009
Normal side effects? I have an adorable 4 year old 1 pound female Shitzu name Tosh,she got her annual shots as well as rabies shot this past Sunday, ever since then (almost 2 days) she has been laying there not moving, she would not eat or drink or move by herself. Her body in aching because whenever I try to pick her up she would cry. The vet told me this is normal and to give her baby aspirin every 8 hours... this morning she started to breath heavily, not sure what to do, I paged my vet and waiting for a call back... was wondering if anyone experience similar issues with their pets. I might just take her in to be checked just in case... thanks in advance for any reply!
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Janet (Holliday, Texas) on 02/02/2009
I took my 5 year old pekingese in for her annual vacination booster which included her rabies and canine 7 way. After receiving her shots on that Friday, she vomited and was unable to walk. She also had a moderate fever. After contacting her vet for a weekend emergency consultation, her vet advised to simply give her an asprine a day until she was better. It took her over five days until she was able to walk and over two weeks for her to walk without falling over. This was a terrifying experience as I was unsure if she was going to pull through or not. Although her vet advised this was a common reaction, I disagree and I am uncertain of having her receive the boosters next year.
I am concerned if it was a problem with the vaccines or in how they were administered.
I did note that the vet used the exact same injection site and gave the injections back to back. Allowing the vacines to be contained together under the skin. I am not sure if this made any difference but it did concern me at the time of being too hurried.
Seizures
Posted by BB (K.L, Malaysia) on 02/01/2009
I own 2 e.bulldogs which they are very happy and healthy all the while till the day i send them to take their vaccination shot. The female is 14mths old and after the vaccination she has seizure and till now im still controlling the and she is more easily allergy to foods. The male which is about 3.5 yrs old only had his vaccination at his puppy hood so im thinking to give him a shot as i was told many dogs around my area has parvo but now he is more allergic to food even the same thing he takes daily. He is the best e.bulldog even if he has allergy it will take only 1 pill to clear it off but now i have to give allergy pill plus antibiotics and go on for about 1 week anly i could see the result. I will never give my dogs yearly shot
Advice for Vaccination Side Effects
Posted by Jackie (Hackettstown, NJ) on 01/27/2009
All pet owners should encourage their veterinarians to report known or suspected adverse vaccination side effects to the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics (USDA/CVB) at 1-800-752-6255. Include the following information: Vaccine Manufacturer's name, Product Brand Name, Product Code, Lot/Serial Number and Expiration Date. Information on the breed, age, injection site and reaction should also be provided.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Danielle (Auburn, MA) on 01/25/2009
My cat had a rabies and FVRCP vaccination 0n 1/23/09. The next day he was lethargic, not eating, but is drinking, walking slowly and with some difficulty. He is 12 years old. I believe the rabies vaccine makes him ill. He is an outdoor cat so I believe the risk outweighs the possibility of the disease. This is not the first time he has been ill after a vaccination. However, he seems very ill this time. I will watch him closely for the next couple of days before calling the vet.
Benadryl
Posted by Christine (Killeen, Texas) on 01/25/2009
★★★★★
I have a 6 year old Rat Terrier. After recieving her yearly rabies vaccination booster she started having adverse reactions to it. It started with a lot of scratching, and with in a few days to a week a small bald spot appeared with a small lump under the skin, about the size of a quarter. I have had a few friends whose dogs have completely lost all of their hair and regularly have scabs or sores where they recieved their injection, so I knew right away what it was. I as soon as I noticed the missing hair and felt the lump, I took her into the bathroom and washed her from head to paws with a medicated shampoo to rid her skin of any bacteria, dirt, or possible allergins. To prevent her from scratching I spray the area with a cortizone several times during the day, (this is something you can buy at the local pet store) and stop her from messing with it anytime I notice. On days that the itching seems more severe I give her a 25mg benadryl tablet and it does what I need it to do. When I think about it, I gently roll the lump between my index finger and thumb, and I also "snap" the skin a few times by pulling the lump away from her body and allowing it to snap back. This increases blood flow to the area and helps the body deal with the issue. I do these things just a few times, so I dont aggravate her or the area. So far the lump hasnt gotten any bigger, and the hair loss is only localized to that one little spot. I am happy with the results I have seen in her, the lump still isnt completly gone, but its doing much better. Her hair hasnt started to grow back either, but I figure a quarter size bald spot is better than no hair at all. I still continue to bathe her several times a week, but now I am using a oatmeal based wash. It much easier on her skin than continually using a medicated shampoo, and it seems to help with the all over itching as well. I wish you all the best of luck if you run into the same issue. I'd reccomend taking you dog to the vet if the lump continues to get bigger, if your dog gets hives, a temerature, or starts losing hair all over. I have a friend who has a toy Chiuaua and he had a severe reaction. She waited too long and didnt treat him herself so now he has open sores regularly and is hairless. By the time she got him to the vet there wasnt much the vet could do for him. They gave him a cortizone shot and some benadryl... two things anyone can do at home. I hope this helps some one, and once again good luck!!
