Quote:
Originally Posted by NewYorkieLover  Hello~
I am new here, and a new Yorkie momma.
I picked up my puppy on Thursday, and brought her to the vet on Saturday. There, they recommended the Lepto vaccine. I had never heard of it before. In discussing it with the assistant and the vet, it sounded like the risks of not getting it far outweighed the risks of getting the vaccine. I, mistakenly or not, decided to trust the judgment of the medical professional.
Unfortunately, I didn't know about this before my visit, or I might have come better prepared.
Can someone please explain what the problems are?
Should I continue with the follow-up injections, since I've started, or is it okay to stop after just one?
I don't know if it was nerves or the vaccine itself, but Lexi threw up twice on the way home. Thankfully, she seemed fine after that.
I would appreciate any information you can give.
Thank you! |
Welcome to YT
The lepto vaccine is dangerous to Yorkies and small breeds in particular. There is a high reaction rate (including death, especially in pups).
Lepto is a serious problem but the risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits in most cases. It really depends on your area (living near livestock or by the water increases the risk of getting lepto). There are very few areas where this vaccine should be given and any Yorkie owner who is being pressured to get it, I recommend Googling it. You can look at symptoms, prognosis and the number of cases in your area and decide from there. Vets will try to tell you that your dog needs it because it can be transferred to humans, but it doesn't appear that that happens too often. Also, there is some question about the carrier state in a dog that gets the vaccine. I think it is possible for them to carry the disease and pass it to another animal or a human even with the vaccine. I'm not exactly sure about this though. There are quite a few strains and the vaccine doesn't protect against all of them. The duration of immunity is in question and the vaccine should probably be given every 6-12 months. If you are going to give it it should always be given separately (not in a combo and not with any other vaccines). Pfizer makes one but I don't know the strains it covers. That way the immune system can have time to deal with it and if there is a reaction, you'll know what vaccine caused it. I would not give this vaccine to any pup under about 16 weeks old because it suppresses the immune system. Just because a dog doesn't react the first time doesn't mean they won't the second or third. In fact, it is more likely that they will react the second or third time.
Before I knew this I let a vet give Ellie distemper, hepatitis, leptospira, parvo virus, parainfluenza, corona virus and rabies all in one day. Never will I do that again. It was 5 or 6 too many to give at once. Anyway, about 20 or 30 minutes after the vaccines Ellie threw up, collapsed and went into shock (looked like she was dying basically). I could have lost her if medication wasn't available. This was most likely from the lepto because she'd never had it before and never reacted this way. It could have been rabies but we just don't know.
So, please research before giving any more vaccines and decide which ones you think should be given.