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Oscar and his Lepto vaccination

LittleLoves
June 9th, 2005, 06:14 PM
I'm waiting for a call from the emergency vet clinic. I had Oscar in for his Lepto shot at 5, and just noticed that his little lips are swollen and he won't let me pick him up because his shoulder is swollen.

I'm worried! :sad: Has anyone's furbaby gone through a reaction to immunizations? I was nervous to call them in case I was being paranoid, but I can't deny that Oscar's lips went from 'Helen Hunt' to 'Angelina Jolie'. I hope he's ok.

BMDLuver
June 9th, 2005, 06:19 PM
Do not wait. Take him in to the vet's now. You aren't being paranoid, this is serious depending on how far the reaction goes.

Luba
June 9th, 2005, 06:54 PM
He needs an antihistimine right NOW pls don't wait go to the vet or call and ask the dosage of benadryl then go get some asap.

Make sure it's noted in the file that he had this reaction and never give him the lepto again. Same thing happened to my Sadie. Don't be surprised if he pukes, gets a fever and becomes lethargic.

Keep him hydrated but priorities first he needs a allergy med.

LittleLoves
June 9th, 2005, 06:55 PM
Hi BMD,

The doctor called me back right after I posted. He told me to give him 1 teaspoon of Children's Benadryl. I did. He said I will see impovement in the swelling within 45 minutes. Luckily I didn't have to syringe it, he lapped it up from a small plate. Poor little guy howls at his needles and then has to have a reaction to it. :sad: I'm going to watch him like a hawk and if by 9:30 he hasn't improved I'll be in touch with them again.

BMDLuver
June 9th, 2005, 07:09 PM
Oh good. Thanks so much for posting that the vet called back. I was very worried about your little guy. Things can happen so rapidly with an allergic reaction.

LittleLoves
June 9th, 2005, 07:23 PM
Hi Luba, we must have been replying at the same time.

When I first noticed the swelling, I called my vet, and they are closed so they take your name and number, and the reason for the call. They then call whoever is on the emergency vet and get them to call you. While I was waiting I gave Oscar an ice cube (which he devoured!) and made him lay down. He literally called back within five minutes. :) He told me that Lepto is a common one to get a bad reaction to. Now I'm worried because we live in the country with plenty of standing water.

I can't believe that happened. My heart was in my throat. Lady has never reacted to her immunizations so I wasn't expecting him to either.

mafiaprincess
June 9th, 2005, 07:48 PM
The lepto vaccine is actually thought to be quite ineffective.. a lot of vets won't give it anymore even if there is standing water near. It also only protects against 2 of the 4 leptospirae. It often isn't worth possible complications such as anaphalactic problems since it isn't as protective as it could be.
"Of the four most common leptospirae known to infect dogs [L.canicola, L. icterohemorrhagiae, L. pomora and L. grippotyphosa], the lepto shot. currently available contains only two bacterium: L. canicola and L. icterohemorrhagiae."

(quote from http://clubs.akc.org/nntc/health/lepto.html) couldn't remember the lepto technical names.

LittleLoves
June 9th, 2005, 07:50 PM
When the vet gave him the needle, she said it protected him from the four most common types. :confused:

I'm wondering if I should still take Lady for her vaccination at the end of the month.

Luba
June 9th, 2005, 08:18 PM
you may wanna read some of the information in this thread:

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=16042

SnowDancer
June 9th, 2005, 09:46 PM
My vet vaccinates for the lepto virus most common to our area. Last year in Toronto there were several cases - few survived and those that did now suffer from kidney and other related problems. It is much like the flu shot, doesn't cover all strains of the virus, but affords some protection. We have too many raccoons, skunks, etc. lurking about, so I will continue to get shot. I do however have my bottle of Benadryl at the ready. You might need to use it again if puppy gets stung by a bee.

BeagleMum
June 10th, 2005, 06:46 AM
That was the reason that my vet doesn't like to vaccinate for Lepto. She said that small dogs tend to have an allergic reaction to it, which basically they need some type of allergy medication after. She makes us wait for 30 minutes after if she gives it to make sure this doesn't happen.

Beaglemom
June 10th, 2005, 07:30 AM
I vaccinate my dog against lepto every year. Main reason is the we do have raccoons and she goes to our cottage where there are a lot of wild animals and we just don't want to take any chances. She has never had a reaction although I know that many dogs do.

Our vet will not let us leave his clinic for at least 20 minutes after having her shot just in case she has a reaction to it. She never has but he doesn't want to take a chance if she does.

LittleLoves
June 10th, 2005, 07:32 AM
Good morning everyone,

Oscar made it through the night with no major problems, but the swelling is still there a little. I'm calling my own vet this morning to tell them about the reaction he had. I will not be giving him the booster....and I'm considering not getting Lady the shot either.

