Allergic reaction to the rabies vaccine...
 

Today Ollie got his rabies/combo III shots, and he ended up having a severe allergic reaction. He started shivering convulsively and broke out into swollen welts all over his body, even on his eyelids! His throat was starting to swell too.

I had to take him back to the vet's office for a double shot of strong antihistamines. It was very scary. :(

Luckily the allergy is going on his medical charts now, so he'll receive an antihistamine prior to any vaccinations from here on out.

Thank goodness I took off a half day of work to watch him and make sure he didn't have an adverse reaction...

Oh the poor guy- and you too- that must have been SO scary- Vets should REALLY demand that you stay 15 min after any vaccine- but i haven't seen it done yet for us :( Also a rabies vaccine should never be given the same day as any other vaccine. Next time- have them spaced out over a week- What a scary day for you both- so glad you had it off to be with him.

What was tge combo III shot?

This happened to Ellie also.
She was given DHLPP-C and rabies the same day.
She threw up, collapsed and started going into shock and had to have emergency treatment. Now, the tthought is that she reacted to the lepto but that is the first time she had had it, so I'm thinking that is unlikely and it may have been from the rabies (the vaccine most likely to cause reactions). We have stopped the lepto but because we don't "know" that the rabies caused the issue, we probably will still be forced to give it. With a reaction that severe, I think even with premedication, her life will be in danger. :( So I will be having a long talk with the vet first...

If you go to the health and diet section, "Kris Christine" posted the AVMA adverse reactions to rabies shots report and it is so scary.

Unfortunately by giving the vaccines at the same time...now you are uncertain which actually caused the reaction although it's likely the rabies. Allergic reactions to vaccines can be fatal. Because of that threat...dogs with allergic reaction to rabies shots are generally provided with a waiver from the injection.

I am so sorry this happened to you, I just wanted to let you know that I hope your baby gets well soon!

Yeah, if I were you I would ask for rabies titer testing and a waiver for the future. Louis got a huge lump immediately after his rabies and it stayed for like, a month. Then tons of hair fell out...it was awful. He is exempt from ever getting the shot again.

do you do the rabies every 3 years where you live -- google the rabies challenge fund as they are trying to postpone vaccines for 5 - 7 years -- see if you can get an exemption in your county as I would get that since your dog had a reaction to the vaccine so they do not have to give it again

also it is the same vaccine as for a 90lb dog so ask if they can split the dose for a smaller dog as vets will not tell you this but if you ask they can do a modified dose for a smaller dog -- stuff you have to find out on your own

lepto shot has the most reactions of any and only dhpp given then 3 weeks later lepto if necessary in your area and 3 weeks later rabies -- and you can do parvo and distemper separate too if you ask your vet as that way you know what vaccine is causing the reaction if you do all separate -- i titer now for everything every 3 years like the vaccines and dhpp is a 3 year vaccine now. I do not do lepto as it only covers some strains not all so do not want to take the risk -- also only do bordatella intranasal never do shot as more reaction with the shot and if not around alot of dogs i would not do that either

I titered dd for rabies and she had the one year and she still had one year vaccine in her at 3 1/2 years old and that was not even the 3 year one so i think it lasts a long time in them -- someone on my maltese group her vet accidently gave the rabies vaccine again 6 mos later to her maltese and it broke out in hives -- i would never go to a vet that careless again so pay attention when at vets office

Thanks for all the responses guys. I live in Alabama, so a yearly booster for rabies is required by law. We have a lot of problems with rabies here in bats, raccoons, skunks and gray foxes.

I'm positive that the rabies shot caused the reaction, because the pup has already had two sets of puppy shots before and never had any issues that I heard about. I'm pretty sure the breeder would have brought it up.

The vet plans to give him a strong antihistamine shot before his rabies booster from now on, and she assured me that this will counteract any allergic reaction he might have next time. She said his reaction was moderate and could be controlled safely with a pre-shot.

From now on though, I will always take a half day to get Ollie's rabies booster to observe him, just in case.

Even though Ollie's reaction was 'moderate' by your vets standards (it doesn't sound moderate at ALL to me) - it speaks to your baby's reaction to the injection of toxins to his system.

My fear is that a yearly booster will wear his immune system down and Ollie will begin to suffer autoimmune disease down the line (ie allergies of all kinds, skin disorders, liver damage, kidney failure and even cancer)

His reaction is a clear sign that his body is sensitive to the shot. No matter what the legal protocall is, you can get a waiver based on yearly titer testing and Ollie's reaction. I just had Louis' yearly titer test done, its been a year and a half since his rabies shot and his immunity levels were SO far above the minimum numbers required to determine immunity. Based on his reaction to the shot and his already slightly compromised immune system (which, btw I think is COMPLETELY from his having been over vaccinated as a puppy) I will not give him rabies again.

