 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2005Reaction to vaccine?
Hi, In January '03 I got my cat Bandit his booster. The next day he wasn't well, very weak, etc. He ended up spending four days in the vets and his red blood cell count was really low. The vet insisted at the time it was a coincidence and not related to the booster. I was nervous about getting his booster again so I have put it off until now. I brought him to the vet on Monday evening for his booster, reminded the vet of what happened last time but he again insisted his illness was nothing to do with the booster. So, yesterday morning (Tuesday) Bandit obviously wasn't well and went back to the vet. He gave him an antibiotic injection and said he didn't want to give him cortisone cos it would counter the booster. He has no energy and a very high temperature. I brought Bandit back to the vet today cos there was no improvement. He got a cortisone injection today. He's still pretty much the same, although he is eating a little and drinking lots of milk. I have to bring him back tomorrow morning but I'm concerned the vet still doesn't think it's related to the booster and is delaying the proper treatment. Has anyone else any experience with a cat having a reaction to a vaccination? It seems obvious to me his illness is a reaction to the booster. A quick note on Bandit - he's a small four year. He's very skinny although he eats like a horse! He's normally very active but at the moment the only time he moves is to eat or use the litter tray. Except this afternoon he saw a butterfly and managed to jump six feet and catch and eat it!!! Thanks Siobhán SK, What was the vaccine? Was it for distemper? Rhonda > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Siobhán > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Siobhán My cat was definitely unwell after her last rabies shot last year. She is supposed to get it every three years. When she gets her other shots, she feels kind of puny for a day or so. MLB >Has anyone else any experience with a cat having a reaction to a >vaccination? It seems obvious to me his illness is a reaction to the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >afternoon he saw a butterfly and managed to jump six feet and catch and eat >it!!! My cat had a bad reaction to his distemper shot, given between the shoulder blades. He developed open lesions, and it was pretty nasty. No generalized symptoms of illness, however. I did some lite research on this topic when that happened. The animal vaccines industry is highly unregulated. It does not appear that vaccines are systematically tested prior to being sold. Instead, their safety is determined by adverse effect reports once they are in the market. However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result is a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records relating to animal health incidents or animal mortality. The statistics thus make the vaccines look quite safe. The large number of anecdotal reports strongly suggest otherwise. Not long ago there was a heartbreaking story in this group about a lady who got two bengal kittens who became ill after vaccination. One died, and I believe the other was returned to the breeder, who could provide the special care it required. I think vets are guilty of accepting the statistics without considering this fatal flaw in the statistical method. Also, they don't want to admit that they did something to cause a pet to become ill. Charlie >However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result >is a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Charlie It is my opinion that you are being a bit dramatic, Charlie. I would love to see the material that you gathered this information from! I work for a low cost spay/neuter & vaccination clinic, and we give virtually 100's of vaccinations a week. And we have not experienced ONE bad reaction -- certainly not resulting in death. Of course -- some animals can simply be allergic. It takes at least 2x to determine it to be an allergic reaction. 99.9% of animals who are allergic to vaccines will only show side effects on the second dose. And if that is the case -- simple drugs are administered before (or after -- if the customer does not notify that the animal is allergic -- which has happened quite a few times!) the vaccine is given and all is well again. That is of course, vaccines that we buy from specific companies that we trust that go by specific state laws. Not everyone may have the same things that we do. Vaccines aren't all that bad ;-) >>However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result >>is a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >It is my opinion that you are being a bit dramatic, Charlie. >I would love to see the material that you gathered this information from! There's a lot out there. Here are a couple of links to get you started: http://www.blakkatz.com/vaccination.html http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm >I work for a low cost spay/neuter & vaccination clinic, and we give virtually >100's of vaccinations a week. And we have not experienced ONE bad reaction -- >certainly not resulting in death. That seems unlikely. No one denies that that adverse reactions occur at a rate of several per thousand for some feline vaccines. What seems more likely