# Bad Reaction to Vaccine



## jenna0221 (Jun 6, 2007)

Let me start out by saying that I love our vet. He makes himself available 24/7 by giving patients his e-mail and cell phone number. Also he doesnt rush you in and out during an appointment and takes time to talk to you about anything and everything and answer all questions. 

Well yesterday was Grady's appointment to get his vaccine. Before going I wasnt sure which one he was getting but asked when I got there. They told me he was getting his distemper. Is that the same as lepto? I have no idea but didnt ask and dont know why.







I was on edge about getting him the lepto because I read about how small dogs can react and everything and was going to let the vet know I didnt want him to have it because I really didnt think he would come into contact with it. Well since they called it distemper (not even sure if they are the same thing) I thought it was something completely different. Well they gave Grady the shot and everything was fine. After he was done I went to the front desk and while I was making an appointment for his lyme shot (the vet will not vaccinate him with more than 1 vaccine every 2 weeks because he is very small which I think is wonderful) for 2 weeks I asked about the lepto and they said that was the shot they just gave him.







I was so mad but thought since everything seemed fine right away that he was ok...boy was I WRONG!!!

I got home and picked Grady up and he squealed like crazy falling out of my arms and trying to bite me!







I didnt know what was wrong and didnt even think about the shot at first so started pressing parts of his body to see when he would squeal. Sure enough it was when I touched the part where he got his vaccine that he started to squeal. I called the vet right up and asked if it was nomal. They told me to check and see if it was swollen but when I went to part his fur where it had happened he wouldnt even let me do that. He squealed again and the receptionist could hear him over the phone and immediately said "oh that doesnt sound good you should bring him in"







By this time I was close to tears and sped to the vet.

When we finally got there they took him away from me and took him in the back not letting me come. I didnt know what they were going to do but all I kept hearing was him squeal and squeal







Well they brought him back and apologized saying he had a bad reaction to the shot (imagine that) and that they gave him another shot to counter act the side affects. Also they gave me medicine to give him to help him feel better quicker. He was still sore aand I could not even touch his bottem. 

I feel like a horrible mommy. He is doing better and back to his old self but now Im scared to get any vaccines for him. I let my baby down







and I feel so bad. Is this normal? Has anyone else had this happen to them?


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## dolcevita (Aug 3, 2005)

That happened to Dolce when she got her Parvo shot. She yelped when I touched her and ran under the bed and stayed there all night. I called the vet that night, and he said that she would be ok, and she was fine the next morning. Sometimes little dogs react badly to vaccines. Distemper isn't the same as Lepto, so I would confirm with the vet what she got. 

I hope Grady continues to be ok.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

The vaccine is called Distemper-HLP and contains lepto. Now that they know he has a reaction to it, they should give him the counter effect shot each time they vaccinate. Alex had never a reaction to it but some dogs do. You are not a horrible mom. This is for his own good. If he would catch one of those diseases, it would be a lot worse.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

They give combination shots, 3 in 1, 5 in 1, etc. Grady obviously got the one with lepto in it.

Does your vet give the shots himself or let a tech do it? A friend had a problem with her Maltese almost getting lepto. She had been so specific about her not getting it when she made the appointment and when she took her in, the tech came in with the syringe, ready to inject. Fortunately she double checked and sure enough, it was the combination that contained lepto. From then on she insisted that her vet administer the vaccines himself.

My vet always does so that's not a problem for me. 

I am so sorry Grady had a reaction, but glad he's okay. I know they are seeing more cases of lepto and vets are beginning to recommend it again, but Maltese are notorious for having bad reactions to it.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

I am so sorry little Grady had to go through that, poor little guy







I am glad though that he seems better now








I am not sure here what they did give, you took him in for his Distemper shot and came out after him getting a Lepto shot, they are not one and the same I don't think, unless combined, Jaimie is the best one to answer that, but surely your vet told you before administering the shot what he was getting, I know mine does and also asks if I am happy for her to do so.
I am very disappointed with my past vet for the same reason, we took Scooby in for his distemper shot, I was rather reluctant at the time too I might say because he was still so ill, well she talked me into doing a 3 year distemper shot, poor Scooby was not right after that either. I got no warning at all that he could react and I am sure it did make him feel terrible along with his not being well in the first place.
I have since changed vets, partly because of that and also for other reasons concerning both boys. Neither of them have had a Lepto shot, but I did read since then that a 3 year distemper shot can give a reaction, but was not forewarned of that at all. I felt terrible for poor Scooby, I honestly feel that pulled him down quite a bit at the time.
I don't revaccinate the boys every year, it has been found that once they have completed their first year of shots and after the final booster for the year, it isn't necessary to continue with yearly boosters, it can actually cause other problems and the anti bodies do last much longer in their little systems, much longer than we were led to believe. Some vets are agreeing with this more now, but some are still insisting on annual boosters, but it's up to us to determine if we want our little ones revaccinated annually.


