restless after vaccinations

Jeannie

Super Moderator
Has anyone ever had their newf act very strange after being vaccinated? We had our girls vaccinated yesterday around 6 p.m. By 11 p.m. Samantha was acting very strange. She kept jumping on our bed, panting and pacing. She was very restless and kept scratching her muzzle and licking her paws. At midnight I was going to call the vet, but she just laid down and was basically ok but somewhat restless. I thought she may be reacting to the vaccinations, but she was not vomiting or had any swelling or welts. I also thought of bloat, but her belly was not tight and she was not salivating or trying to vomit. Also, I had fed her around 4 p.m. so this was 6 hours later) This morning she ate her breakfast as normal (at 6 a.m.) and was acting fine till about noon. She started acting funny, not wanting me out of her sight. Usually when I groom she will lay in the other room and sleep. Today she had to be under my feet and she even jumped on my grooming table while I was grooming another dog. She started panting (132 breaths per minute) and pacing--more like running from one place to another. Not staying still for more than a couple of minutes at each place. Right now it is 1:15 and she is lying outside sleeping. I called the vet and the vet assistant said she has never heard of a dog reacting to vaccinations that way. She thought it sounded like she a stomach ache. What do you think?
 

Jeannie

Super Moderator
I called and talked to the vet. He said that more than likely she is having a reaction to her vaccinations. He suggested I give her benadryl and if she is not better in a couple of hours to bring her to his office. It has been about one hour and she is not as restless and she is again laying outside. Hopefully this is not serious, but I will keep you informed
Jeannie
 

Jeannie

Super Moderator
Sam seems to be doing fine. I had to give her more benadryl after 6 hours bcause she started the itching and panting again. I believe she will be okay for the night. If she is not 100% in the morning without the benadryl then I plan to take her to the vet.
Jeannie
 

Khiori

New member
I've heard of this before. It's a reaction to the vaccinations. I believe there is a term - vaccinosis? Can also cause hydrocephalus (swelling of the brain). I would highly suspect the vaccines because of the timing. Perhaps the dogs were over vaccinated?

I really hope they are both back to normal with no problems. With our situation, I know of a number of dogs who have ended up with secondary epilepsy due to vaccines.
(I would never recommend NOT giving vaccines, but also realize the potential side effect)


Please let us know how your two are doing.

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Jeannie

Super Moderator
This is to let everyone know that Samantha is doing fine. She is still "tired" but doing much better. I too feel they were Over-vaccinated. We got kennel cough, parvo/distempter, giardia and lymes. Next time they will get 2 one week and the other 2 at least 2 weeks later. I was told by a lady at our all breed club something real interesting (this lady is very into dogs she is a UKC & AKC Judge as well as a judge for many agility organizations she also is sought after as a seminar speaker) She told me that there is a blood test I think she called it a titer test (sp). It measures the anitbodies in the blood to see if the dog has built up an ammunity to these diseases that we vaccinate them for. She said that most dogs do so by the time they are 3 and no longer need to be vaccinated on a yearly basis. However by law you have to have rabies. She said the test is more expensive than the vaccinations so that is why it is not done too often. I don't think I would stop having my dogs vaccinated, but I WILL space them out over 2-4 weeks. Has anyone every heard of this blood test? Has anyone ever used it and skipped a year of vaccinations?
Jeannie
 

Khiori

New member
Yes, I've heard of titer tests. Basically, it's what you were told. Lots of ppl (esp those who are holistic or feeding Raw/Homemade, or paranoid like me
) will titer instead of vaccinating. I've never done titer tests though. Usually you'd have to find a vet who is open to alternative methods of 'vetting' who will know right off about this.

In the future, you're wise to space them apart. (seeing how your babies had a reaction) Also, as far as over vaccinating... not only spacing them apart but I was also meaning the amt of each vaccine. Aren't newfs supposed to be a little more sensitive to meds than ppl first think? I remember reading something about that. (like 150# dog compared to 150# newf - newf doesn't need as much as thought)

Maybe someone else here knows more about that.

Anyway, I'm so relieved to hear that Sam is doing better. Big hugs to her!


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Lynne

New member
I've never run the titers, but I've begun to vaccinate my dogs every other year, rather than annually. My vet feels this is sufficient, unless they're out being shown and exposed to a lot of other dogs. I would give each vaccine on a separate visit, not even combining 2. That way, if your dog has a reaction, you'll know for sure which vaccine is the problem. I would think that the vet, particularly since you've already seen a problem, would go along with this and not charge you additional office visit charges.
Glad Samantha came through fine!
Lynne
 

Jeannie

Super Moderator
The reason I get "every vaccination" possible for my girls is because I have a grooming shop in my home and my dogs are exposed to 8-10 dogs each day 40-50 each week. Although I require all dogs to be up to date of vaccinations I don't know where they have been--so I think better safe than sorry. But maybe I was being too safe. I tend to think Sam's reaction was to the kennel cough because she kept scratching her her nose with her paw and on the ground. I don't know it is just a feeling. Next time I think I will have one vaccination done at a time. My baby does not need to suffer needlessly like this again. I took her for a walk today. Usually she is very alert and I have to be ready for her to investigate everything that moves. Today she just walked beside me like a perfect lady. I kinda liked having a relaxing walk for a change

Jeannie
 

Khiori

New member
LOL!


Now repeat after me...

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"


Btw, I too tend to vaccinate for whatever is possible in our area. So I don't blame you one bit for vaccinating what your Newfs may be exposed to.

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Jeannie

Super Moderator
Just wanted to let everyone know that Sam is finally back to normal
She started acting better Sunday afternoon and today she is fine. She had her shots Thursday evening so it took a few days for her to get over it.
Jeannie
 
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