is that you don't learn of adverse reactions. Here is my cat a few days after his distemper shot: http://www.geocities.com/wilkes_charlie/lesion.htm The distemper shot is said to be among the least likely to cause an adverse reaction. He lived as a barn cat before I found him, and these were probably the first vaccinations of his life. The vet thinks he is about six. He is an indoor cat now and I am through vaccinating him. Charlie > Here is my cat a few days after his distemper shot: > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Charlie That's pretty gruesome. I had heard that adjuvant-free vaccines given on the legs were much safer than the neck which is where your cat got its shot. I am thinking of the rabies vaccine which is really federally mandatory. The adjuvant free is only good for a year but does not cause the rare but deadly cancer problem. I don't know if adjuvant free vaccines other than the rabies are available. It's been a while since my cat has had shots just to be on the safe side. No need to overdo it. But she will get another rabies shot. And since there are wild cats nearby, I will need some more shots for her, but I'm taking it easy with the shots. The adjuvant free vaccines are more expensive. >> Here is my cat a few days after his distemper shot: >> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >nearby, I will need some more shots for her, but I'm taking it easy >with the shots. The adjuvant free vaccines are more expensive. Yes. That is because the biological component of the vaccine is more expensive. Producers maximize the use of cheap adjuvants to minimize the required dose of biological material. My cat is not going to be exposed to any infectious diseases unless I introduce another cat to the household, in which case I will have to plan accordingly. I am not willing to expose him further to the risk of virus/adjuvant mixtures backed by about as much clinical data as 19th Century patent medicines. Charlie Charlie > > Here is my cat a few days after his distemper shot: > > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > nearby, I will need some more shots for her, but I'm taking it easy > with the shots. The adjuvant free vaccines are more expensive. Ahem. I took Omar in for his first "booster" shot (distemper). The new vet (I have replaced Conan's vet) wanted to administer several other shots too. I recalled the picture of Charlie's cat after a distemper shot and said WHOA! to battery of shots. Omar is 15 weeks old and 5 lbs in weight. I explained he is an only cat and an indoor only cat. Vet stroked his chin ... sensing a hard sell for a battery of vaccinations and settled on the distemper only. He administered the shot into Omar's side, just ahead of his right leg. Later last evening, Omar passed up on his typical evening crazies of tearing around the house. This morning, he's subdued still. Frankly, I'm joining the camp of "leave the cat be" simply because of his relatively safe living conditions. >Ahem. I took Omar in for his first "booster" shot (distemper). The new >vet (I have replaced Conan's vet) wanted to administer several other shots [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Frankly, I'm joining the camp of "leave the cat be" simply because of his >relatively safe living conditions. I certainly would, if you plan on maintaining him indoors. You might get a rabies scare down in that area from time to time that would prompt the caution of a rabies shot. My reading on the web has left me with the impression that there is no reliable clinical data for any of these products. Without such data, no one can possibly know how safe feline vaccinations are. Anecdotally, the picture does not look good. Charlie >>>However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result is >>>a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Charlie That looks like more like a scratch infection. Almost like from barbed wire. Any possibility? MLB >>>>However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result is >>>>a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >That looks like more like a scratch infection. Almost like from barbed >wire. Any possibility? MLB No, that is not a realistic possibility given the context in which this occurred. Following the vaccination, within about 48 hours, the cat developed a thick callous between his shoulder blades, roughly circular and about two inches in diameter. Gradually the edges of this disc of calloused skin began to split away from the surrounding skin. The lesion you see there was the first such split, and the most gruesome. After it began to heal, other, less severe lesions formed elsewhere around the edge of the callous. This went on for a couple of months. Now he is finally back to normal. Fortunately it did not seem to make him ill or cause him serious pain, although it itched. Charlie snip > > > Here is my cat a few days after his distemper shot: > > > > > > http://www.geocities.com/wilkes_charlie/lesion.htm snip > > > Charlie > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > No, that is not a realistic possibility given the context in which > this occurred. Oh come on Charlie. Just admit you have barbed wire in the windows of your mobile home to keep out burglers. LOL. > Following the vaccination, within about 48 hours, the > cat developed a thick