Once you work with your vet, next year do the titer test, the vet writes a letter which states that it will jeapordize Ollie's health to give him the shot and you submit that to your county and get your yearly tag. Its actually quite simple and I have encountered little resistance and I have live in 3 cities with Louis in the last year and a half since I got him. He has been registered easily with all of them.

Studies show rabies vaccines are often completely effective for years and even the lifetime of a pet. Yearly re-vaccination is a protocall designed by drug companies as a way to make money and has been instituted into our system with little thought.

Vets who have practiced for a long time are openly saying, since the institution of yearly vaccines, they are seeing higher rates of autoimmune disease and cancer in companion animals then ever before.

Consider Ollie's reaction a very clear sign from his little body - he is sending you a message. If your vet is not supportive of your desire to make your own decisions about your pup's health - its time to find a new vet who is educated on the most current vaccine research and will work with you to design a program you are comfortable. with.

Different dogs are just that - different. Louis had a horrible reaction to his rabies, while Ella Bean acted as if nothing happened! No reaction! We have to listen to the messages they send us, as we are their guardians and responsible for speaking for them.

There is a great little book called Stop the Shots by John Clifton that provides more in depth information on all of this and will help you make a more compelling case to your vet, if you so desire.

Good luck, hope that helps and I am so glad they were able to temper Ollie's reaction and that he is feeling good!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

What a great post!

While it is likely the rabies, a dog is more likely to react to a vaccine the second or third time they have it...

Glad your baby is OK. Mine had a much milder reaction and it can be very frightening. Im going to do the titer test for sure now after reading your post.

Lola also had a severe reaction to vaccines. She had rabies and distemper in the same day. She ended up having a low platlet count and internal bleeding.
she was on medication and thankfully came out of it OK.
they said she may not be able to tolerate any of the vaccines and that for some dogs they have to write a letter for me to have on file saying she cannot have them.
luckily this was good for 3 years so we don't have to worry for a while.
morrislaz

I lost my little Evee to a rabies vaccine. :( we even waited longer, she was 9 months old. Now I have Suri and I make sure I am not doing anything for 24 hours when she gets a vaccination. I talked to my vet and she said your can get a waiver, so we will see.

yes, I was told that is very common for little dogs to react to the rabies, My harry had a bad reaction to the 3 year vaccine, so now he get the rabies annually and gets an anti allergy shot before. and he still sleeps a LOT and he requires a little pup aspirin the first day..:confused: I hate when he has to get it but by law he has to have it every year..
best of luck with your pup and glad that he is ok..
hugs,

I would definitely go with titers at this point and not vaccinate unless absolutely necessary...Like Ellie May said, the dog is more likely to react or have a worse reaction the more times she gets it...whether it be rabies or the others...

KimberlySRN, I am so sorry for your loss...

Some rabies vaccines for 1 year and 3 year are the same shot labeled to meet different state requirements. This is the case with Defensor I and Defensor III. That would mean, given every year, Harry would be given three times more than the law requires...

thank you for the heads up I will bring it up with my vet and see, but Harry's reaction to the one year is less severe than to the 3 year he got.
but I will inquire anyway..
hugs,
CArmen in nj

Are you sure the reaction is less severe because of the suggestion duration of immunity or did it have something to do with premedicating first? Were both vaccines made by the same company?

no he is using a different vaccine that the one he uses regularly because I have to mention when I make the appt, that is for my Harry and that he gets the "SPECIAL" rabies vaccine, the precausions are more for MY peace of mind I think :p, because I hate to see my Harry sick..:eek: and kind of become a PITA...:D
I am learning so much on this board, now I want to know even the names of the vaccines, before I had BLIND trust in my Vet..:confused:. thanks,
hugs,

Thank you... I never knew about the reactions to immunizations, I just assumed my vet would lead me in the right direction. I even told him that she got very woozy when she got her boosters. My new vet I was in tears when I told her the story about Evee, and she reassured me that she would take care of my Suri and possibly waive her completely but so far she has done great with her immunizations, which I give her at home just in case. If she ends up getting the rabies shot I will make sure to go early in the morning and stay in the lobby for a while just in case. After Evee I didn't know if I could get another (my breeder offered me another pup when I was ready), but by talking to a few people here and my breeder I feel close to Evee because Suri looks at me the way she did. :)

Just remember to always ask questions...when we go to the doctor we never let the doctor treat us without asking tons of questions, it is the same for our pets. (and if the vet doesn't like it, move on :) )