Rabies Vaccine Reaction
 

They should really warn you about the possible Rabies vaccine reactions. Molli just got her second Rabies shot and had a very bad reaction to it.
I was wondering how many of your babies has this happened to?? Is it common or rare?
Also a question to Texans- have any of you been able to get a letter from your vet saying your dog doesn't have to have the Rabies vaccine and has this caused any problems traveling or boarding or anything??
Also do you think she will loose her hair in the spot? This is what it looked like yesterday, it looks a bit better today.

How long ago did she have her first rabies and did she have any reaction to it? This is localized...did she have a systemic reaction....fever, lethargic, vomiting, seizures, difficulty breathing, etc??

From what I am reading I think if you live in Texas you are out of luck. Here is a link to a website that has some great information:
States Allowing Medical Exemptions for Rabies Vaccination | Truth4Dogs

I don't know if airlines would except titer tests but I did read somewhere that some countries require titer tests and the dog has to have a microchip so that the titer test can be matched to the dog.

Did you take the her back to the vet? You might ask your vet about the exemption and the titer testing. Hopefully she will heal quickly and the hair will grow back.

I agree. This looks localized, like a reaction to the injection at the site but not a full blown allergy. I see this occasionally with some antibiotics and some pain medicines in people, like maybe the medicine infiltrated the sub q close to the surface instead of the muscle or the pH of the additives disagreed with her? I would still let the vet know, even if it seems to be getting better. If it is like people meds, all adverse reactions are supposed to get reported to the manufacturing company so they can watch for trends. Also, anytime a reaction like this happens, I would stay away from getting that same thing in the future as reactions have a tendency to worsen with each exposure.

She got the vaccine last friday. She was lethargic and not eating well for 3 days after. Her leg and belly were swollen and red and the area was painfull for a while :(
She is only 2yrs old so she has only had a couple of these but never had a reaction to any vaccines before. I of course never want to get her this vaccine again but I am worried there are no medical exceptions here- will a couple of vaccines show up on titers forever? What we do a titer some time later and it shows shes not protected?? I am so worried about her ever having that vaccine again!

I would check with the vet on a couple of things. My vet said the rabies is good for 3 years but that some vets will give it every year anyway. He said it is the exact same dose either way. Huey got his last week and his certificate shows he is good until 2016. Also, if your vet will document an allergy to the vaccine, I would think that would keep you from having to vaccinate. You can't give a medicine where there is a documented allergy.

I have seen a few of these and as I told you in your other thread, it is usually permanent hair loss. I don't know how common it is, but I don't think it is necessarily rare. I have a pup who has a round hairless spot...I adopted him so I honestly don't know for sure but when seeing a round spot (usually on the right side), this is what I suspect. I have not yet discussed my pup with my vet...but will when time rolls around for his rabies vaccine. It is creepy because I don't want full blown cutaneous vasculitis.
Usually you don't see them later on unless their hair is kept short

RABIES VACCINE--Skin Reactions


This link talks about localized and generalized reactions. I have seen both.

From the link:

schemic Dermatopathy / Cutaneous vasculitis

A little known and often misdiagnosed reaction to the rabies vaccine in dogs, this problem may develop near or over the vaccine administration site and around the vaccine material that was injected, or as a more widespread reaction. Symptoms include ulcers, scabs, darkening of the skin, lumps at the vaccine site, and scarring with loss of hair. In addition to the vaccination site, lesions most often develop on the ear flaps (pinnae), on the elbows and hocks, in the center of the footpads and on the face. Scarring may be permanent. Dogs do not usually seem ill, but may develop fever. Symptoms may show up within weeks of vaccination, or may take months to develop noticeably.

Dogs with active lesion development and / or widespread disease may be treated with pentoxyfylline, a drug that is useful in small vessel vasculitis, or tacrolimus, an ointment that will help suppress the inflammation in the affected areas.

Owners and veterinarians of dogs who have developed this type of reaction should review the vaccination protocol critically and try to reduce future vaccinations to the extent medically and legally possible. At the very least, vaccines from the same manufacturer should be avoided. It is also recommended that the location in which future vaccinations are administered should be changed to the rear leg, as far down on the leg as possible and should be given in the muscle rather than under the skin.

Also, I have seen cases where the Pentoxyfylline did not work but it seems to be the treatment of choice. In two cases I personally dealt with, the pups were put on prednisone and did well on it. There was scarring afterwards and hair loss.

Poor girl, I hope there are exceptions... That is horrible :(

Ladyjane, what is your experience with frequency? Every year or every 3 years?

