Vaccination Side Effects in Pets
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RABIES
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 09/19/2007: Troy Brown from New Carrollton, Maryland writes: "We took our Chow Chow to the vet on Saturday to get her rabies shot, and on Sunday she started acting strange, she is drinking a lot, and laying around sleeping a lot, she is not the usual active dog that she was before the shot. She also looks like she is swollen, and her head is tilted to one side when she looks at us. I think something is going on with her vision, and hearing, but we are taking her to another vet today, so I will know more then. My dog was perfectly healthy with not problems, before this."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 09/17/2007: Nelscine from East Point, GA writes: "My 4 lb yorkie, Roxie got her state required rabies shot on Wednesday. She experienced serious lethargy Thursday and Friday, but was back to her old self by Saturday with minimal swelling of the leg that was injected. By Sunday she had what the vet termed a "Tissue Reaction" a large red mass appeared on her leg and looked as if it would burst any second. Roxie continued to walk okay and only whimpered when the spot was touched with excessive pressure. The vet lanced the spot and expressed the liquid (mixed with blood) that had accumulated. The vet then applied a topical anti inflammatory swelling reducer and advised us to keep the spot open so that it would heal from within. He also stated the remaining fluid should be reabosorbed by the dog's body, however, express it again a couple of times. Roxie is okay right now except the spot on her leg. When she got her first shots in July, she was just a little lethargic. If I am being misled or anyone else has had this experience please respond, this is my first dog in ages, long before vaccines and Pet Supermarkets etc. I love Roxie and do not know what I would do if anything worse happened."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 09/08/2007: Gina Quintana from Sun City, Arizona writes: "Hi there, I recently received a letter from the county I live in stating Bowser, my 2 1/2 year old Chihuahua/rat terrier mix was due for the rabies vaccination. The process was quick and seemed painless as it only took less than a minute to administer the rabies and I also had a "5-in-1" shot which I'm not really sure which 5 they were. This vet visit was on August the 17th but within the last few days, I have noticed his usual eating habits of scarfing-down his-food-in-the-blink-of an-eye has changed dramatically. His food I put in his inside dish is still there from 3 days ago, and he has devolped a large lump above his right "thigh" which if I remember correctly is right where the vaccinations were administered. I do recall th vet mentioning a small bump may form. My question is, will it go away? And if so, when? Should I be alarmed? Thanks"
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 08/29/2007: Melissa from Alexandria, Virginia writes: "to Denise: There is a homeopathy antidote to the rabies vaccination. It is called a nosode. You can order the pills and they may help to undo some of the damage from the shot. They can also be given to the pet prior to a vaccination to lessen the side effects. A doctor out of North Carolina can ship it to you. Google it."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 08/18/2007: casey from somewhere, united states writes: "I have had 2 of my dogs have reactions to vaccines, the 1st was my chihuaha, she had a rabies shot and it almost killed her, had to take her back to the vet to have it reversed, the second on was my miniature dachshund, he was 6 months old he swelled up like he had been stung, we had to give him childrens benedryl 4 times a day for 4 days . No more shots for the chihuaha, it could kill her next time. The dachshund is due this month and I am afraid to have it done. Are the vaccines safe or not."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 07/30/2007: Bartek from Brampton, On, Canada writes: "My dog is a german shepard and after she had taken the rabies shot, whenever she went to sleep or lay or even sat down she let out a little urine and drank far more than she ever has. could this be a side effect or what could this be? please you guys are my only hope if you do know what it could be please e-mail me at youngyoda_99@hotmail.com thank you sincerly "
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[DEATH REPORTED] 07/30/2007: Claudia from Chicago, Illinois USA writes: "My 15 year old indoor cat was vaccinated on May 25th for a Rabies vaccine. She was only vaccinated 13 years before and never again since she was healthy and I did not think she would need any vaccines since she never went outdoors. Well, she died today. I took her to the vet on Friday June 27th because she had not been eating for a week and was only drinking and would just lay and not move much. The vet found 2 lumps on her throat, Swollen glands was what he thought, the x-rays showed that her kidneys where enlarged and she was also jaundice. I was informed on Saturday that the lumps where cancerous, and nothing could be done to save her. SHE WAS FINE AND PERFECT HEALTH IN MAY!!!