callous between his shoulder blades, roughly [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Charlie The first time I saw those pictures, I cringed. I've seen leg ulcers on eldery people that looked as bad. EASY to become infected! > However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result > is a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records > relating to animal health incidents or animal mortality. Actually, there are two reporting agencies for adverse reactions. One is the USP Veterinary Practioners' Reporting Program and the other is the USDA Animal Immunobiologic Vigilance. Phil > However, most adverse effects never get reported, even if the result > is a dead cat. After all, no one keeps or requires systematic records > relating to animal health incidents or animal mortality. Actually, there are two reporting agencies for adverse reactions. One is the USP Veterinary Practioners' Reporting Program and the other is the USDA Animal Immunobiologic Vigilance. Phil Last year, one of our cats became ill for a couple of days after getting his shots (rabies, distemper and feline leuk?). This year, I'm going to have them administer the shots one at a time--spaced over a couple week period. > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Siobhán My cat had a similar reaction to Bandit's when he got his boosters in 1999. Only he developed hepatic lipidosis as a *secondary* illness *because* of the reaction. The vet said, no more vaccinations, and made that notation on his chart. He also devoped the lesions that Charlie's cat did. Sherry >>Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Sherry :( that really sucks. luna is overdue for a vet visit...sigh... > > > Hi, > > > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > luna is overdue for a vet visit...sigh... You say that as if it were a BAD thing. Argh. >>>>Hi, >>>> [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > You say that as if it were a BAD thing. Argh. believe me, im not running out to go there. im sure she is just fine without her vaccs, but a checkup wouldnt hurt. > believe me, im not running out to go there. im sure she is just fine > without her vaccs, but a checkup wouldnt hurt. Many vets push vaccinations because that's the only time many people will take their cats to a vet- other than an emergency. So with the new three-year vaccination protocol, vets are not only losing income from the vax- but also from the yearly exams. That's a sizable chunk of money to lose! Phil  SignatureAlison http://catinfolinks.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ http://doginfolinks.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Siobhán >> Glad to hear Bandit is doing a bit better. Kim is sometimes a little off colour after her booster. Alison Hi, Thanks for all your replies. I brought Bandit back to the vet this morning and he's a lot brighter, still very quiet but he's eating and drinking normally. And his temperature is normal. I just have to bring him back again tomorrow and that should be his final visit. Katie G said cats usually show a reaction to the second booster and this is how it happened with Bandit. He was fine with the first vaccination and ill after the second and third. To be honest I'm not exactly sure what the vaccination is. I'm in Ireland and pets get an "all-in-one" vaccination yearly. The vet said despite the reaction, I should continue to get his yearly boosters cos the consequence of any disease he could get would be worse than a few days of illness. Thanks again, Siobhán >> Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > after her booster. > Alison My Moonshines always felt bad the day after shots so the vet divided the shots into 2 sessions and then she was okay. -- Barb Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time. > Has anyone else any experience with a cat having a reaction to a > vaccination? It seems obvious to me his illness is a reaction to the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > afternoon he saw a butterfly and managed to jump six feet and catch and eat > it!!! I definitely think it's vaccine related. I'm surprised your vet discounted that. He should be reporting the adverse reactions. Personally, if it were my cat, I would definitely be getting a new vet. In future, should you decide not to vaccinate again, you can have your vet exempt your cat due to health reasons. There are some links to articles about vaccines here: http://home.earthlink.net/~pawsreflect/vaccinosis.html Lauren Here's the FDA's site for reporting adverse reactions. Pet owners are encouraged to report any adverse reactions: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/adetoc.htm LAUREN See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Maybe you should lay off the milk and give him water only. Java > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Siobhán Hi Java, I stopped the milk! He got diarrhoea and I put this down to the milk. He's doing great now. He had cortisone injections for four days and now he's on tablets. Today, he's giving out to me and demanding his own way - he's back to normal!!! Thanks Siobhán > Maybe you should lay off the milk and give him water only. > Java [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] >> >> Siobhán
|
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.