Rabies Vaccine Side Effects in Dogs

On Saturday, 1/17/2009, we took our 15-month old ragdoll cat for her annual rabies booster shot. (Rabies virus vaccine (type: killed), producer Fort Dodge, Lot# 873171A). Approximately 45 minutes later she began vomiting. Within the next hour she had vomited 4-5 times and had several bowel movements, which appeared normal. She became lethargic. An hour later she had a few sips of water. Within 30 minutes she began vomiting and moaning. She used the litter box again, only this time she passed blood and mucus. We phoned the vet at the 24-hour clinic who said this was normal (!) and that we didn't have to bring her in unless the symptoms continued and/or we wanted to. We decided to wait another day. The next day she remained lethargic and refused to eat or drink. It is now about 60 hours after the vaccination. Since she refuses to go near her feeding bowl, we've brought the water bowl to her and she will take 1-2 sips. She is not quite so lethargic and is walking around, but clearly is not fully recovered.

I took my Malty to the vet on Wednesday for a Rabies shot required by the state of Alabama. He was slightly lame when we got home. The next day he was not himself kind of grouchy then he stopped eating and drinking, the next day he was vomiting and had watery stools.Now its Sunday and he still is not right. I am making sure he is hydrated by using an medicine dropper filled with bottled water every 30 minutes. On a previous Vaccination he got a lump from the shot, which is still there! and the one before that he lost the hair where the shot was given. I am no longer going to vaccinate my baby! They can FINE me, Jail me,or put ME to Death... My baby Conor has had his last vaccination.

My chihuahua had a reaction to her rabies vaccine. She has a lot of swelling at the site, fever, and trouble breathing. It was her 3rd rabies vaccine, she is almost 5 years old.

Looking for post Rabies vacine neurological help:

My 5 YO Chihuahua, Jack Russell mix, had a 3 year rabies booster (kill type), and about 3 months later has major neurological distress, including lameness and lethargy. Nothing shows on xrays, blood tests and no indication of pain.

We are trying to keep his weight on. Any ideas for treatment are welcomed. Thanks

hello
i have a 5.5 lb chuhuahua who developed a bald spot of her right rear hip about 6mo ago. after seeking vet care and finding nothing, i found out that others in her same family (dad and brother, who use same vet) have the same mark. no itching, dog doesn't notice spot, but it is hard and skin does not come away from muscle like it does on healthy skin. at another vet visit i mentioned that others in her fam had it and vet said probably from a shot. i went for her rabies (and bordatella) shot yesterday and they injected the same bald area for her rabies. i wish i had known that was the spot for that shot! today she is lethargic, wont leave bed to eat or anything else, the rabies injection site is swollen to about 3" circumference circle, adn i can see where she had lost hair that the skin is red. i am so mad, permanent hair loss and tissue rigidity is not a healthy reaction! and they tell you there should be no noticable side effects (yes i specifically asked). if anyone knows of a wholistic vet in the la area i would be very happy to know of a good one, thx

I sold a puppy and needed to get a rabies vaccine to comply with my state's health certificate to fly in the cabin of an airline. The puppy, six pounds, was 12 weeks old.

This was a perfectly adjusted puppy, happy, playful, not fearful of anything. The new owner reported that he was skiddish, shy and would not walk through doorways. Everyone has been perplexed by this new and strange behavior. A dog trainer was brought in, and stated that this dog had genetic defects. But neither parents demonstrated this behavior, nor did the puppy prior to getting the rabies vaccine.

My internet research has determined that behavior problems are a side effect of a vaccine. It also uncovered that the same amount of vaccine is given to all dogs regardless of their weight and size! All 27 Vet schools are re-examining their vaccine protocols.

I sold a beautiful, happy, well-adjusted puppy who is now coming back to me three weeks later a different dog.

One size fits all vaccines can ruin perfectly healthy puppies. Airlines who require these shots prior to six months of age, which more vets are recommending as the proper age for the first set of shots, should be brought up to date.

Puppy owners, beware of giving shots prior to six months of age!

My Standard Schnauzer bitch was 17 years old, and had been having annual vaccinations all her life, and anti-rabies shots every 3 years as required by our law.

