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 Suzanne (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 07/24/2008
Within 3 hours my 19 month old shih tzu was very lathargic. My high energy puppy suddenly started acting like he was 19 years old. Now I'm finding out that dogs don't need yearly vaccines. The vaccines are good for at least 5 years. Personally, my dog will not be getting his shots till he is at least 7 years old.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Nancy (Marianna, USA) on 07/19/2008
My newfoundland had her annual vaccinations two weeks ago. She started chewing on her feet and legs, Then I noticed blood in her mouth and on her toys. Took her to the vet and she had low plateletts, went to a specialist and he said it most likely is reaction from recent vacc. I left her there that night thinking I would see her in the AM. I got a call in early am saying she was DIC (bleeding out) She died! That was this week. I had no clue this could happen. She was 5 1/2yrs old, part of me died that day. Many friends are not aware of this as a side effect. Why are we not aware??
Distemper (Cats)
Posted by Julie (Madison, WI) on 07/18/2008
I had a 4 month old kitten die of cat distemper because I didn't get it's vaccines. I think that telling people not to get vaccines is wrong - it was the death of my little Angel.
Bordetella
Posted by Stephanie (Queensbury, NY) on 07/18/2008
My dog received the intra-nasal vaccine for bordatella on Feb. 28, 2008 the next day she started to cough almost asmatic, a runny nose so full of mucous, constantly running also very tired out. She's only 3 yrs. old .Over the next few months she has been scoped, x-rayed, nebulized,and been on three different antibiotics,$1,000.00 later to no avail.The vet chalked it up to an allergy. At which I called Schering-plough the company which makes this vaccine. The vet there said to take her back and they would pay for a battery of tests to see if the Bordatella was responsible. Of course after waiting 3 weeks for results they said Bordatella didn't show up. My dog was a healthy energy filled dog until this. Now she's very lathargic and sleeps alot. I will not vaccinate my dog again I will go all natural. To see her so sick and uncomfortable and shortness of breath breaks my heart and angers me to know the vets continue to over vaccinate.
Bordetella
Posted by Amber (San Diego) on 05/30/2017
I have had similar symptoms with my mini poodle after the intra nasal vaccine. Now its like his sinuses are clogged, a lot of snorting and clicking sounds when breathing.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Dana (Kauai, Hawaii) on 07/12/2008
I have about a 14 week old kitten who weighs 5.5lbs. Yesterday I took him to the vet to have his booster shots and ever since he has been very lethargic, won't hardly eat or drink and he meows and bites me when I pet over the injection site. I hope he is ok, and after reading all these posts I am very hesitant to get the rest of his booster shots.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Danny (Lancaster, Oh) on 07/12/2008
About 3 weeks ago I took my 1 yr old male cat Tazzy to the vet to get his distemper and rabies b/c we were boarding him and having him neutered while he was there. A week later he seemed to be ok and his same ol' self. The vet never mentioned if he had any problems. Well yesterday I took Tazzy back to get his 2nd booster and since then he has thrown up several times, has runny stool, won't eat and is very mopey (not himself). Not sure If I should call the vet and let them know b/c I'm thinking they may just want more money out of me.
what should I do? Any suggestions?
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Brian (Ferndale, Michigan) on 07/10/2008
My 9 yr old Chi always has a reaction to the vaccine shots, but they seem to be getting worse. This latest one was for the rabbies (and maybe another?). He is listless and very sore. He cries out when picked up, yelps after he barks (has since stopped barking), walks very unusual, will not jump up or down and hides under a chair shaking. It has been a week now and seems to be getting a little better. His appetite is good and bathroom is OK. I am done with all vaccinations for him except for the required rabbies (unless I can avoid that too?)