All of a sudden she has 2 lumps??? CANCER!!
I have heard that vaccines are not required for older indoor cats and I truly wish I did not vaccinate her. THe vet is not offering any information on the matter. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT VACCINATE your older cats. I know she would still be with me if I never vaccinated her. Here is what I noticed. she stopped playing around and only hung around in the basement. She slowly stopped eating her favorite treats, then dry, then wet food and only drank water. ALOT of water. Her urine was orangy and VERY strong. She sometimes could not make it to her littler box and would urinate in plastic bags or clothing. I noticed her breathing heavy and yellow around her ears and gums and took her to the vet.
She was 15 and was a Tonkinese mix. As she lay having to fight for every breath, her legs where all stiff and she was not blinking. I pet her softly and told her it was OK to go and she managed to let out a painful MEOW and her body started shacking and she passed. I wish no one else has to go thru loosing they pet like I did. I feel that vets hold back on information such as the side affects and dangers. I know some vaccines are harmful to humans. AT 4 years old my daughter received 3 vaccines and 24 hours later I found her not breathing on the bathroom floor. She now uses a breathing machine and has severe Asthma. I no one in my family or her fathers family have asthma, and I never smoked or no one around us smoked ever. I think the government is not being upfront with us."
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[DEATH REPORTED] 07/28/2007: Jennie from Soldotna, Alaska writes: "My kitty was only 8 months old when he died yesterday. I tried everything to save him. The vet couldn't figure out what was wrong. The only thing he ever recieved was a rabies vaccination. After that he went down hill. He started with diarrhia, and it was incurable. Then he started throwing up, drooling. He didn't make it. Vaccinations are bad for humans, why would they be ok for our pets?"
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 07/18/2007: Bob from Houston, USA writes: "my 3yr old cat was given a rabies shot on Sunday. Within hours she became lethargic. Then she began to cough a little.The next day a little more. The next day she started throwing up her food a little bit. She's going to the vet tomorrow. No more shots for my pets.
My 8 year old chihuahua had all shots recommended when he was small, his urine turned orange & he threw up. He's fine now but no more shots."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 06/30/2007: Aimee from Reno, Nevada writes: "Pets section, vaccines: "I lost a wonderful kitty that I was graced with for eight years due to a rabies vaccine. All four of my cats were given this same vaccine on the same day at the same place, but Spunky was the one who developed a Feline Fibrosarcoma due to a genetic predisposition among strays in our county. The shot was given in the shoulder, which is the old method for pets (ALWAYS have shots given in the back leg as you can amputate if necessary). Soon after he developed what felt like a small hard knot on his shoulder bone, which quickly grew in size. Biopsy showed it to be a cancerous tumor with tiny tendrils that extended out and into the surrounding tissue. Due to its location it could not be removed. Spunky made it seven more months before passing, but not before suffering like any cancer patient would. He went through chemotherapy and received the best possible veterinary care through a local vet and through the wonderful people at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in Davis, California. His cancer was CAUSED by a vaccine manufactured by the company Fort Dodge, which has a history of this type of vaccine tumor arising in all kinds of pets. Since pets are considered "property" and not as an actual life, there are no grounds to sue this company. What they did was make a pitiful offer of a few hundred dollars for compensation. Spunky's medical bills for this cancer were well over three-thousand dollars. I have since learned that adult cats who are INDOORS ONLY do NOT need to have yearly vaccinations. I have also had several vets tell me this, and that they personally do not have their cats vaccinated because of the risks associated with it. Please heed my warning and do not allow your pet to be vaccinated in the shoulder OR with vaccine manufactured by Fort Dodge. Spunky has been gone for almost four years, and a day does not go by that he is not on my mind somewhere. I miss him terribly and hope to spare his fate for as many others as possible. Thank you!"