Oscar still won't let me pick him up for a cuddle, and I think it's perhaps because of his association with the vet assistant holding him while he got his shots. I'm going to coax him to stay in my arms with some yummy PB treats today. Hopefully he'll let me love him again! :(

I'm so torn though...I DO trust my vet, and we DO live in the country. As a matter of fact, my subdivision is called, "Wildlife Subdivision". We have bears, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, dear, moose, and a whole host of other flying and non flying animals. We have a stream that runs directly through the subdivision, and some standing ponds. If I don't get the follow up for Oscar, and Lady's Lepto, when I walk Lady (and eventually Oscar) I will need to avoid these things right?

Ugh...

Thanks for all the support, I was very scared. :grouphug:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/ChantelleK/Untitled_0054001_0001.jpg

BMDLuver
June 10th, 2005, 07:50 AM
awwww, what a little doll Oscar is. Scary when something so tiny is so helpless. I would discuss it at length with your vet. Normally when a reaction has occurred, they will not do the vaccination again. I know we placed a shihtzu a while back that had a terrible reaction to a vaccination series and because they had done a combo, they could not rule out which one it was. This happened while in the care of the original family and we only found out by consulting the previous vet. Thank heavens we had some documentation. The adoptive family took him in for one vaccine at a time when he was due for his annual shots and he made it through all of them with flying colors. Sometimes with age the reaction dissipates. Your vet will know what is best. Give Oscar a big smooch for me, he's very squishable, lol!

LittleLoves
June 10th, 2005, 07:53 AM
LOL he IS very squishable, especially with that swollen little face. That picture is of him at 8 weeks, I'll try to get another one of him today so you can see how "mature" he is looking. :p

Oscar has been going in once every week for each needle in the set because of his size. None have given him the same reaction as this one. Hopefully this won't happen again!

LittleLoves
June 10th, 2005, 10:16 AM
Ok, just got off the phone with the head vet. I told her about my location (she is familiar with it) and what my neighborhood is like. She is insistant that he should have the follow up.

She has made an early morning appointment for me on the 23rd. He'll be dropped off, and given benedryl by injection, then his booster. She said he will be closely monitored for half the day, and then he can come home once they are sure no major s/e will occur. She want's Lady in to get her's done as well. She told me that Lepto is a human threat? That if they catch it and shed we are at risk?

She seemed pretty surprised that Oscar had the reaction? She told me that they don't normally get one from the first shot, and that it's the second one they react to. Now I feel like maybe I imagined it, but even my husband noticed the swelling!

Anyhow, it sucks not knowing the right thing to do.

BMDLuver
June 10th, 2005, 12:42 PM
Do what you think is best and what your gut tells you to do. It's your choice whatever you choose. :thumbs up

Karin
June 10th, 2005, 01:32 PM
Not always does one thing have anything to do with another.

Reactions could be due to something totally different....do not blame until you know for sure.

LittleLoves
June 10th, 2005, 01:42 PM
Not always does one thing have anything to do with another.

Reactions could be due to something totally different....do not blame until you know for sure.

Are you saying that it might have been something other than the vaccination?

Karin
June 10th, 2005, 01:49 PM
Yes. Of course it could be caused by something else. Happens all the time.

LittleLoves
June 10th, 2005, 03:16 PM
I know that it's possible for a reaction to something other than the needle, but that was the only thing different in his day. It also happened within the time frame for a reaction to occur so I doubt it was anything else.

Prin
June 10th, 2005, 06:28 PM
All I can add is just this week I was told of a doggy who was allergic to the lepto shot. She has to get all her vaccines done on different days just to be sure and the vet is ready in case she has an allergic reaction. I'd take this as a warning. Next time tell the vet to be prepared for a stronger reaction, just in case. I'd also go there first thing in the morning so that if there is a reaction later, your vet might still be open.

For this, I'm glad your doggy is better, but allergic reactions are so serious, I wouldn't even have called. I would have run in... :)

Luba
June 10th, 2005, 08:36 PM
Lots of dogs have reactions to lepto vaccine.

If the reaction is 'mild' the vet will the next time immediately administer an antihistimine such as benadryl to calm the adverse reaction. If the reaction was more severe your dog should NEVER get that vaccine again.

If your otherwise normally healthy dog SUDDENLY had inflamed lips immediately after the vaccine the only logical conclusion is a reaction to the vaccine. In particular because allergic reactions show most readily in the mucus producing areas of the body.

I really doubt if it was anything else IMHO. I would not worry that your dog has some other immune compromising condition causing oral swelling. Vets do see this all the time, it is rather common.

A little side note however, two summers ago two very beautiful and young GSD's died after getting Lepto when the owner left it untreated as she thought it was from the hot spell they were having (weather wise).

BOTH of these dogs had been vaccinated within the previous year FOR lepto.

So, there ya go.... another head scratcher folks. These dogs lived near a creek that was rather still running and played in it often.

Just a reminder to folks who have dog dishes/water bowls outside DUMP it at the end of the day and turn it upside down so no other critters drink from your pets bowl ;)