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## jenna0221 (Jun 6, 2007)

Thank you everyone for replying. My vet administers all shots himself. I am confused. Should Grady not get a lepto vaccine ever? Am I wrong for letting them give it to him? I just want to protect him against everything so that he wont have a chance of catching any kind of bad disease that could make him ill and possibly die. Im so confused when it comes to the whole vaccine thing. I am going to go to school for vet tech so Ill be a pro soon enough!!!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Unless your live in an area where lepto is a problem, don't get Grady the lepto shot. Most reputable Maltese breeders strongly advise against getting lepto because of the possibilty for a reaction. How old is Grady? I know it shouldn't be given to puppies. I believe Dr. Jaimie said that in an area where lepto is a problem, they still wait until the dog is a year old before giving the first vaccine.

In recent years we have learned more about the dangers of over vaccinating our pets. As of now, 27 vet schools have adopted the protocol of only vaccinating every three years instead of annually. Dr. Jean Dodds was a pioneer in this thinking and her protocol has become the standard for many.


http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html


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## jenna0221 (Jun 6, 2007)

Grady is 3 months old. I dont know if lepto is a problem in my area or not Ill have to look it up but having pets all my life I have never heard of it before joining this website so I would have probably heard of it by now if it was a major problem. I wont get it done. Yesterday he got the distemper though so I guess that is different then the lepto....actually im just going to call the vet office right now and get the answers im looking for because they should answer them if Im this confused and worried about it ill let you know what they say when I hang up.

Ok they said that in the vaccine he got yesterday there was distemper parvo lepto and 2 other things....so now that I cant change he got it once should I get the 2nd round or no. Can they combine those without the lepto.....ah my head is spinning


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## MickeysMom (Jun 16, 2006)

Distemper, Parvo, Parainfluenza, and Adenovirus. (hepatitis and measles in the 1st puppy shot)

These are the vaccines that are combined in what is referred to as a distemper shot. It also comes with Lepto. 
Lepto also comes seperately, and I would recommend (if you are going to give it) to do it a couple weeks after the distemper shot. 

It probably was the lepto that gave the reaction, but now you can't really be sure if it was just too many vaccines at once, or if he had the reaction to something else. Ask your vet for a cortizone or anti-histamine shot next time, before the vaccines are administered.

Mickey gets Lyme and Lepto a couple months after his regular yearly shots.

Also, the 3 year distemper combo is the same exact vaccine that used to be the one year. It is NOT a different vaccine, so the reaction rate is the same.

I'm glad Grady is OK


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

First you have to ask them if lepto is prevalent in your area. If not, ask them if they have a vaccine where lepto is not in it. As I said before, he probably had the Distemper-HLP vaccine. I suppose that H stands for hepatitis, L for lepto and P for parvovirus. He probably will need another shot of this in about 4 weeks. If you have to give the lepto or they don't have the vaccine without it, make sure that they give him right away the shot for the counter effect. Alex is a small maltese and never had a reaction from it, but some dogs do. Are there a lot of ticks in your area ? If not, I would not give the lyme vaccine.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

There is some really good information in this recent thread we had about the lepto vaccine. Note that if your vet feels Grady needs it, Jackie )JMM) suggests that it be given separately from the other vaccines, not in a combination shot.

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...=lepto&st=0


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## totallytotontuffy (May 16, 2007)

I might be criticized for this, but I will NOT give the lepto vaccine to Toto and Tuffy, regardless of it's prevalence in our area. BOTH had reactions to the vaccine previously and my understanding is that if your dog HAS had a bad reaction to it, not to give it again. They only get the dhpp combo vaccine, without the "L"for lepto. I guess it's a personal choice. My feeling is that I would rather not give them this particular vaccine. First of all, the vaccine doesn't even fully protect them from getting lepto, there are numerous strains of the virus. I am keenly aware of any changes in their health or behavior and in the worse case scenario if they contracted it and it is caught early, it is treatable. Here is a link to an article from Cornell University which states:

"Until vaccines are upgraded to include these new types of lepto, we're advising dog owners to watch for flulike illnesses in their pets," McDonough said. "If the dog has been exposed to the urine of another domestic animal or a wild animal, either directly or in ponds or run-off water that collect urine, and if you notice these flulike signs, the pet should be tested for lepto."