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Mary (Salem, OR) on 01/21/2009
Do you know someone in the Portland, Oregon area who does homeopathic vaccinations?
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Cara (Santa Monica, California) on 01/14/2009
My kitty Elmo is seven years old and like a dutiful mother I vaccinated him yearly until the fateful day after his sixth year of the shots he went into a breathing/asthma attack, spit dripping from his mouth, an actual moan from his lips, and when I went to pick him up he went limp. We rushed him to the emergency room, 1000 dollars later they tell me he had an "allergy" attack and tried to claim that the shots had nothing to do with it. yeah, right. Had I not been witness we probably would have lost him. So needless to say I started checking into this and do not plan to vaccinate him every year. Thank God for this site, for all of you angels, for Ted, and for our higher power. xoxo Cara
Combination Vaccines
Posted by April (Michigan) on 01/12/2009
I have an 8lb Rat Terrier named "Bella". When she was just one year old, she had a reaction to her 1yr (7-Way) booster vaccination. She experienced a mild case of aniphylactic shock along with hives, in which she was treated by an ER vet. Since that time, the vet says she can no longer have that type of shot, or next time it WILL kill her. She had received a 7-Way vaccine for her puppy shots and never had a problem. It was the one year booster that she'd had the reaction. To this day, she no longer gets any kind of regular vaccinations due to obvious health reasons. I feel she is covered for life.
Just this past friday, Bella was taken once again to my vet for her 3yr Rabies vaccination booster. She ended up having a reaction to her rabies shot this time. Again, she's never had a problem with rabies before and this was a booster. Bella had vomited on the ride home from the vets, then within an hour of that point, she'd broken all out in hives. I gave her 1/4tsp of childrens liquid benedryl, which helped the swelling to subside. It is required by law to have a rabies vaccine, but next time I will see if I can get an exemption from it for my Bella, or demand that the vets keep her for an observation period after administering and treat as needed.
Please find attached photos of my Bella, while going through her reaction to the rabies. Her little face was so swollen that she looked like a bulldog. I will also include a photo of what she looks like normally so you can see the difference. I feel these vaccine boosters are over-rated! Especially for an indoor, 8lb dog. I wished I could contact these vaccine companies personally to report my dogs reactions, so they could keep records of such.
Anyway, thats my report... my dog Bella has had reactions to her vaccination boosters, and so has her sister (Zoey) as reported by Zoey's owner! The same issue, vomiting & hives.
Regards,
April
Combination Vaccines
Posted by April (Michigan) on 01/13/2009
Some people out there have never experienced such and wouldn't know what a dog with an outbreak of hives looks like. Since last friday, I have been posting those pix of my Bella in hopes that others can learn from them. Liquid benedryl is a godsend to have on hand too. In a severe case, it could mean the difference between life or death while in route to a vets office. People should call their veterinarians, and ask if their dog ever has an allergic reaction (it could be to something as simple as a bee sting), what amount of childrens liquid benedryl is proper to give, for their dogs weight size. Education is key in being prepared.
A bit more about her first reaction to that 7-Way booster...
Bella was fine 2-3 min's after administering that shot but within 4-5 min's, she was acting sluggish standing with her head dropping low. I thought "whats wrong girl". As I sat there watching her, a couple more minutes went by and within 8 min's after getting that shot, her breathing had become labored, she was lying on the floor and very lethargic. I now knew we had a problem so I scooped her up and took her outdoors and laid her down in the cool grass. Breathing now was very very labored and she was lifting her tail as if she had to "go". She was dying right there in front of my eyes. I had my husband begin to massage her, talk to her, and keep her alert as possible while she lay there dying. I ran inside and called the vet whom said "get her up here now, she's experiencing an aniphylactic shock reaction and could die".
Once we got there, med's were given by another form of shot to counter act Bella's reaction. It perked her up and got her back on her feet quite quickly. As Bella stood there on the examining table, I noticed the linings around her eyes began to swell and bumps breaking out all over her body. Most noteably first in her facial area. Bella began to whine/cry immensly while pawing at her eyes. I asked the vet "what are those bumps coming out on her face"? She said "she's breaking out in hives" and then gave her some kind of pill to counter act that reaction. We waited about 20 min's, in which she was still pretty swollen with hives so a second pill was given which seemed to do the trick.
In the end, Bella came through ok as her reaction was a mild case, per the vet. She said she didn't expect Bella to even be alive upon arrival, as many do not make it through such a reaction. The vet said my quick thinking to get her outdoors in the fresh air (oxygen) and the fact that we massaged her body and didn't let her "go to sleep" most likely helped to save her life that day.
