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 Jacqueline (Oxon Hill, VA) on 10/05/2008
Trembling, Lethargic dog: Last week I took my 10 year Pom in for shots before we left the vets he fell down and had rapid heart beat. The vet immediately gave him a shot of benadryl, which seemed to help. However, he has been laying around, not eating, shivering. We have taken him back to the vet, who says he can't find anything. Does anyone have any advice??
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Lori Wallender (Minocqua, Wisconsin) on 10/04/2008
My dog Bruiser is a pit bull Terrier mix (chow chow) He is the most gentle dog I had ever come in contact with. Bruiser had his three year vaccinations on September 18th. VX-Canine DP 3 year, Leptospirosis, and Lyme vaccaine. Two weeks later he is lethargic, very depressed, mopes around, is drooling from the right side of his mouth, seems spooked, yelps for reason unknown and when I push on parts of his back, his muscles begin to tremble. I don't want to take him back to the vet because they lied to me about Lyme's he supposedly had and said that the tests they charged me for showed he is negative. They charged me over $200 that day when they quoted me much much less. Has anyone else gone through similar symptoms with their dog after annual shots? Thanks, Lori
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Gloria (Chula Vista Ca., CA) on 09/29/2008
My dog had the DA2LP/ Parvo /Corona/ Bordetella shots yesterday and he seemed more like he wanted to be alone yesterday and after 24 hours his right eye is closing and is red and he can't hardly open the eye. We rub it and it won't help at all.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Sherrie Atkinson (Barberton, Ohio) on 09/28/2008
My 4 year old cocker spaniel, went in for his vaccinations..in 2005. He got the new 4 year booster shot. in less than 24 hours he began vomitting...then bloody diahrea, followed in days by severe tremors, fever, his eyes glazed over in a blue haze, and a few days after his mucus mebranes in his nose began to bleed. and he became lethargic. During these events we rushed him to the vet and animal hospital. where they claim it all just coincidental, and that he had an auto immune problem...and would send him home, with pain meds and diahrea meds. We went back several times, ended up with a huge vet bill and a dead dog! if you ask me the new extra strong booster may be what triggered it and the symptoms appeared to be hepatitis and he died of a stroke. They still denied the connection. what a horrible way for a dog to suffer.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Melissa (Scottsale, AZ) on 09/27/2008
My cat developed cancer after his annual (not rabies) vaccines! He was diagnosed with Vaccine-associated Sarcoma (VAS), which is likely a byproduct of the suspension that is used to deliver the vaccine. Luckily, we noticed the lump on his haunch where he was vaccinnated within 2 months. We are very fortunate that we had the financial means and access to a pet cancer center for his care: $10,000 over 4 months. Our oncologist is still amazed at how well he's doing -- it's been almost 2 years now, and no reoccurance. Surviving VAS is very rare; it's very, very aggressive and most cats only live 1-2 years even with treatment. Needless to say, none of our 5 older, indoor-only kitties will be vaccinated ever again!! Yahoo has a great feline VAS support group forum for information and interaction with other affected families.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Linda (Waynesburg, PA) on 09/27/2008
DHLPPC Annual: My 2 year old Westie had one bout of severe diarrhea an severe shaking. Vet gave him 25mg Benadryl. He's fine now. He has never had a reaction to anything before, has never been sick.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Sharon Vallier (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) on 09/26/2008
I took my healthy cat of 10 years to the vet today. After receiving the rabies and distemper vaccines--approximately 5 minutes after the shots. She growled 2 times and went limp. They took her back and intubated her and gave oxygen, gave her benadryl and epinephrine but she died anyway. Does this seem right to anyone?
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Rose (Nashville, TN) on 09/27/2008
I'm so sorry. I'm a primary care provider for humans. I have a little poodle who was getting seizures after being given a rabies vaccine. I believe the vaccine can cause swelling of the brain based on some articles I have read. Again.. I am terribly sorry for your loss. Make sure the vet reports this incident and they do not give anymore shots from the vial your dog was treated.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Danielle (Vandergrift , PA) on 09/23/2008
I just had a kitten to the vet today. I have only had her since Thursday, She had fleas so I had them treated, and to the vet today, she received her shots both felovax IV and calicivax and rabies vaccine. She seemed fine when I got her home, then I had to work. Well I got home a little while ago went to pick her up and she was making horrible noises at me and just seemed like she was in a lot of pain. She wasn't walking correctly, and she just wanted to lay there. I am so very upset. My brother tragically passed away on the 13th, and this was his cat, I would really hate to loose her, i would be devastated. I have 3 dogs and never experienced this until now.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Beverly (Henderson, KY) on 09/23/2008
i took my 5 year old yorkie-poo who only weighs about 6lbs. he was given a rabies shot and parvovirus shot and a heart worm pill. he was fine that day but, the following day he could hardly raise his head, he would not eat or drink and was running a fever. a week later he lost the use of his back legs and just layed for one night. the next morning he was able to use his back legs and was jumping and playing like his old self. he still has blood in his stool and seems aloof. this is not like him at all.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Molly (Santa Cruz) on 06/26/2017
You really should or should have contacted the vet right away. Or at least when he couldn't use his back legs. And blood in the stool couod mean many things. I watched my uncle's dog for a week and she had blood in her stool. I gave her rice for a day (rice with a little chicken or vegetable broth for flavor, is good for their tummy..Like the BRAT diet.but without the B.A.T part of it...Lol...but No dog food and she got better. Maybe it was a tummy issue.Idk.. but with all the other symptoms a vet would be a good idea...