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Mary (Southaven, MS) on 07/11/2008
Yes, you can avoid future rabies vaccinations by having a titer test done instead. My chi, as well, will NOT have further vaccinations. Two reactions she's had have convinced me that the risk is just too great.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Elaine (Bumpass, Virginia) on 07/06/2008
I have three terriers. Welsh, Irish and Wire Fox. The Fox Terrier is 15 and because of reactions to vaccinations, I now have all boosters given separately. Last April, 2007, I took my 3yr old Welsh Terrier, Maggie, to get her DHPP. She had been very healthy up till then. She was very lethargic for the first two days and would not eat. Then, she started walking with her head cocked to the side. She stumbled when walking and seemed disoriented. It was a very busy time for us...we were packing to move from CA to VA in ten days...my father was dying and in the care of hospice. It wasnt until about five days after Maggie was vaccinated that we realized how serious her condition was. We took her to the ER Vet about May 2, 2007. Blood work and urinalysis were normal. The vet performed a neurological exam and said that she had a serious neurological problem. She was concerned that the live virus from the vaccination might have crossed the blood brain barrier and actually caused her to contract distemper. There were also a lot of other neurological diseases that could be the cause. She told us that the only way we would know what was wrong was for her to have a CT scan and a spinal tap. She told us that these tests would cost about $1500-2000. We of course decided to go ahead with the tests. She sent Maggie home with us and told us that she would contact us in the morning. She wanted the tests done ASAP because the next day was Friday and if the tests werent done by noon, they wouldnt get the results until the next week. She called us very early the next morning and told us to have Maggie in San Diego at 9am. It was an hr drive for us and we left her off and were told that she could probably go home that night and that they would have some of the results by then. We called to find out when we could pick her up and were told that she needed to stay overnight because her blood pressure was very high...and they didnt have the results but would in the morning. Called early the next morning and was told that Maggie should stay thru the day because of blood pressure...and they still didnt have the results. By that evening, they wanted to keep her overnight. We told them that we were coming to get her. I was sure that blood pressure was from her being nervous...and they promised they would have results when we picked her up. We drove down to get her and were told that they still didnt have the results...seemed strange since that is why they needed to perform tests before noon the day before. Sent Maggie home with Prednisone and antibiotic. In the meantime, we moved out of our house and spent the next week with my family. My father died that week. We were on the phone with the vet daily...one week later there were no results from the tests. The final bill was $3,500 but we had no idea what was wrong with Maggie. She was no better...still stumbling and cocking her head to the side. She was no longer playful and slept all of the time....and peed constantly because of the prednisone. On the 17th of May, we had to leave to drive to VA. The Rx had run out and they renewed them. The vet had no explanation for the lack of test results. We started to realize that somehow the test results must have been lost. There was no other explanation for no test results ten days later. The vet kept putting it off on the lab. On the second day of our trip to VA, the vet called me on my cell phone and said that all the test results were normal. My question to him was, What is wrong with my dog? After all of that time and money, they were telling us that there was nothing wrong with her. She wasnt better though. We took her off of the prednisone and the antibiotic. We had been stopping every hr for her to pee while we were driving. It has now been over a year. Maggie is now back to normal. It was a gradual change. She no longer cocks her head to the side. She plays, runs and eats normally. The one lasting side effect seems to be with her personality. She has become anti social. She doesnt like to be held and growls at us when we make her do something that she doesnt want to do. She never acted like that before. Our new vet in VA does not want her to have anymore vaccinations...except for the Rabies. She said that it is the law that she has to have that one. She is four now and is due for the rabies in a couple of weeks. I am hoping that it doesnt cause the same problem that the DHPP did. We will never know for sure what caused Maggies neuroligical problems but I have to believe that it was the booster shot that she received.
Bordetella
Posted by Linda (Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico) on 06/29/2008
Both of my dogs - a female Shih Tzu and a male Pekingese - had the bordetella vaccines this past Monday. Within a couple of days, they were both extremely lethargic, and have been sort of "snorting" (I guess this is called "reverse sneezing"?). I took them back to the same vet on Saturday, and he did a blood test on the Peke, as he was the worst, and his white blood count was above normal, but everything else was normal. He said to give them both liquid Benedryl every 8 hours for 3 days, then once a day for the next 2 weeks. I haven't noticed any significant difference so far, but have only administered 3 times so far, so hope it helps soon.
Bordetella
Posted by Shara (Florida) on 07/25/2021
We had third puppy shots two weeks ago and my shih tzus have been having “reverse coughing” bouts ever since. I almost didn't get them the third round of shots, but then I did. I'm kindof pissed. What is up with the “reverse coughs” origin?
