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Reaction to yearly booster shot
I took my little baby Abbey ... a 3 year old LaHassapoo who weights 11 pounds for her annual booster shots on Tuesday August 10th. Abbey was fine on Wednesday and Thursday ... but when we got up in the morning on Friday she just was not her usual playful self, you could tell by looking at her that there was something just not right about her. I was actually afraid to leave her alone so I took the day off from work to stay with her. She was shaking and having a bit of trouble moving around. She seemed as though she was in pain. I gave her a baby asprin to help take away the pain. I called the Vet and was told there was nothing to worry about ... but here it is Sunday morning and not much has changed with her condition. She did eat last night and for about an hour on Saturday she seemed as though she was coming around ... but then about an hour later she was right back to square one with the same symptoms. I have been going crazy because I can't lose my girl and I have a terrible feeling that I am going to lose her ... she's my baby and my world ... has anyone else had their furybaby react this way to booster shots? I don't know what I will do if anything happens to her. I have another little one and I am cancelling his appointment for his booster shots not going to take a chance that he will also get sick. Help me ... I need to know what to do for my baby.
Just to update everyone ... Abbey is 100% herself again. I was really scared for her and doubted my vet that everything would be good in the end. I wouldn't call her reaction mild as it took a over a week for her to come back to me. But I won't say that the experience was all bad as much as I had though I bonded with her ... we bonded even more through this experience. I think she now knows that she can really count on me when she needs me and I found out that I love her more than I ever thought possible. I was up all night with her .... laid on the couch with her lying on my side just so I would know if she needed anything and so I would know that she was still breathing. It was very scary and all of you helped me so very much I can never express my thanks to all of you enough.
Her brother Buddy is happy to have her back ... they are running and racing again ... barking and playing again ... So thank you so much for everything. And I am very glad that I found this place.
Her brother Buddy is happy to have her back ... they are running and racing again ... barking and playing again ... So thank you so much for everything. And I am very glad that I found this place.
I'm so glad Abbey is getting better. (I bet Buddy is sure glad, also!).......I've always been confused about Vaccines, too. It seems the more I read, the more I don't want to do it, either.....
I'm glad you found this sight and hope you stick around and help us out.....We all learn from each other......
Just want to add: My Holistic Vet has an antidote for vaccine reactions; My regular Vet does Not! Just a thought........ Take care......Again, I'm glad Abbey is on the mend! Karla
I'm glad you found this sight and hope you stick around and help us out.....We all learn from each other......
Just want to add: My Holistic Vet has an antidote for vaccine reactions; My regular Vet does Not! Just a thought........ Take care......Again, I'm glad Abbey is on the mend! Karla
I live in Pennsylvania and we only do the rabies shots every 3 years. But after reading up all of the research done on the rabies vaccine and learning that even every 3 years is a bit much for some dogs I am going to opt for the Titer testing to determine if they really need the shot ... Thank goodness that we are not due for that shot for another year and a half. Buddy did have a slight reaction to the rabies vaccine but nothing like Abbey is going through.
Update on Abbey: She is now off of the asprin and she is playing with Buddy again ... not as quick as she usually is but she is rebounding. I guess I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to my little ones ... they are spoiled and I love spoiling them ... they are treated like children and I don't know what I would have done if I lost Abbey. But the positive in this whole thing is that I found this wonderful site and others similar and I have really educated myself on vaccines and the steps that can be taken to combat reactions to the vaccines.
I thank you all for your kindness and I now know that Abbey will make it through this little crisis ... she gets a little better with each day that passes.
Update on Abbey: She is now off of the asprin and she is playing with Buddy again ... not as quick as she usually is but she is rebounding. I guess I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to my little ones ... they are spoiled and I love spoiling them ... they are treated like children and I don't know what I would have done if I lost Abbey. But the positive in this whole thing is that I found this wonderful site and others similar and I have really educated myself on vaccines and the steps that can be taken to combat reactions to the vaccines.
I thank you all for your kindness and I now know that Abbey will make it through this little crisis ... she gets a little better with each day that passes.
I will be careful with the baby asprin ... I will have to check out that doggie asprin ... I started using the baby asprin when I had Abbey Spayed ... it's what the Vet told me to use ... but if they have doggie asprin that would probably be better.
br careful with the baby asprin, it made my baby bleed from her rear. they do make doggie asprin now i saw it at pet smart not sure about it though.
I am feeding her a bland diet because I didn't know what was wrong ... so I decided to take every precaution I know of ... I wanted to cover all bases.
Actually it's her favorite meal so the bland diet is something she is quite enjoying.
Once I started giving her the baby asprin twice a day that's when I started to see signs of improvement. I have read so many articles on the shots ... booster shots and rabies shots and well I think I am going to opt to have blood testing to see how much is in their system as I have read that this can stay in thier system for 7 years or more ... I am not going to vaccinate unless it is actually needed and I am going to ask the vet if it is possible to break that vaccine down into at least two doses and take both of my dogs in at the same time. If he can't do this then I will ask that he only give a portion of the vaccine ... I really would like to know who to contact in order to make them start dosing these vaccines properly.