In 2006, when she was 17 years old, she took the annual vaccination as well as the anti-rabies shot at the same time ( as it was due for the 3-year time frame for the latter).

Within a week, she was sick - turned lethargic, intermittent vomiting. Went to the same vet who gave her the vaccinations. She gave my bitch bagfuls of pills, including some in halves, some in quarters. Had to do it 3 times a day.

My dear Belle was a super darling. The first few days she endured all these pills shoving down her throats, 5 or 6 of them in 5 or 6 shovings, repeated for 3 times a day = imagine, that means a total of close to 20 shovings each day down the throat of a patient who's already not feeling so well.
By about the 5th or 6th day, she started struggling with me during pill shovings, and even when successful, would throw up after 5 minutes with some of the pills seen. As I was not sure if some of the those unseen had been truly ingested by her or dissolved in her vomit, I dared not refeed, in case I would overdose the medicine. But when I didn't, that meant she did not get medicine coverage.

On the 7th day during return visit with the vet, I voiced my concern that all those bags of pills did not seem to make her any better, and each pill-feeding operation had become excruciatingly upsetting and distressing for me and for my dear Belle, as she struggled while I tried to made sure the pills went down her throat, also be careful that it didn't go down too far to choke her.

The vet just said matter-of-factly that "It's difficult. But it had to be done. Those are medicine to treat her." And she packed us off with exactly the same bagfuls of medicine again, to come back in another week.

My Belle had never skipped a meal in her entire 17 years of life. This time she was skipping some meals here and there. I knew in my heart of hearts that something was not right.

What the vet had said about her condition was only some stomach/intestinal disorder, and some of the medicine was for soothing her windpipe = sounded not very alarming, and no specific illness terminology was articulated.

The very night we came back from this return visit, Belle was pacing and yelping at times, obviously distressed. We stayed up with her the whole night. The next morning, I called the vet. She suggested for us to bring her in for something we all sensed at the back of our minds but didn't verbalize on the phone.

Once there, she examined her, and advised me to euthanize her.

There went my sweet Belle.

Within a week of getting her annual vaccination plus anit-rabies shot, she developed illnesses which the vet did not put a specific name to (just general discomfort and the like), and she departed 8 days after seeing the vet.

Meaning she departed after 2 weeks of getting the vaccinations.

I have still to come across a vet who would agree with me that it's the vaccines which took Belle's life.
But how can the connection not be made that my Belle, albeit 17 years old, was healthily eating, walking, pooping, sleeping (the 4 most important indicators of health), suddenly turned down slope in just 1 week after the injections, and departed in 2 ?

Needless to say, I did not go back to the same vet again with my other dogs. Not so much for her inability to save my Belle, but for her uncaring attitude that I should feed those bagfuls of pills to Belle while some dogs revolted even against 1 shoving, so how could the vet think my Belle could take 20 shovings each day, for an entire week, and then another more ?

But the new vet I'm seeing is also a vaccine supporter, and a forceful one at that.

Actually, is there any vet who is not supporting vaccinations, as it is their easy income source ?

I had been agonizing over the issue of "to bring or not to bring" my dogs in for vaccinations each year, especially during the last 4 or 5 years of Belle's life after she turned 'teenager'. Each year, my heart palpitated as I had known the "evil" effects of vaccinations from reading from articles similar to websites as this one ? But the vet made me fearful by saying that all the more I should vaccinate Belle in her senior years as she's in a weakened state of protecting herself against the illnesses.

Finally, after years of my heart-rending and dreaded decision of bringing my dogs in for vaccination, my sweet Belle succumbed in her 17th year.

Bless her. She has had 17 years of good life. And she had given me 17 years of her blessed sweetness.

Now my Was-chu is getting on to 10 years. In 3 or 4 years, I would start to face the dreaded decision each year again of bringing him in for vaccination. Moreso the anti-rabies shot is demanded by law = meaning I'd be a "criminal" if I don't..... how ridiculous our life has become !

If it's said the 21st-century is a high-tech world, why is it that we still have to agonize over the issue of seemingly innocent vaccinations, which may turn out not to be so innocent ?

