Side Effects of Pet Vaccines: A Closer Look

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 Michele (Key West, Florida) on 03/20/2008

My 5.5 month Maltese puppy went into shock after receiving 3rd vaccinations of Bordatella/intranasal, Rabies, & DA2PPLC


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Beverly (Port Ewen, New York) on 03/20/2008

My 6 yr. old Yorkie-Poo was given the first vaccine on 3/13. This was the first of two; it's a new dental vaccine by Pfizer. Within 2 hours we knew we had made a mistake. Interested to know if there are others out there who have tried this vaccine.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Billy (USA) on 03/20/2008

Hi I seen your website, and you said to let you know if anyone has experienced side effects. I never knew there was any problem with side effects. Last Friday we took our 6mnth old kittens in for a rabie vacination they are siamese mix. The one kitten is fine, but we noticed the next day after the vacination the other kitten started sneezing, then the sneezing is a lot know , he doesn't want to eat, he acts like he has a hard time swallowing, because when he tries to drink its like he can't really do it that good. He has dried stuff on the side of his mouth, and oddly enough he just started 2 days ago giving off this foul smell like chicken poop. (sorry, but that's the only way to describe the smell. He lays around now and he is having a hard time breathing it sounds like he is so congested with like pneumonia or something. He was fine before the shot.I just wanted to let you know so you can use this information.Thank You for bringing this matter attention, God Bless


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Melissa (Hudson, New York) on 03/19/2008

Hello on March 11th my 2, teo yr old chihuahuas, one male and one female, had their annual vaccines. The following mymale whi is usually very excited to come outta his crate in the morning, came out and slowly walked to a corner and layed down, this was very strange for him. He screamed whenever he was touched. I could not find a specific spot that was causing his pain. He didnt eat or drink all day. He was very letharigic. He usually sits on the couch with me and when I get up, he gets up and follow s me. I was very worried about him. By the following day he recovered and has been fine. My female chihuahua was fine after her vacination atleat til yesterday, one day short of a week after her vaccines. She began violently scratching her face,and nawing on her feet and legs. I thought maybe she had picked up a flea or two, I applied her monthy dose of promaris. She contiued itching for hours she couldnt sit still, the scratching was constant. I wiped her with doggie wipes everywhere except where i applied her flea preventitive thinking maybe she got something on her while she was outside that was irritaing her.This didnt help. The worst part of this stared at 11pm, well after the vet was closed.By the time I was tryiong the wipes it was close to 4am, by now she was letting out little whimpers. I didnt know what else to do. It was then that i thought of my male chihuahuas prednisone that he takes for his collapsing trachea. I gave her one of those and this seemed to help with in about a 1/2 hour. Today she itched a bit on and off but ws better over all. I called the vet and explained what had happened and what i did. He told me with the prednisone if she continues itching BUT if i continue with it be sure to wean her off of it. I gave her one more prednisone tonight but she seems to have recovered. I will deffinately have my dogd titer tested before I have them vaccinated again to besure they actually need the vaccines in question.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Patricia (Hampton, Va) on 03/18/2008

my 2 year old boston terrier received her shots today . i took her home and left her for about 3 hours, when i returned she was favoring the hind leg where she received the shot. she was wimpering a little when i picked her up, but she was ok once i got her up in my arms. she will not put that leg down on the floor. please tell me if this is normal after shots are given. i dont remember her being this way last year when she got her shots.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Rebecca (Baltimore, MD) on 03/16/2008

My miniature schnauzer had her first allegic reaction to the PARVO vaccination at the age 9 and it continues to get worse each time. THe first time it happened her lips swelled so much that her beard was up to her eyes and her eyes were swollen shut as big as golf balls and she was panting non-stop. This occurred about 3 hours after the injection - I was giving her liquid children's benadryl while driving in rush hour back to the vet where they gave her two injections and told me to keep her on Benadryl for the next three days. Now when she gets her vaccinations I am supposed to administer benadrul for 2 days beforehand.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Susann (Clayton, GA) on 03/16/2008