In Texas, you can opt for rabies every 3 years.....some vets still try to push you to get it every year, but that is not necessary. My brother has a collie that received her rabies vaccine and has gotten titers checked every year.....it has been either 5 or 7 years, I cant remember which, since she had her last Rabies shot...his vet told him some dogs are protected a lifetime from just the two initial rabies vaccinations.

Oh my poor thing. What did your vet say?

It depends on where you live in Texas. Some areas are every year!

Where I live it is every 3 years.

HOLY CRAP! What an ordeal you've been through. I hope you can do as you want with that shot- never get it again! ((hugs)) I would've been beside myself with worry! I hope your baby feels better soon.

That is what I love........CONSISTANCY!!!!! But then that would be too darn easy!!

Texas laws are definitely screwy.

Texas Department of State Health Services, Infectious Disease Control Unit > FAQs

From that site:

Q. I heard a rumor that my city can require dogs and cats in my area to be vaccinated against the rabies virus every year. Is this true?

A: Yes. Statutory law (Ch. 826, Health and Safety Code) empowers local jurisdictions to establish more stringent rabies vaccination intervals than those outlined in the amendments to the Rabies Control and Eradication state law. If your city or county requires animals to be vaccinated against rabies on an annual basis, area pet owners must comply with that requirement. Contact your city or county animal control agency for information on local rabies ordinances.

Oh my gosh!! My vet said that a lot of pups are having reactions to rabies shot. This is so scary!!

Oh my, poor Mollie. So sorry this happened, bless her heart. Keeping you both in my thoughts.

Well the medical staff here said it varies by the vaccine manufacturer and what the vet is comfortable saying. I might be able to sweet talk my fav vet here into making it a 3 year and today I talked to a holistic vet who gives different amounts of the vaccine depending on the dog- wish I would have gone there in the first place. Unfortunately it seems like the rabies is required even if your pet has a reaction to it- normally I wouldn't care and wouldn't get it anyways but we may be looking into fostering/adopting skin kids in the future and I'm sure the state would have a problem with that. But in the same hand after what Molli went through this last week- I don't think I can risk ever giving her that vaccine again.
It's times like this I miss California, over there you could just get a letter from your vet saying your exempt :(

Be careful with that holistic vet. Altering that vaccine is not legal! AND if they are going to have a reaction, the amount won't matter!

If you are still required to give the vaccine despite the reaction, I would make sure it was at least a different manufacturer next time!

I wish you luck with trying to get exempt from rabies shots in TX. I don't know their laws, but the state of MA requires a note of exemption from a vet if the shots threatens the dogs life. In my case, my little 3 lb. blind yorkie had her rabies shot due, never had a problem with it before, given every 3 yrs. This time she was diagnosed with second stage kidney disease in Oct. , her rabies shot was due March 1..... So when it came due the vet tech gave her the shot, never checking her health record which stated she has kidney disease ! She became sick an hour later, and I took her to the Vet ER, where she stayed for 2 days on fluids/meds. We took her home as the vet said there was nothing they could do for her. We gave her sub-q fluids and syringed fed her for a week, then decided she was too weak to stay with us, so we had to let her go, on March 12, 2013. She was 13 yrs, 4 mo. old, such a cuddle bug, we miss her terribly.

We did NOT know a KD dog is NOT suppose to get shots, let alone the Rabies shot which is the same amount of sirum for 100 lb. dog as it is for a 3 lb. dog. That tech/vet did NOT check on her records and gave her the shot anyways. We do not go to that vet anymore & we will report it to the Board of Vet Med of MA.

We still have her blind sister, who is almost 4 lbs now due to taking prednisone for her alzheimers, and she also has KD. She is 15 yrs 6 mo. now and its a day at a time with her & she's ok so far. BUT she will not get any shots of any kind or we won't use any topical bug treatments on her. If she is still with us by the time her next Rabies shot is due, the vet will write a note of exemption, but we don't think she'll make it .

Please be careful with how many 'protective' shots are given, the titer testing is the way to go. Lesson learned the hard way for us, just hope this information saves more dogs so loosing mine won't be in vain.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

My male, Fritz had a reaction to the rabies vac. He didn't have any issues that I noticed right away and didn't act like he was feeling bad. However, a few days after his first shot his hair fell out around the vac. area. It was about the size of a quarter. After his second rabies shot it grew a little bit bigger. :(

Are they making pets have yearly rabies immunizations because they are finding pet's that have contracted rabies or is this just an arbitrary ruling?

I live in a more rural area where pets are exposed to the wild population more than city pets but we have had a three year requirement for years with no problems.

That is so tragic. What an awful way to lose someone you love.

It depends on the county you live in , I live in Waller county TX 1 year and in Harris county TX 3 years....sounds crazy to me...is still all in TEXAS.