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 06/20/2007: EJ from Boston, MA writes: "I read all the comments about reactions to vaccinations for dogs, but has anyone had any bad experiences with cat vaccinations? Mine is not due for her Rabies again until next year. Any input would be great. thanks"
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RABIES AND DISTEMPER
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 01/23/2012: Laura from Lees Summit, Mo writes: "My dog Xander had a bad reaction to his yearly rabies and distemper vaccination. He is a German Short-hair Pointer, 11 years old, 66 pounds. He has been treated for several years for hip dysplasia, arthritis and urinary incontinence. This is the first time he had a bad reaction to rabies and distemper vaccinations. He got the shots in the morning. For the rest of the day and evening he would not walk without assistance and would not eat the food he loves in which I put his medicines. He lay down all day and night and held his head at an unusual angle. We thought he was going to die. The following day he seemed back to normal and we are grateful for that. In the future, we won't repeat these vaccinations for this particular indoor dog."
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SEIZURES
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 11/14/2011: Lu from Billericay, England writes: "Four Chihuahua puppies were taken at age 9 weeks for vaccination no 1 and a large lump developed on their shoulders which soon subsided. Six days after the vaccine one puppy seemed slow and under the weather and the the following morning was found semi conscious in her bed. We could not bring her round, her little body arched in a seizure. We gave honey and kept her hydrated. We rang our homeopath and we tried several remedies and she showed some improvement and then one more remedy and she came round after 4 hours on and off and was walking about. The following day she had another seizure in the morning and we knew which remedy helped and she came round in 30 mins. A week later she had another and the same pill brought her round in minutes. It is now about 10 days since the last episode. We feel the vaccination combined with mum's milk drying up may have been responsible. After the first episode she had lost her appetite and needed lots of care. She is full of life and eating well again. We will not go for the next vaccination in case she is too small and too young."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 08/22/2011: Lynnette from Olympia, Wa writes: "I have an Italian Greyhound (neutered male) 3.25 years at time of vaccination. Tim had 2 vaccines Leptospirosis and Bordetella, both by injection. 14 hours later he had a status-epilepticus seizure that endured 1 hour.
After the single seizure he was placed on Phenobarbital. I now work with a holistic vet and have moved him to Sodium Bromide and supplements."
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[DEATH REPORTED] 08/08/2011: Cheryl from Knoxville, Tennessee writes: "Three years ago, I took my 3-yr-old dachshund in for his vaccinations and grooming. He was actually going to be part of a TV commercial the next day. When I picked him up his eyes were watering and his face was swollen. They told me he had a reaction to his vaccines and they give him benadryl and a steroid shot. He was a little better by morning. The sad thing is after his vaccines he started to have monthly seisures! He had never had one before. And the look in his eyes changed.
Fast forward a few more years, when "Skipper" was six and he needed surgery to clean out his stomach after gettign into the trash and digesting too much junk. The vet said it was "not-uncommon" surgery and I would be find to take him home in the evening. He went on to say most dogs are back up walking around later that night. Well, that's not the case with "Skipper" - unfortunately, he had could barely move or keep his eyes opened. I let him rest and just stayed up with him. But by mid morning, he was gone. It was awful! I have had to say goodbye to pets before from old age and stayed with them when they were put to sleep, but I've not had to go through this. And I blame it all on the vaccines triggering the reaction, the seizures and thus, not having the strength he should have to go through a "routine" surgery!
I've since found out doxies are one of the breeds that has reactions to the vacccines. It's crazy we are insisting dogs get so many shots yearly - just to keep veterarians in business! "
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05/17/2011: Fern from Langton, Ontario writes: "I have a boy puppy that was born Dec 27/10 and had his first set of vaccines Feb 18/11 and 9 days later had a seizure. I am going to take him for his second set of vaccines but only his distemper and parvo. I bought Thuga and Sulfer 30c tablets but unsure how much to give him and for how long. Thank you in advance for your help. Fern"
Replies05/18/2011: Kaye from Courtland, Ontario replies: "One of the following homeopathic medicines for companion who has a reaction to vaccination.Acontium napellus
Works well with animals who have had seizures after vaccination may also respond to Aconite.