I went to a clinic 4 weeks ago and had my 3 cats given the 3 year rabies and the feline lelukemia shot. All 3 stopped eating the next day and hardly ate for a week. One cat started throwing up a few days later but got better in a week. Then 3 weeks later started throwing up again and I noticed then he also had lost weight. I took him in to the vet and after blood work which indicated a gall bladder infection and he had lost 10 lbs(he was 22 lbs). He was admitted Friday(3/7/08)to the hospital for the weekend. On Sat. the vet called and asked to bring in my food as he wouldn't eat theirs. He had an IV and they had to force feed him. I picked him up on Monday and when I got home and took him out of the carrier he couldn't even walk he was so weak. For several days I gave him 4 medications and had to force feed him and force water in him. On Fri(3/14/08) had to take him back in for blood work but 2 of the vets looked at him and he's gums and skin were yellow indicating liver failure. I then had to say goodbye to my Morgan who was 9 yrs old. The vet said the rabies shot caused a reaction that was 1 in 100,000. Now after reading the posts on this site I feel so guilty for giving him the 3 yr rabies shot and all the pain he went thru. I also have 3 dogs and 2 cats now and I don't think anyone should give the 3 year rabies to any dog or cat. A $15 shot has now costed me over $800 but that is nothing compared to the fact my cat is gone.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Michelle (Camden, SC) on 03/09/2008

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-CHG-VACC-PROTOCOLS.HTM
CONTACT DR DODDS WITH YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. SHE HELPED ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE RAISING MY PUPPIES!
SHE IS AWESOME!!

I have very carefully bred and raised 2 liters of Greater Swiss Mtn Dogs. With all passing health clearances in both parents (hips, elbows, eyes, etc)I did my homework on breeding, feeding, vaccinations, and such. I attended a breeding seminar given at a vet school that also spoke about vaccinations. I learned some disturbing facts. RABIES: the only difference between the 1 yr and 3 yr rabies vaccination is THE LABEL...can you believe that!!?? KENNEL COUGH: does not take effect for several days after it is administered. So, when your vet says it is mandatory for your pet to receive before he can stay the night they are usually long home before it is effective. Also Kennel cough is not life threatning and is easily treated; so why put your pet at risk. The sad thing here is that most vets know this and they do not pass on the information to pet owners, they just keep taking our money, then when health problems arise from the vaccinations...more money for the vet. When I questioned my vet about vaccines he agreed with me, but he would have never given me the information had I never asked...sigh! I take my dogs to several dog shows a year, they have never been given the kennel cough vaccine, and they have never contracted kennel cough.A puppy should never be given a vaccination before they are 9 weeks old, they are still protected by the mothers milk and the vaccinations just cancel out the antibodies. Something else most people don't think about...Did you know that the vaccine dosage for a 5lb dog is the same that is given to an 120lb dog? Scary, isn't it? An old or sick dog should not be vaccinated, it puts too much stress on the immune system. My first liter of puppies will soon be 3 yrs old, they were first vaccinated at 9 weeks old,with DISTEMPER+ PARVOVIRUS MLV (e.g. INTERVET PROGARD PUPPY DPV)
and had their one year boosters, and i don't plan to ever vaccinate them again with the exception of rabies. (it is required by law in my state) But I will avoid the rabies vaccine as long as I can!

I could go on and on about NOT over vaccinating our pets! they are only with us for a very short while, they give us so much joy! let's return the favor!!

***VACCINATION REFERENCE WEBSITE FOR VETERINARIANS

http://www.dvmvac.com/index.html

Lots of great information! I received the link to this web-site at the breeding seminar I attended.

I hope this information is helpful. Be sure to give your pets an extra belly rub today!! :)


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Shawndesse (NY, NY) on 03/07/2008

My Yorkshire Terrier her her 1st and 2nd combination Puppy shots (Distemper, adenovirus, Type2 Parainfluenza, Parvo Virus)after the first shot she was very shaky and seemed to be in pain and vommitted, after the second shot she was also very shaky (more so than the 1st time) and cried every time I touched her, I called the Vets emergency line and was told that this is a side effect of the vaccination. I was very worried about my puppy and she slept on my chest that night. Since then she has been very happy and playful, however she is due to get her rabies vaccination which I am dreading terribly.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by alicia (burke, virginia) on 03/06/2008

