Vaccine reaction

[Sherrie]

Just a word of caution on vaccines. I hope this is ok to post.
We moved to Nebraska from a place with no snakes. One day we walked out the back door only to find a rattlesnake coiled there. It struck at my husband and hit his pants leg but not him. At that point we decided to get our dogs vaccinated with the rattlesnake vaccine. Only one was given the vaccine as the other had a UTI. That was the main reason we went to the vet in the first place. Three days later Blossom came down with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. This illness causes antibodies to form and attack the red blood cells causing severe anemia and death. We noticed she was panting heavily and lethargic. The vet drew blood and her red blood cells were clumping together. To make a very long story shorter Blossom was taken to Colorado to a specialist and put in doggie ICU for 4 days. She was given a transfusion, prednisone, and a chemo drug. She came home with a pack cell of 19 up from 12. It has been a very rocky road for 3 months with many ups and downs. At the moment she is up to 38.5 which is low normal. She will never be shown again due to the muscle damage caused by the prednisone and thats IF she recovers. She is still on a lower does of prednisone and the chemo drug.
AIHA can be caused by many things and sometimes the cause is unknown. Blossoms was caused by the vaccine as our first two vets agreed. Many dogs have no bad reactions to this vaccine.I am writing this to let people know. Vaccines DO have their place in this word without it we would all be in trouble. However do a search on the core vaccines form your own opinion.
I am sorry this is so long.
Sherrie
http://chimneyrocknewfs.tripod.com

[ 09-10-2006, 08:48 AM: Message edited by: Sherrie ]

 

[Codes]

Hi Sherrie,
I am so very sorry to hear what you're going through with Blossom. You're the 5th person I've heard of whose dog has had a reaction to the rattlesnake vaccine. I read on your website that the company who makes the vaccine is threatening you. Don't back down! Keep getting Blossom's story out there. Perhaps this vaccine has helped some but several dogs have died after having received it.

I hope that Blossom will be able to fully recover. I swear by an herbalist by the name of Marina Zacharias. *I probably sound like a broken record by now because I recommend her so much... * Anyhow, she may be able to suggest a remedy that can help support your girls immune system. Her website is www.naturalrearing.com

I will keep you and your beautiful girl in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Sherrie]

Thanks so much. I have reported the reaction to the FDA/CVM. I also have put this info out on any dog chat I could fine. After sending their lawyer our vets names and phone numbers along with several articals written in vet journals by vets saying the antibodies causing AHIA can be produced in 24-72 hours post vaccination and never after a month. Their vet had previously emailed me saying it would be at least 3 months post injection before this could happen.At any rate I have not heard a word after I sent all this to the lawyer. Not even an apology.
Another word of caution. The company states in their FACs that if a dog has previously been rattlesnake bitten they can receive the vaccine. They say the dog must have fully recovered from the bite first. In my research one of the vet schools (CSU) does not recommend this because the dog may well have developed a sensitivity and the vaccine may cause them to go into anaphylactic shock. .The company of course does not mention this.
Sherrie

[ 09-10-2006, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: Sherrie ]

 

[blstarke]

Sherrie, thank you for the info
My prayers are with Blossom
Please keep us updated

 

[ina/puusty]

Although rare down here..we are periodically in areas, where this would be possible. (Rattler bite) Thank you for the heads-up! ina n HB

 

[Pam G]

Sherrie, I am SO sorry to hear this about Blossom. Our first newf Madison contracted IMHA at 8 1/2 yrs..so I know what you are dealing with. This is a nasty disease..but can be beat. It is a good sign that her PCV is up to 38. Madison's went from 22, at diagnosis, to 28 but never any higher. She fought a tough battle but lost the fight after 3 weeks. She's gone 2 yrs now...but it still seems like yesterday
I no longer vaccinate my dogs for distemper/parvo after they have the first year booster. And only do the lepto and rabies yearly.
I also only put the frontline on them in May and again in August..that's it! I have had no problem with fleas or ticks.
How much pred is Blossom taking. Madison was on 100 mgs a day plus Imuran.
I will keep your sweet Blossom in my prayers...please keep us posted on her condition.

 

[BoundlessNewfs]

Our Lucy has also had bad reactions to the rabies vaccine. We know it was the rabies, because the second year, we did JUST the rabies (not the other boosters), and within half a day she was one big hotspot. It took all summer to clear her skin up and have her stop being hypersensitive to every other thing in her food/environment. In asking on other boards, this seems to be fairly uncommon, but not rare.

 

[Sherrie]

Pam and Laurel,
I am so sorry to hear about Madison. I know the chance of macking it is 50/50 and that seems so difficult to think your own dog might not be in the right 50.
She will never be vaccinated again. her vets are giving us a waver on the rabies. She was on 80 mg prednisone for almost 3 months. They took her off the Imuran at one month because the liver emzynes were going up. They never stopped going up. After that her pcv went slowly down from 27 to 19. She couldn't walk and was in a stupor. We changed vets and she was put on SamE, milk thistle, vit E and you name it, all to try to help her liver from the damage the drugs were doing. She was put back on the Imuran 20mg 2x's a day. Her prednsone was cut in half. 3 days later her pcv was up to 21. Her prednisone has slowly been reduced to 10mg every other day and the Imuran is 20 mg a day. IF she holds this or is better she comes off the prednisone Tuesday.
I guess we would never have had the nerve to insist she start coming off the prednisone if I had not talked to Juanita Bartlett, the breeder of Misty Mtn Newfs in Colorado. I truely think without that conversation we might not have Blossom here today. There is a great website for AIHA out there and it did give me some hope in the begining.
Sherrie
http://chimneyrocknewfs.tripod.com

[ 09-10-2006, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: Sherrie ]

 

[Pam G]

Wow..you've been through alot in these last few months. I'm glad to hear that you were able to get her pred dose down. It is so hard on their system. Madison ended up with renal failure..which i think was a result of the pred.
Give Blossom a hug from me....

 

[ardeagold]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear about Blossom. What a horrible thing to have to go through. But I'm glad that she's doing so much better...and I hope she recovers completely.

I'm also very careful with vaccines of any sort. Ours get their first series as pups and then are given nothing except rabies. If the titers show they need distemper they'll get it, otherwise...no.

We have several older dogs who have had no vaccines except rabies (in three year increments)for at least 8 years. All are doing well. Same for our cats. We have one who lived to 19, one who lived to 17 and one who is currently 22. They never had innoculations except for the kitten series, when spayed.

Granted, our animals are more segregated than suburban dogs, urban dogs, or show/competition dogs. We're rural...and they don't have much contact with a great number of strange animals. That's one reason we backed down from innoculations...they're not exposed to much.

But even those who are will not get the yearly boosters...nor get any boosters, unless necessary.

Stories like yours, although very heartbreaking, are important for people to hear. The more informed we are, the more prepared we can be to protect our animals from unnecessary drugs/innoculations, etc, which are often pushed upon us by our Vets (who are often only pushing what the drug manufacturers tell them to).

Thank you for sharing. And give Blossom big hugs from our family.

 

[sarnewfie]

what a tuff situation, you are lucky though, she did survive this, some do not.
our vet also has said there is suspicion that there is a link with spayed females, though your girl was not, and vaccinations.
I am glad she is still with you.