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Connie (Greeley, CO) on 06/23/2008
I lost a beloved female Australian Shepherd, Belle, that I bred and raised... to her "MINIMAL" vaccines. I NO longer use ANY! Please check out my website for the complete story and photos of her decline. http://pinecrestaussies.tipod.com (In Memory of Belle) I'm trying to spread the truth, so that other animal lovers truly know what HARM vaccines can cause. I also suggest you join the JstsayNO2Vaccs / BeyondVaccination Lists at YahooGroups.com. READ the book: Natural Immunity, by Pat McKay. HTH, connie & the RAW Fed Aussie Pack.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Patty (Ocean Park, WA) on 06/20/2008
I took my orange tabby in for his rabies, lukemia & distemper booster yesterday. He also got 2.25 Drontal pills for worms. When I came home after work last night he was aggitated. I thought he was hungry but he ignored the food I put down for him. Later I noticed he was licking his legs and paws, couldn't get comfortable laying down, and he was breathing rapidly. He wouldn't let me hold him or pet him for long. I called the vet at home. He suggested i give Mulligan half a Benydril. It took another 45 minutes for that to work. He is still sleeping this morning and hasn't eaten.
I had another cat that had the same reaction to his rabies booster. What is going on here! One vet told me it could be a reaction to the medium used in the vaccination. If so, why are they still useing it! I am going to email the WSU and Cornell Vet schools for more info.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Vivia (Morton, PA) on 06/20/2008
re: lyme vaccination for pups -- my pup dobie just got his first lyme shot and it was the scariest thing ever, first he lost control of his bowels and then he fell down and peed, he is a little tired now but i hope he will be ok.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Dave (Mayo, Ireland) on 06/20/2008
Had litter of Pugs Parvo Vacc. 19th June, on way home checked pups, one was near death, back to Vet -- steroid injection, ok now.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Greg Haywood (Oviedo, Florida) on 07/15/2008
To Patty from Oak Park, WA...
In your 6/20/08 post, you said about your cat, "he was licking his legs and paws, couldn't get comfortable laying down, and he was breathing rapidly. He wouldn't let me hold him or pet him for long".
we have two 16 week old female kittens from the same litter who both just had their last kitten shots. One has reacted exactly as yours did. She remains hostile, but only toward her sister kitten! It is now 7/15/08. Can I ask how your kitten is doing now and how long it took for it to return to normal behavior?
Bordetella
Posted by Judy (Toms River , NJ) on 06/19/2008
My Rat Terrier Peaches developed bordetella both times a few days after she was vaccinated intranasally as a young dog. I stopped giving the yearly vaccine and it never happened again. She is now 8 years old. I had stopped all vaccinations except the rabies vaccine which was given last April. During the summer, she then developed an autoimmune disease that was diagnosed by Univ. Of Penn's Chief Professor of Derm. Name- "Rabies Vaccine associated Ischemic Dermatopathy.
It cost me around $12K to get the diagnosis since the local vets would not admit the problem for various reasons. Once we got the proper dx and then the proper meds, she is now in remission, however she almost died and local vets would not admit the cause(including local specialty center) Ft. Dodge Vaccine. Our story is in these archives. My advice is to stay away from vaccines as your dog may be hyper-sensitive like my Peaches. You can now get a waiver from a homeopathic DVM.
Bordetella
Posted by Marisa (Fayetteville Nc ) on 08/26/2016
My dog is having some of the same things going on and its been over a week now. Should I take her back to the vet?
Bordetella
Posted by Suseeq (Sydney, Australia) on 08/26/2016
marisa, Vit c helps when your dog is having a reaction to a vaccine.
Bordetella
Posted by Sasha (Penna.) on 09/21/2016
My dog has autoimmune disease from shots also. Multiple shots were given including rabies and canine influenza, dhlpp, bordetella etc.she is crippled in hind legs and one front leg, one scarred eye and one eye removed. Her eyes had bulged so bad she almost lost both eyes. Changed vets and the one one believes she will lose use of both front legs in this progressive disease. Vets should split these vaccines over time and after a few years dogs don't need many of these shots. These shots should be given 3 to 4 months apart. Now I can't get her well. her immune system attacked her terribly. Shots are getting dangerous.
Combination Vaccines
Posted by Gloriann (Eden Prairie, MN) on 06/18/2008
After a week my 6 yr old choc lab started having diarehha. I thought it might be his food so decided to switch it and after 3 weeks of very very loose stools. I realized it is not the food. It was the vaccination. I have him on canned dog food to give his stomach a break. No change.