Cornell University"

"Vaccination against Leptospira interrogans is only available for the serovars called canicola, grippotyphosa, pomona and icterohaemorragiae.. As a result of long standing use of this vaccine, it is hard to assess how important it is to vaccinate against leptospirosis. (As you might imagine, most recent outbreaks involve serovars for which vaccination does not exist.)

Vaccination against the four serovars mentioned is commonly included in the basic distemper shot (DHLPP - the “L” stands for “leptospirosis”). The vaccine can be made up to omit the leptospirosis portion. Of all the sera in this basic vaccine, it seems to be the leptospirosis portion that is associated with hives, facial swelling, and even life-threatening vaccination reactions much more than any of the other fractions. If there is any question of an animal having a vaccine reaction, leptospirosis vaccine is left out of the mix.

Vaccination will reduce the severity of disease but will not prevent infected dogs from becoming carriers."

Allergic Reactions


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## jenna0221 (Jun 6, 2007)

Thanks so much for all the information I deff appreciate it. I am going to ask when he gets his 2nd round that the lepto be left out. I just dont really see the need of him having the vaccine. He is hardly ever outside or with other dogs. 

Is the lyme vaccine bad also? There is a great deal of ticks in my area especially because living so close to the woods and water it would be much smarter to get it then to not.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

> Thanks so much for all the information I deff appreciate it. I am going to ask when he gets his 2nd round that the lepto be left out. I just dont really see the need of him having the vaccine. He is hardly ever outside or with other dogs.
> 
> Is the lyme vaccine bad also? There is a great deal of ticks in my area especially because living so close to the woods and water it would be much smarter to get it then to not.[/B]


Most dogs don't have a reaction to the first lepto shot, it's usually the second one. The fact that Grady had a reaction the first time would make it even more dangerous the second time. 

My vet doesn't recommend the lyme vaccine either. The risks don't outweigh the benefits from what she said and everything I have read as they aren't that effective.

TotallyToto, I agree with you 100%. Lady has never gotten lepto. We have been led to believe that yearly vaccines are a good thing for our pets, but the reality is that they can actually be harmful. Dr. Dodd's protocol is the one I would follow if I had a healthy dog. Since lady is immune suppresed (diabetes) I stopped giving her vaccinations after she was diagnosed with my vet's blessing.

She was just due for her three year rabies booster. She got so sick three years from it. She was lethargic for a week and her blood sugar was in the 400's. Blood sugar that high can cause all sorts of problems like ketoacidosis (which can be fatal) or organ damage, especially blindness, that I didn't feel I could risk it even if it was the law. I spoke to my vet and she was 100% in agreement with me. Lady really doesn't go out anymore and isn't exposed to other dogs. Even when she is at my vet's, they always keep her in the treatment room isolated from the other dogs because she is at a higher risk of infection because of her weak immune system.


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## totallytotontuffy (May 16, 2007)

> Thanks so much for all the information I deff appreciate it. I am going to ask when he gets his 2nd round that the lepto be left out. I just dont really see the need of him having the vaccine. He is hardly ever outside or with other dogs.
> 
> Is the lyme vaccine bad also? There is a great deal of ticks in my area especially because living so close to the woods and water it would be much smarter to get it then to not.[/B]


Jenna, I don't vaccinate for lyme because we don't live in a wooded area. That being said, I don't know a whole lot about it but I do know that it is a serious disease and difficult to recover from. Look up as much information as you can on the net and make an informed decision. If you decide that vaccinating for lyme is the way to go, talk to your vet about giving him a shot to prevent a reaction (I think a 1/2 hour before the vaccine). Also certainly give Grady some time to recover from his most recent vaccine. I would wait at least 2 weeks.


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## ShilohsMom (Jun 25, 2007)

I am happy to hear that Grady is feeling better.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

We haven't done the yearly vaccines for a while now. Last year I had titer done and since he was at the limit, he got a booster of Distemper-AP-Parvo. No lepto. We are good now for another 3 years. We don't do lyme since we don't have any ticks here but even if we did, I don't think I would go for it. There is too much controversy still ongoing with that vaccine.