Thuja occidentalis
Is usually the first choice for vaccine-induced breathing problems.
Belladonna
This is the remedy may successfully treat seizures that occur after a vaccinations.
30c Homeopathic remedy rules:
Don't touch the pellets with hands use spoon, crush them up and use and folded paper like and funnel etc. To put them directly into the mouth. One dose of each is usually enough, but if you see any improvement then it worked. If not give one more dose."
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[DEATH REPORTED] 05/09/2011: Sally from Poolesville, Md writes: "September 13, 2008 I took my airedale, Teddy, for a Bordatella at Petco in order to board him the following week. He received this vaccine about 6:00 p.m. And by 8:00 p.m. he suffered what appeared to be a seizure and died. There was no time to get him to the emergency vet (this occurred on a Saturday evening. ) It was overwhelmingly sad. I phoned the emergency vet to see if the Bordatella vaccine could have caused his death and they emphatically told me no way. I wonder to this day, if it was the cause as he was fine before that.
I have another airedale who turned 10 in October. He and Ted were best buddies.
My heart goes out to Rusty's mom and dad for their loss. After reading your article on vaccines I will certainly heed your warning about a blood test before vaccinating. Thank you for the info."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 04/14/2011: Janet from Winthrop, Ny writes: "My black lab Brandy used to have small reactions after her vaccinations. She would have facial tremors and what may have been small seizures. We never made the connection until later. She also had developed a thyroid problem when she was about 6 years old. I took her to the vet for her yearly vaccines (as I thought every good pet owner should). When she was 13, she was given her yearly booster as well as rabies vaccine. Within a few weeks she began having seizures that we could not get under control, even with seizure medication. We lost her that year.
A few years earlier we had a cat that was given yearly vaccines. She developed an over-active thyroid, and despite having lost a lot of weight and not seeming to be in good health, the vet gave her a full set of vaccinations, plus Feline Leukemia. At the time, I thought all those vaccines were in the name of good health. Within a few weeks of getting those vaccinations, she stopped eating and we lost her.
I now have 2 dogs, 4 horses, and 3 cats that have been given minimal vaccinations. My new vet doesn't fight with me or try to convince me to vaccinate. I am convinced that I lost both my beloved Brandy and cat Barney to vaccinations! I suggest every pet owner read "The Nature of Animal Healing" by Martin Goldstein, DVM. Despite 2 degrees in Animal Science, it is this book that began me on my journey towards true animal health. My animals have benefitted greatly from the limited vaccines and home prepared diets! I hold my breath after each state required rabies vaccination, but hope their overall good health will help them through its trauma to their system!"
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 02/03/2011: Rachel from Eau Claire, Wi writes: "Our 10 week old husky puppy had her parvo vaccine yesterday. About a minute and a half after being injected she went into a grandmaul seizure. The vet said he'd NEVER heard of that happening before and he said he's pretty sure she has epilepsy. It was the SCARIEST thing I've ever been through, she seized in my arms. After looking through all these responses and all Im even more firm on my belief that the shot caused the seizure. So far she's not had anymore. But we will be trying the Coliander leaves in her food, and are waiting to hear from the vet to see if DSMO or whatever is aproved for dogs in our state. If so we will be trying that too to make sure there is no long term effects. We LOVE this puppy and dont want to lose her. So a warning to other husky owners, BEWARE."
Replies07/13/2011: Diamond from Salisbury, Usa replies: "IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD, EITHER THESE PETS ARE BEING EUTHANIZED INTENTIONALLY OR GIVEN A DISEASE TO BE TREATED IT'S $$$$$ IN THE POCKET VIA TREATMENTS. GOOD LUCK, AND THANKS FOR PASSING THE WORD ON. KEEP IT COMING"
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 01/27/2011: Carolsfeedupw/vets from Swansea, Ma, Massachusetts writes: "Our Rottweiler went in for his 2nd series of shots and by the time we walked out and to the desk to pay the bill my pup released urine all over my son. When my son put him down he dropped w/no movement, he went into Anaphylactic shock. He was critical for over forty minutes then hours til we could see him and bring him home.