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Valerie Strain (Bethany, Oklahoma) on 09/20/2008
my name is valerie and I took my 4 16 month old mini schnauzers in for their annual rabies and other boosters less than one month later all 4 got seriously ill one with a horrible rash 3 were hospitalized and one died the 4th one came down severely anemic and has bacteria in his colon. I have 5 other older schnauzers and all are fine the only link is the vaccine in the 4 younger dogs. We are awaiting autopsy on Snickers who died. We are broken-hearted. Her rash was terrible, on tummy, was raised red bumps from top to bottom and they were blistering. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. We love them all dearly and miss Snickers terribly. Vets refuse to say it was the vaccine but wouldn't all 9 have been sick if it wasn't?
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Kristin (Raleigh, NC) on 09/20/2008
My Rat Terrier- 4 years old- got his yearly check up and vaccinations yesterday. Distemper/Parvo, Bordatella and 3 year Rabies. Today, he couldn't even stand up to use the bathroom. He only ate a tiny bit of food and has been sleeping all day. Gave him one Bayer baby Apsrin, as recommended by the vet, and it apparently hasn't helped. Poor thing is suffering and I can't do anything else for 3 days.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Hazel (Spring Lake, NC) on 09/24/2008
Hi Kristen, I do hope your little dog is doing better now even though i dont know how. I am a strong believer in only getting my dogs i have 2 black pugs what the law requires for them. The others is only for vets to make money and your dog does not need them. lease dont keep letting them give your baby dog shots that it not nessary. Read up on the subject hun. Goodluck and i hope i was some help. I live in Cumberland County NC.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Roy (USA) on 09/16/2008
Reactions to pet vaccinations
My cat had an alleric reaction to his pet vaccination. I ended up having to take him to the pet hospital and he is doing well.
I read the posts in the pet vaccination section and it appears to me that some of the pets are having allergic reactions to their vacinations (unusual behavior and injection soreness, ongoing sickness, are some clues)...the pet has to be taken back to the vet for a possible injection of ephinephrine to counteract the allergic reaction. Vet told me to give the pet childrens benadryl till you can get it in for some epinephrine.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Sharon (Mill Creek, Washington) on 09/14/2008
We have a female Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Our breeder said not to give her the bordadella(?)Vaccine. The vet disaggreed and she got the first dose. It made her very sick. Vomitting, Fever, pain at the injection sight; sorta like flu in humans. We were upset and angry, so she never got the rest of the vaccine. She continued to have GI problems to the point of having pancreatits. I was cooking for her too so we just couldn't figure out what was going on. They tested her for food allergies. The results showed allery to everything on the list excepts, dairy, wheat and catfish. Desperately allergic to lamb, chicken and rice! I found an excellent holistic vet and he has turned her around with his Indian herbs (Trifal), enzymes and Probiotics. It was finally determined that the vacine blew her immune system as none of her littermates have any problems whatsoever. She still has upper GI issues but she's healthy and robust and a love bug.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Tracy (Firestone, Co/usa) on 11/04/2010
I have two King Charles (one is 2 years and one is 16 weeks) and lost a nine month old KC puppy (Juliette) in July due to vet mishandling. She developed severe uncontrollable itching after her Rabies shot. She was the runt and very tiny, and had her shot at 18 weeks. I took her to a veterinary dermatologist who put her on Atopica that didn't help. He told me he had to do a routine blood test and took my pup from me. After about 25 minutes his assistant gave me my very groggy puppy. He gave her anesthesia without my consent or permission, at 4pm on a Friday afternoon. She had a full belly... And aspirated during the anesthesia. She died ten days later from aspiration pneumonia. My advice to new puupy owners is to go by your gut feeling regarding all of these vacinations. Thinking back, I remember thinking that maybe I should wait to have Juliette vaccinated because she was so tiny and had enough puppy stuff to deal with. I wish I had waited, because I think the Rabies vaccination somehow jeopardized Juliette's immune system.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Michelle (Frederick, Co) on 12/27/2011
Can you please tell me who was the vet???
Distemper (Cats)
Posted by Ashley (Endicott, New York) on 09/09/2008
My cat got his first distemper vaccine yesterday at the ripe old age of 3. He's been acting like he can't even hear me like he's mad at me, because I call his name and he is unresponsive, very lethargic, sick to his stomach, walking very slowly, having a hard time jumping up in places where he has never had any problem before, and all he wants to do is sleep. He is a very vocal cat and he hasn't made a sound since we came home from the vets office. He is also very cautious with where the injection was given, he seems sore in that place. If you have any idea if this is from the distemper or rabies shot or from something else please let me know because my cat is one of my best friends to me, because he is always there, and never judges you haha =] thank you.
-Ashley
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Katherine (Grovetown, Ga) on 09/09/2008
My mother took her 14 yr old indoor cat in good health to the vet for yearly vaccines & rabies, that night he was lethargic, head was contracted & stiff, r rear leg extended with claws spread while lying on his side, pupils enlarged & irregular, shallow breaths, only able to walk short distances,we are all still in shock from his death.