I have a 11 y.o. choc lab mix, male. He's been altered. last month I took him into my regular vet, and had his rabies shot given to him. NOW, he started urinating when he sleeps. sometimes he seems to be having problems when he does go outside to urinate. I have been giving him garlic and alfalfa tabs (arthiris prevention), and perhaps it's my hopes and prayers, he seems to not urinate as often. We do go for walks, he sleeps on my bed, (I've started putting a pad on it because of the urinating) What else can I do for him? I love him so much.

I have a 11 y.o. choc lab mix, male. He's been altered. last month I took him into my regular vet, and had his rabies shot given to him. NOW, he started urinating when he sleeps. sometimes he seems to be having problems when he does go outside to urinate. I have been giving him garlic and alfalfa tabs (arthiris prevention), and perhaps it's my hopes and prayers, he seems to not urinate as often. We do go for walks, he sleeps on my bed, (I've started putting a pad on it because of the urinating) What else can I do for him? I love him so much.

I took my Mini-Dachshund in for his annual check up and his rabies shot. This was not his first rabies shot. Since his shot he is slowly losing all the feeling in the leg he got the shot. He is normally a very happy active dog. Now he can't even walk up the stairs. Has this ever happened to any one else? Does any one know why this would happen? I think they gave the shot in a nerve and it's killing the nerves. If any one can give me some answers I'd be greatful. My vet is trying to blame it on him jumping around and hurting himself. But he doesn't cry when you grab, bend or press his leg. And never had a problem until after this shot.

Our cat Gatsby went to the vet for a rabies shot. His records from previous owners showed he wasn't vaccinated for leukemia either, so we decided to do this as well. After the shots were given, we were told that they didn't have a leukemia shot by itself so he was given distemper along with it, which he had already had ten months before. When we got home, he ate a bit and promptly threw up seven times all over the house, the first three had food and the last four was just saliva. I called the vet and they said bring him back, he might be having an allergic reaction. I got him there very fast and they gave him a shot to counteract his reaction. He stayed there for a few hours and then came home. In the few days since, he hardly purrs and doesn't want to play. I hope he perks up soon. I've been reading about how boosters aren't necessary, that once vaccinated, cats have lifetime immunity. I don't think we'll be doing this again.

A year ago, I lived in Sweden and took my cat, Seven in for her annual rabies vaccination. In her carrier on the way home (about 45 minutes after her vaccination) she had diarrhea and some vomit. Not knowing what was going on, we proceeded to clean her up, and then noticed she was going limp and was becoming unresponsive. We called the vet who told us to bring her back in. We did, and on the way back to the vet, she started drooling. The vet did everything they could for her, but she could not be saved. That was the worst day of my life and now my little kitty is gone. I still miss her so much and I hope my experience will bring awareness to others. I wish I'd known then what I know now - vaccinations carry very REAL risks! I don't agree that indoor-only animals need to have annual vaccinations. Vets also need to inform patients of the risks of vaccinations and what symptoms to look for if an animal goes into anaphylactic shock.

When my German shorthaired pointer was 14 months, she came to live with me after being 'rejected' as conformation/show stock. Her breeder was a vet technician and therefore, 'Rachael' was up-to-date on all of the traditional vaccines. When she was 16 months old, I took her to my holistic vet for her rabies booster. The month before she had been given two vaccines and my vet wanted to seperate the vaccines.
Shortly after receiving her rabies vaccine, 'Rachael' broke out in a rash all over her underbody from her chin to her groin. A few days later, the rash turned into blistery sores that scabbed on the tops. I treated her underbody with black tea soaked tea towels.

My puppy (4 months old) got her first rabies vaccination last week, I noticed yesterday that she has a large knot where they gave the shot. I, too, am worried about giving her another rabies shot. I disagree with our state's one year law for rabies shots when it is proven by science that the rabies vaccination can last for 7 years.

rabies shots in dogs and anemia

my 6 year old auss.shepherd male dog. received his rabies shot on aug.18.2008 around mid sept. he started getting sick on and off. i thought it was his food. so i changed it. soon he didnt want to eat much of the food either.then he kept getting sick. i took him to the emergency,his blood work came back he has anemia.he was 52 lbs. now he is 45 lbs. he has never been sick. i am very upset. i am sorry i took him to the vet. i truly believe its from the shot. please if this has happened to others i need to know if there is a connection. thank you. in az.l.andersen