Update on Abbey ... she went for her Chewie last night and jumped up in a chair all on her own. Sounds like nothing to most ... but it's really great progress compared to what she has been doing. I know that her brother Buddy is looking forward to when she wants to run and jump and play again.
Actually it's her favorite meal so the bland diet is something she is quite enjoying.
Once I started giving her the baby asprin twice a day that's when I started to see signs of improvement. I have read so many articles on the shots ... booster shots and rabies shots and well I think I am going to opt to have blood testing to see how much is in their system as I have read that this can stay in thier system for 7 years or more ... I am not going to vaccinate unless it is actually needed and I am going to ask the vet if it is possible to break that vaccine down into at least two doses and take both of my dogs in at the same time. If he can't do this then I will ask that he only give a portion of the vaccine ... I really would like to know who to contact in order to make them start dosing these vaccines properly.
Update on Abbey ... she went for her Chewie last night and jumped up in a chair all on her own. Sounds like nothing to most ... but it's really great progress compared to what she has been doing. I know that her brother Buddy is looking forward to when she wants to run and jump and play again.
Sorry, I'm alittle late on this one....YES, this is a reaction to her immunizations....
Well, from what you describe, it's not really an allergic reaction, but a painful reaction at the injection sight. (Shaking is a sign of pain).....I think it's very common and the Vet should have at least told you to give Benedryl when you made the call the first time....What she needed was an anti-inflammatory....He should have given you one...
Where did she get her injections? Between the shoulder blade or her leg? Does she have a knot or loss of hair at the sight? Both of these are common, too. It can take up to 2 wks. for the pain to go away.......
Another thing.....Make sure your Vet is NOT giving the 3 yr. rabies shot EVERY year....I ACCIDENTLY found out that my Vet was. =( Yes, it's true!
You are only bound by law to get the Rabies Vaccine......Make sure you ask for the 3 yr. vaccine and ONLY GET IT EVERY 3 YEARS....It's safer.......
Why are you feeding a bland diet? Is she vomiting or have diarrhea? Just curious.....
Let us know how she is.....Karla
Well, from what you describe, it's not really an allergic reaction, but a painful reaction at the injection sight. (Shaking is a sign of pain).....I think it's very common and the Vet should have at least told you to give Benedryl when you made the call the first time....What she needed was an anti-inflammatory....He should have given you one...
Where did she get her injections? Between the shoulder blade or her leg? Does she have a knot or loss of hair at the sight? Both of these are common, too. It can take up to 2 wks. for the pain to go away.......
Another thing.....Make sure your Vet is NOT giving the 3 yr. rabies shot EVERY year....I ACCIDENTLY found out that my Vet was. =( Yes, it's true!
You are only bound by law to get the Rabies Vaccine......Make sure you ask for the 3 yr. vaccine and ONLY GET IT EVERY 3 YEARS....It's safer.......
Why are you feeding a bland diet? Is she vomiting or have diarrhea? Just curious.....
Let us know how she is.....Karla
I just wanted to mention also along with giving Abbey the baby asprin I have put her on a diet of boiled chicken and rice ... I didn't allow her to eat for 24 hours as I read online that this was important and when I did begin to feed her again I give her nothing unless it's boiled chicken and rice. She will not be happy with this when she is feeling 100% again as she loves her treats. But I am going to keep her on this for a couple of weeks and I am going to schedule an appointment with the vet to have her checked out again. I can't thank you enough for your helpful comments and just the moral support that you have given me. These little guys are like children to me and I just don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to either one of them. Thank you again.
Ginger ... Abbey is starting to come around slowly but she is feeling better. I gave her some baby asprin and that seemed to help her a great deal.
I did a lot of reading on the web and I also will ask for Titer test before I ever allow any type of shots to be given. It is a bit more expensive but in the end the peace of mind that it will give me will be well worth the money spent.
I have learned that an 11 lb dog gets the same dose as a 150 lb dog when it comes to booster shots and rabies shots ... these shots are not dosed out. We don't give our children the same amount in a shot that we ourselves would take so how in the world could this be good for our little fur babies. Who does on contact to make changes? There is no way that my little Lahassapoo should get the same shot as a 150 lb Rottweiler ... that is just insane.
Buddy (Abbey's brother) has an appointment for his booster shots and I am not feeling really confident given what we are going through with Abbey right now.
I also read that if you give childrens liquid Benedryl before the shot that it helps a great deal. Has anyone had any experience with this. The children's Benedryl is alcohol free.
I did a lot of reading on the web and I also will ask for Titer test before I ever allow any type of shots to be given. It is a bit more expensive but in the end the peace of mind that it will give me will be well worth the money spent.