I am wondering if you have had anyone relate any problems with the dog's thyroid after immunizations. My dog has strange thyroid results. His age and the results discount autoimmune thyroid, and that is apparently 90 percent of cases. So, I am investigating what else could cause this. His other bloodwork is normal, and he is totally asymtomatic to the point of having a lot of characteristics opposite of what a thyroid deficient patient would have.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Jackie (Traverse City, MI) on 03/05/2008

My 3 1/2 month old yorkie-poo puppy had her third series of shots two days ago (DA2PLCPV) and began vomiting yellow bile late that night. She was extremely lethargic the next day, and wouldn't eat. We brought her back to the vet and they injected her with Prilosec and gave her a water bolus for fluid. She has not eaten today, and will barely drink any water, resting her little head on the bowl. My vet is not in until tomorrow, and the oncall vet says to just bring her in in the morning. I am afraid that she will die during the night. Please pray for Jolie.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Niki (Merced, Ca) on 03/05/2008

Jelli had Bordetella, DHLPP-C booster and Dexamethasone/Depo Medrol injection all in one visit to her vet on 2/25/08. Her appetite is great, her poop is normal, she does drink alot of water, but it's her behavior that has changed. She doen's want to play, or rough house with her pal, PoohBear the kitten. She's grouchy. And looks depressed. I just wonder if this will passs or if it's something else? She is about 5 years old, 13lbs.


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Anonymous (Biloxi, Mississippi) on 03/05/2008

I am in the medical profession; my husband is also. We have an almost 3 year old, 14 pound, rare English cream dachshund. When she was 1 year old, she received all of her vaccines including the rabies and leptospirosis the same day. She was placed in her cage to go home. It took 30 minutes to get there. When I removed her from her cage, I saw that her entire face was severely swollen; her eyes swollen closed. Upon further inspection I saw that she was entirely covered in a red rash. The vets' office had closed. She started vomiting almost continously Soon she began to have respiratory difficulty. I took her to the 24 hr. emergency office where she was given a Benedryl injection, Flagyl, and medications for her other symptons. I took her home and returned the next morning to the vets' office. She still had the same problems, however she was breathing normallly. She was given another Benedryl injection, Benedryl to take by mouth, an injection for vomiting snd was assured that all will be fine. Five days later she was in the same condition. She could not even keep water down. She had lost weight and was really weak. I returned to the 24 hour emergency office. The doctor there said she was still reacting to the vaccine. He gave her a cortisone injection, a cortisone dose pack to take by mouth and continued the Benedryl and nausea medications. He also injected some fluid subcutanously into her abdomen to help her dehydration. Then he told me to never let our vet give her another vaccination without giving a Benedryl injection first. She gradually improved. The next year when it was time for her vaccines, being a medical professional, I decided to start her on childrens liquid benedryl, 25 mgm, every 6 - 8 hours for four or five days prior to her vaccines. Her vet gave her a Benedryl injection prior to the vaccines. He decided not to give her the Leptospirosis vaccine, thinking that might be the culpret. We stayed at the vets' office an hour after the vaccinations. Everything seemed fine. I asked for a Benedryl injection to take home with me and a cortisone dose pack, in case of trouble later. At home when the Benedryl injection began to wear off, she started swelling of the face, eyes and nose. I immediately gave her the Benedryl injection I had brought home with me and started her on the cortisone dose pack. I also gave her hydroxyzine ( Vistaril) liquid, 3/4 teaspoon, to try to prevent the vomiting and the childrens liquid benedryl 25 mgm,every 6 hours throughout that day and night. This time she vomited only once early the next morning. She had a slight rash that went away within a few days. I continued the medications several days for good measure. All was well. January of this year, when her vaccines were due, I started the childrens liquid Benedryl, 25 mgn every 6 hours again for four days before time for the vaccine. I told the vet that I wanted to do the vaccines one at the time to try and determine which vaccine was the problem. He gave her the rabies vaccine after having given her the Benedryl injection. I continued the benedryl liquid by mouth and the nausea medication at home as a precaution, about 2 - 3 days. She seemed o.k. Four days after the rabies vaccination, I came home from church on a Sunday and she immediately began vomiting large pools of blood, pools the size of a salad plate. She did this 7 times within 5 - 10 minutes. I immediately rushed her to the 24 hour emergency office. I was told she had enteric gastro - enteritis. I told them I thought it was caused by the rabies vaccine. The doctor told me that if the dog did the same thing again next year, we would know!! I am not interested in repeating that scenario next year.. When "we" have a patient with an adverse drug reaction, we tell the patient to never take the medication again.