Three days later he was licking the area where they injucted the needle and w/i hours it was flesh. We rushed him into another vet for a 2nd opinion and yes, it was due to the Lepto vaccine. Sad thing is they admit that at least one dog per yr per vet witnesses a dogs death due to this vaccine. So, why is it still out there, why aren't we warned til after the fact, and who the heck is responsible for the damage? His leg will be scarred for the rest of his life, we had to hold off on training, puppy classes, puppy daycare. I'm out of a job due to the stress of not wanting to leave him alone knowing that he could have future health issues, Seizures and now he's afraid of people and I can't even socialize him."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 12/30/2010: Karen from Manchester, Tn writes: "Our 7 week old Great Pyrenees has been having seizures every 2 to 4 hours after getting vaccinations."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 09/02/2010: Kay from Billings, Montana writes: "I had a litter of pups get their first vaccinations. Exactly three weeks later all of them had back to back seizures for 48 hours straight. Horrible seizures where they ran across the floor and would slam into the wall. It was terrifying. I looked it up and found that lepto will cause seizures 21 days after vaccination. Just like my pups. They had seizures for several years until we found out that fish oil would stop them. Within a few weeks of giving them fish oil daily the seizures became so mild that the pups would just shake. Eventually they stopped completely. My pups lived to 14 and 15 years old. They never got another vaccination after they were one!"
EC: Thank you so much Kay. Your feedback has been cross-posted to the Pets/Seizures page.
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 08/30/2010: Elaine from Cranston, Ri 02921 writes: "My Cockapoo had a seizure less than 24-hours after receiving his Lyme booster. No one told me this could be a side effect and now I am reading all the things that can go wrong after your dog getting this shot - including seizures. As a matter of fact, there is a post on the web with someone describing the exact condition my dog was in on Saturday - not being able to stand up and just falling to the floor. I am outraged that I was not made aware of these side effects."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 07/27/2010: Jbasulto from North Hills, Ca writes: "My chihuahua was given her puppy vaccinations at 6 weeks and then the next one weeks later. After the second one, she went into shock and then came down with epilepsy, allergies to everything and other problems. I actually got my vet to tell me (since he wasn't the one who administered the shot) that all of this was due to the vaccination. She lived for 8 years, with a ton of problems and then we finally lost her to a massive seizure that ultimately took her ability to use her legs and then pick up her head. Vaccinosis is very real and any shots should not be done without a titer to see if they even need the shot."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 05/14/2010: Nicole from Kuna, Idaho writes: "I cannot say the dose or the name of the vaccine, but when I bought my puppy, a mutt of blue heeler, australian shepherd origin, the seller immediately gave her an 6-way shot. I was told by vet those are very bad and dangerous. I have had issues with my dog, she began having seizures, yeast infections in ears, she has runny nose but its also not clear. For life of me I cannot keep her at a healthy weight, she holds fat, but overall I have a feeling that shot caused these problems"
Replies10/01/2010: Tassmum from Reno, Nv, Usa replies: "Rabies Titers:Because of bad vaccination experiences, I had rabies titers done on my adopted 8-year-old Border Collie mix in place of the shot. Her titers count was much higher than the law requires, I'm sure because of having a shot (unnecessary) every year before I adopted her. Doing titers is very expensive but it's worth it to me to save my dog. Because of the high titer count, Animal Control no longer requires that my dog have an annual shot to get her license."
11/20/2011: Linda from Reno, Nv replies: "I live in Reno, NV as well. My dog is due for his 3 yr. Rabies boster in December. Which vet did you go to in Reno for the Rabies Titer? I have done Distemper/PARVO titers but I did not know that by law a rabies titer would be acceptable in Nevada. Good to know that Animal Control accepted a titer!"
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