I have learned that an 11 lb dog gets the same dose as a 150 lb dog when it comes to booster shots and rabies shots ... these shots are not dosed out. We don't give our children the same amount in a shot that we ourselves would take so how in the world could this be good for our little fur babies. Who does on contact to make changes? There is no way that my little Lahassapoo should get the same shot as a 150 lb Rottweiler ... that is just insane.
Buddy (Abbey's brother) has an appointment for his booster shots and I am not feeling really confident given what we are going through with Abbey right now.
I also read that if you give childrens liquid Benedryl before the shot that it helps a great deal. Has anyone had any experience with this. The children's Benedryl is alcohol free.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm sorry...I was prattling on, and what you really need is to know what to do for her right now.
It is likely, if this IS a reaction to the shots, that her immune system will kick in, and she will gradually recover OK after a few days.
But I think perhaps you should take her to the vet to be examined. This may or may not be related to the shots. It is always just possible there is something else wrong and there is a co-incidence.
Is she being sick? Or does she have diarrhea? Is she eating, peeing/pooping ok etc?
It might be best to treat this as a separate thing, and just take her to the vet for them to check her out. You could take a stool sample and urine sample with you if possible. It might help diagnosis.
It is likely, if this IS a reaction to the shots, that her immune system will kick in, and she will gradually recover OK after a few days.
But I think perhaps you should take her to the vet to be examined. This may or may not be related to the shots. It is always just possible there is something else wrong and there is a co-incidence.
Is she being sick? Or does she have diarrhea? Is she eating, peeing/pooping ok etc?
It might be best to treat this as a separate thing, and just take her to the vet for them to check her out. You could take a stool sample and urine sample with you if possible. It might help diagnosis.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Well, my dog had her booster shots in January, and was fine afterwards. Then 48 hours later was suddenly struck with the most dreadful stomach upset and bloody diarrhea. Nothing unusual had happened, and she had not eaten anything unusual. It struck me that her being sick was a bit close to her booster shots, so I called the vet to ask advice. He said that it couldn't be side effects, that the only likely reaction would have been some slight inflammation at the injection site. I was unconvinced.
As a result I am unsure about her booster shots! She's been fine on them so far, but then again, she is getting older now. I will still have to take her for them, I don't want to expose her to the risk of catching those dreadful deadly diseases. The 24 hour tummy problem was better than Distemper or suchlike! I don't feel confident enough to replace her boosters with homeopathic treatments. It would be very dangerous if perhaps they did not work. I am not at all sure they would....
I feel I am a bit between a rock and a hard place with her. I think, this year I will have the vet run a "Titer test" which will show if she has any active immunity already to some of the diseases, so the shots perhaps can be tailored for her (I don't hold out any hope for this though. I guess they are standard shots!)
As a result I am unsure about her booster shots! She's been fine on them so far, but then again, she is getting older now. I will still have to take her for them, I don't want to expose her to the risk of catching those dreadful deadly diseases. The 24 hour tummy problem was better than Distemper or suchlike! I don't feel confident enough to replace her boosters with homeopathic treatments. It would be very dangerous if perhaps they did not work. I am not at all sure they would....
I feel I am a bit between a rock and a hard place with her. I think, this year I will have the vet run a "Titer test" which will show if she has any active immunity already to some of the diseases, so the shots perhaps can be tailored for her (I don't hold out any hope for this though. I guess they are standard shots!)
I am sure another member was having the same prob and her vet said the same thing.
It must happen a lot and it seems they usually get over it but that does not make it any better for you.We love our dogs so much and the Vets sometimes do not seem to understand our worry that we could lose them.So she should have been checked out for your own peace of mind.
See how she is tomorrow if she has not improved it might be good idea to get onto your Vet again and be very firm as its his duty of care to look after any problems that might come up.
I do wish they could say it could be side effects but of course they are not allowed to that's the way things are today.
It must happen a lot and it seems they usually get over it but that does not make it any better for you.We love our dogs so much and the Vets sometimes do not seem to understand our worry that we could lose them.So she should have been checked out for your own peace of mind.
See how she is tomorrow if she has not improved it might be good idea to get onto your Vet again and be very firm as its his duty of care to look after any problems that might come up.
I do wish they could say it could be side effects but of course they are not allowed to that's the way things are today.
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But it could be she is gradually rallying round. If she's basically healthy, then her immune system will fight this off. And hopefully she'll be her old self soon...
Her bad reactions to the shots still may be preferable to the diseases the shots are meant to protect her from. Parvo, for instance kills many dogs and very very quickly and horribly. Distemper is another one with some survivors, but more die than survive.
I can't really make intelligent comment about the rabies vaccine, as we don't have that here. But like Misfits4Me said, it might be good to do that every 3 years instead of every year (how can vets recommend that every year, when they MUST be aware the immunity lasts 3 years??)
I think in future the Titer test is the best answer. I am definitely going to speak to the vet about this when my dog's boosters are near.