They kept her that night, giving her I.V's and other treatments. When i picked her up the next morning to return her to the vet, I was told that they nearly lost her that night. The vet kept her that day and sent her home with me that night. She still had an I.V. port in her leg in case I.V. meds were needed again. She was returned to the vet the day after that and the port was removed. They gave her carafate to seal the internal bleeding. I started her on a histamine blocker myself to reduce the amount of acid in her stomach. The vet had given her enough carafate, 500 mgm for 8 days. At the end of that time, she was having old blood in her stool so I knew she was still having some bleeding inside. On my own, I continued the carafate and histamine blocker for 7 weeks. Her stool became normal. We went back to the vet today to get a blood count. They were ready to give her another vaccine. I had gotten on the internet and done a lot of research re: the vaccines. I discovered that the rabies vacccine can be good for 1 - 3 years, so I won't be repeating that next year. I also discovered that an antibody titre can be done to determine whether the pet needs a particular vaccine. That is the course I will be taking. If it is not needed, it won't be given. I refused any more vaccines at this time.. I understand that a legal exemption can be obtained for the rabies vaccine. My question is "How do you procede to obtain the exemption to the rabies vacine.?" Our vet does not think the rabies vaccine caused her bleeding. I do. Our doxie is strictly an inside dog, trained to use piddle pads. She is not around other dogs. She cannot be groomed at the grooming salons without the rabies vaccine. I can't cut her toenails. She is long haired and difficult to manage for that. That aside, we really would like to have an exemption to satisfy the law re: rabies vaccines. I don't have the heart to put her through that anymore. Ted or anyone, Can you help?


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Amy (Miami, Florida) on 03/03/2008

I am devastated. I had a mixed chihuahua toy breed half poodle, half chihuahua, that wouldve been 2 months on the 6th of this month. I have had her since she was 3 weeks old, even weaned her off the bottle. I took her to a vet Saturday morning, and had her first set of puppy shots performed. Shortly thereafter, I started noticing that she was in alot of pain all over, I couldnt even touch her, but they told me to let her rest that she was probably sore. The next morning, she had vomiting and diarrhea. I fed her pedialyte and she did drink some. Around noon, she took her last breath and died in my arms. No one will give me a clear explanation as to what happened. The only thing that the office is telling me is that theyve never had a dog die from vaccinations. My dog was perfectly normal before I took her for her shots, I feel so responsible and I cant get the image of her dying out of my head. Can someone please give me some insight as to what may have happened? Thanks...


Combination Vaccines
Posted by Vicki (Riva, Maryland) on 02/25/2008

My Chihuahua puppy suffered from an extremely bad vaccine reaction during her 3rd puppy series. She had previously had 2 DA2PPv+CV and 1 Bordetella without any problems. On her 3rd series she had a 3rd DA@PPV+CV, 1st LeptoVax4c, and 1st Lyme. I kept her at the hospital with me all day to observe(I'm a vet tech) for reaction(reactions to Lepto seem most common in small breeds). She had a slight skin reaction that evening approx. 5 hours after vaccination and we treated with Diphenhydramine subcutaneously. She quickly improved, seemed fine and I took her home. The next morning she seemed fine upon wakening. About 45 minutes later she jumped up to nap on my lap and I went to give her a kiss on the nose, her entire face was swollen to about 3 times it's normal size. I quickly rushed her to the hospital. She also developed wheezing and hives on the ride over. She was treated with Dexamethasone and again, Diphenhydramine, both subcutaneously immediately. Once the sypmtoms began to recede we followed up with Benadryl liquid by mouth every 4 hrs for the next 24 hours. She was 14 weeks at the time and 5lbs. I have yet to take her for her final series.



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