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

we vaccinate all dogs/puppies for lepto unless a bad reaction occurs (vomiting/diarrhea)...if it is just local pain then benadryl before the shot does the trick at preventing the reaction. the time before last parker and pixel were painful from their rabies...so this time they got a pain shot and benadryl and had no problems...im not sure which shot did the trick but i plan to do the same next time around. being my two come to the vet clinic everyday i will vaccinate them for lepto...even if its just a little tender spot it isnt worth the risk of them getting a horrible disease like lepto when the spot only hurts for a day.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> we vaccinate all dogs/puppies for lepto unless a bad reaction occurs (vomiting/diarrhea)...if it is just local pain then benadryl before the shot does the trick at preventing the reaction. the time before last parker and pixel were painful from their rabies...so this time they got a pain shot and benadryl and had no problems...im not sure which shot did the trick but i plan to do the same next time around. being my two come to the vet clinic everyday i will vaccinate them for lepto...even if its just a little tender spot it isnt worth the risk of them getting a horrible disease like lepto when the spot only hurts for a day.[/B]


Jaimie, I'm not particularly worried about soreness, etc. but my first Malt had an extreme reaction to her shots. Within 5-10 minutes of getting her shots she broke out in hives on her head and became very agitated. The vet had to use epinephrine to get her over the attack. After my experience with that, I worry so about the shots with K & C. We did pre-treat Rosebud wth coritsone and benedryl from then on but she still had mild symptoms and eventually as she got older the vet said he felt the shots would kill her (I think because of her congesetive heart failure) so we stopped them.


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## Princess D (May 16, 2007)

When Diego and Isabella got their vaccines they both were in quite a bit of pain. They really cried when we picked them up and even when they moved in the wrong way for the rest of the evening. I felt so terrible for both of them, but by the next morning they were back to normal and bouncy and playing. It is really upsetting when one of these little guys are hurting, but no way is it as hard as watching one of them get sick or loosing one to a preventable disease. Diego is scheduled for his neuter in late August (he will be 5 1/2 months). My only concern is that he will be too uncomfortable, but it seems like a pretty simple surgery for the little guys. If he needs it I will ask for some pain meds temporarily. I read that another person on the forum was breeding (back yard breeder), as much as I would like to have another puppy just like Diego, I would never dream of breeding him, plus I am hoping that the male behaviors will be curbed before they really get started. I think that I will be able to find a baby sister for Diego from a good breeder who knows what they are doing to give the babies the right start and who will help me find the right match for our family


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## MySugarBaby (Jun 28, 2006)

The 5 in one shot is most common, DHLPP, Distemper, Hepatitis, Lepto, Parvo and Parinefluenza (sp?).
All the vets around here won't give the lepto to any small breed dogs. The vet I have been using for years (before we moved) use to carry the vaccine without the lepto but you always had to ask. But just recently they stopped carrying it so now I will have to switch vets because I don't want mine getting the lepto shot.

Sorry Grady had a bad reaction to the shot. I am glad he is feeling better.


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

Coco had that combo shot just a week or so ago, and she was sick for several days. She wanted to go out all night and eat grass, whined and didn't want to eat. When we go back for her other shots, I am going to discuss it with the vet. He was separating them into 3 different innoculations, but whatever it was in that combo shot threw Coco for a loop. Hopefully, he won't feel the need for it again anytime soon. Sorry your baby had problems. :-(


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## Lennabella (Mar 29, 2007)

Max had a terrible reaction to his Rabies shot.









It was horrible, he started acting really weird, running around digging his face into the carpet, rolling around really crazy, his eyes puffed up and became red around the outside - he looked terrible and just wouldn't stop for a minute - racing and rubbing his body against the carpet.

I called the vet and they said he had a reaction to the rabies shot and he needs to get a shot before he gets it again ...

Poor baby - he was crazed but it didn't last long.









Hope your baby is ok ...


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## jenna0221 (Jun 6, 2007)

Well I have decided that I am not going to give Grady his lyme shot. I read that the affects of the vaccine are not worth it for a shot that might not even protect him against lyme. Also there are many other diseases more serious than lyme that ticks carry and there is no vaccine for them. I just dont see the point in letting Grady suffer for something that just isnt worth it.


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## gatiger40 (Jun 7, 2007)

Oh my God that was the exact reaction Snowball had after his shots. He just want crazy, running around and acting insane. Rubbing against everything, I thought he had lost his mind. It only lasted one day though. I can not imagine that behavior 24/7. I hate shots.


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