The point here is that the reaction happened so fast, within 8 min's of giving Bella that 7-Way (1yr) booster shot here at home. Yes, it was a home vaccine. People do need to be aware how fast a dog can go down from an adverse reaction to a vaccine.
At that time, both the vet and I had assumed Bella's reaction was due to the "leptospirosis" (lepto) virus that was in that vaccine. Since that time (a few years ago)... lepto is no longer recommended for small dog breeds nor puppies. We almost lost Bella that day due to that aniphylactic shock reaction and the vet said we were very lucky. That is why she no longer recieves any types of vaccines other than rabies, as required by law. But now the reaction to the rabies vaccine makes me very cautious and wonder if the problem wasn't the lepto from her first vaccine reaction but rather, if it lies within Bella's own immune system, which is most likely the case. The question is why?
I have five little teddy rat terriers and she's the only one I've ever had problems like that with. If the vaccine companies out there could get a sample of each dog's blood that reports having adverse reactions... they might run some kind of test to see what is so different about those affected dogs. Only then will an answer to my question above be answered. It's apparent that these companies are aware that some dogs are affected and do have adverse reactions, yet where are the studies from those affected dogs to find out why? What is it about their immune systems that are so different? Could it possibly be that some dogs already have their own high levels of "natural" antibodies? If that is the case, then giving them a "man-made" vaccine shot could put their immune systems outta wack of which the results wouldn't be good. Again, I stongly feel boosters are over-rated and that more testing needs to be done.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Linda (Port Orchard, Wa.) on 08/05/2016
This was not a "mild" case. How could the vet say that?
So sorry what you and Bella went through, so grateful Bella recovered.
My friend took her small dog to the vet for a physical (overweight) on a Wednesday two weeks ago. The vet gave her a rabies vaccination. On Saturday 3 days later poor Maxie was blind and deaf! Walking into walls and furniture AND could not hear you trying to help her verbally. So sad.
Other than being a little overweight Maxie was fine when she went to the vet.
That is why I am researching vaccinations and side effects other people have experienced with their furry kids. I am just horrified.
Scientists research shows that dogs DO NOT need a rabies vaccination every 3 years as the law mandates. They are good for possibly a life time or 7 years minimum.
I will not be risking my pets lives or health for any of these vaccinations other than the mandated rabies vaccination they already received.
After much research I am convinced they are covered for the remainder of their lives, they are both 10 years old and very healthy.
Linda
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Suseeq (Sydney, Australia) on 08/05/2016
Linda, my beliefs exactly.
Bordetella
Posted by Jodi (Detroit, MI) on 01/11/2009
I took my two chihuahua puppies in for their 16 week shots one month ago. All previous shots were well tolerated. I asked for the vet to give them a bordetella shot just in case I needed to board them when I go on vaation. Within minutes of administering the nasal vaccination, one of my puppies began snorting. I thought he was just trying to get the liquid out of his nose. It is now about a month later and he has developed a permanent cough. I am treating him with medication twice a day, but I don't know how long I will need to do this. The vet is now saying he has a collapsed trachea, but he never coughed before the bordetella. I think the vaccination did some permanent damage to him, or at the very least made a slight genetic issue much, much worse.
Bordetella
Posted by Jeannie (Roanoke, Va) on 08/13/2011
My little 3 lb chihuahua did the same thing. He now has a reverse sneeze that freeks most people out that he does daily. He had another reaction last week to his 3 year rabies shot which is the only one he still gets. His face was huge and he had hives and his fur was sticking out. Childrens benedryl and emergency vet were fabulous. No more shots for our dog... he'll get titers.
Bordetella
Posted by Angi (Mount Vernon, Ohio) on 12/31/2008
Bordatella allergic reaction:
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.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Narelle (Goulburn, NSW GOULBURN AUSTRALIA) on 12/28/2008
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.
EC: Called C5 Vaccination in Australia -- for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Kennel Cough and Bordetella. A C5 vaccination is the minimum requirement for most boarding kennels.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Gayle (Ingleside, IL) on 12/18/2008
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.
Seizures
Posted by Tonya (Lynn, Ma) on 12/09/2008
I took my 6 month old cat in for a distemper shot and later that night she went into a violent seizure that lasted maybe 30 seconds...she finally clamed down but wasn't quite heself a few hours later We went to the emergengy room around 4 a.m. I was told she had a fever of 104 and the inital blood work showed nothing. 2000 dollars is the approx. cost for this visit including all the additional test that need to be done. I won't know the results until later today. I'll have to do a follow up for this feed back
I DO NOT RECOMMEND A DISTEMPER SHOT
My cat was fine before this shot. I was never informed of any side effects
