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Post by sugar on Aug 12, 2013 9:35:58 GMT -5
So Chubby had his yearly shots on Saturday at 1pm. He was fine. Yesterday (sunday) he had a little swelling (about the size of a silver dollar) but you could still pet him. He was acting lethargic (which is normal after shots according the vet). This morning, he leaves his bed on Jason's side and walks over to my side (where he doesn't have a bed) and lays down to softly whine. I start checking him over and the silver dollar swelling is now as large as my hand (from palm to finger tip) and about an inch raised. Its very hot, the skin there is trembling and he won't let me touch it at all (he jumped back and opened his mouth, not really baring teeth more just like a big open mouth).
We have an appointment with he vet for 4pm because I got really freaked out. Am I over reacting, is this still considered normal?
FYI: Saturday Chubby got his anal glands done, a heartworm test, his regular yearly shot on left side and rabies on right side and the nasal version of bordatella (never know when we will have o board him). The swelling is located almost down by the bottom of his ribs (where the ribs end).
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Post by suziriot on Aug 12, 2013 9:54:34 GMT -5
I'd absolutely take him to the vet. Some swelling can be normal, but if he's acting like he's not feeling well and the lump is really hot then he could be having a severe reaction. Poor Chublet!
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Post by maryellen on Aug 12, 2013 11:43:30 GMT -5
honestly, with chubbys health record i would not do vaccines anymore except rabies, and with the rabies if you can get your vet to give you an exemption letter do it and just keep him away from wild animals.. with his health issues and now the swelling i would seriously consider it.. the bordatella if you board him ok, but no more other vaccines... most boarding places will take titer paperwork now so it might be an option for you. with that type of swelling a vet visit is a must.. he is having a reaction to the vaccines. (and never get all the vaccines at once, always do one vaccine every 3 weeks if you must do vaccines, and do the 3 year vaccines not the yearly ones...)
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Post by sugar on Aug 12, 2013 12:27:38 GMT -5
I've never gotten the 3 yr ones (just never been comfortable with the idea of it) and he's never had this kind of reaction before to getting his shots at once, but I'm talking to the vet later when we go to see what my options are because this seems like a very strong reaction and he's never had one this bad before (just the smallish swelling that last about two days, like the size of a silver dollar).
I was under the impression that rabies was mandatory in NYC. I know the bordatella is optional but the kennel (the only one near me that will take a pitbull) requires it and the rabies. Is there a way to maybe give 1/2 dose rabies at a time and then come in a week later for the other half or something like that? The vet last year recommends the regular shot (which has a lepto one) because we take Chubby to a big wooded park nearby that has racoons and possums and whatnot and he said without the vax Chubby could potential get something very dangerous from wild animal urine.
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Post by maryellen on Aug 12, 2013 13:28:22 GMT -5
all vaccines can be given 3 years or 1 year- the one year ones are more $$$ for the vets to make ...as you go in every year vs the 3 year where you go in every 3 years for the vaccines. bordatella is every year so that one is needed if you board him (but the vaccine only covers certain strains lol not the 300 that are out there ) rabies has to be given at one shot. as far as the lepto- if you let him drink standing water or animal urine or eat goose poop, then yes he can get lepto. i take my dogs in the woods to hike and they only drink from running streams. i only give the 3 year rabies vaccines, nothing else . i have a pet sitter come as they dont kennel well but even if i did the kennel near me accepts titer paperwork (blood work done to show the immunity of the vaccines last given) the rabies is mandatory in nj too, but the towns will take vet paperwork if the dog has anaphylatic shock from the rabies vaccine. you just have to make doubly sure the dog doesnt come in contact with any wild animals thats all. if you want to keep giving the vaccines the vet might suggest one vaccine every 3 weeks to minimumize the amount of vaccines that goes in his body at once.. or he might suggest benedryl to give to chubs before you go to the vet to minimumize the reaction. me personally with his health issues i would only be doing the bordatella and rabies and do the rabies every 3 years but thats just me(i had a health ridden gsd and my vet suggested to me first to not do any vacines but rabies due to her immune system being so bad and that's when i started researching vaccines .) rufus hasnt had a vaccine since 2004 i think, as when he did therapy they accepted titers. he only gets the rabies vaccine 3 year shot and thats it. sadie only gets the rabies now too, she had her puppy shots from her first owner and now i just do rabies for her. honey gets just rabies as she is 17 and i dont want to tax her body with vaccines at that age.. honestly look into the vaccine debate - only because chubs has health issues and has had tumors removed.. he should really get as least as possible in his body .. www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-dept/small-animal-dept/titers-join-debate-on-vaccine-frequency.aspxdo some research to see if that is the way you want to go or stick with what you do now.
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Post by sugar on Aug 12, 2013 13:53:58 GMT -5
thanks for the info ME, I always though that the 3yr was more dangerous. Guess I need to look into this whole thing a little more. I'm always concerned about lepto because Chubby can be such a hoover on walks. Even when we try to be super vigilant. This boy is working hard on my upcoming heart attack...
My brother is picking me up from work in a few minutes so we can pick up Chubs and got to the vet, all this waiting has me going crazy.
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Post by maryellen on Aug 12, 2013 13:59:55 GMT -5
the yearlys are more dangerous imo.. but thats just me... definitely look into it, and ask the vet about no vaccines but rabies due to chubbys health issues, and see what he says, and definitely research it ... its a personal choice , so you need to make sure you research it well. i researched for almost 2 years before i decided to do titers,then i did titers for a few years then i stopped doing that and just did rabies
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Post by sugar on Aug 13, 2013 8:19:43 GMT -5
So he is on hexadrine (sp?) which is a antihistamine to help with swelling and reaction, tramadol for the pain and cephalexin in case it tries to become an abscess which the vet said can happen when the reaction is this bad. The swelling is still there, but at least he seems more comfy when trying to lay down.
Vet said he will give Chubby a per-emptive antihistamine or steroid before the rabies shot next year. He also said he sees Chubby's kind of reaction in about 1 in every 200 dogs...so yay Chubby, lol.
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Post by maryellen on Aug 13, 2013 8:37:07 GMT -5
did the vet even discuss doing the 3 year vaccines with him due to his health? or just the rabies 3 year vaccine and nothing else? yes some dogs will need the pre shots to help with the reactions of the vaccines.
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Post by melonie on Aug 13, 2013 8:59:21 GMT -5
Winston hasn't had any vaccines other than a rabies shot a few years ago. (Since he became my dog) Cleveland was vaccinated before he was transported back to me a couple years ago. I have no plans on giving any shots until we move.
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Post by suziriot on Aug 13, 2013 9:02:04 GMT -5
Of course Chubby would be lucky enough to fall into that small percentage. Poor guy. We do only the 3 year rabies for all the dogs. Dharma's is actually due, but I'm worried about giving it to her while we're still trying to figure out this paralysis stuff.
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perseus
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Post by perseus on Aug 13, 2013 10:31:40 GMT -5
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Post by zaeva06 on Aug 13, 2013 10:41:16 GMT -5
Sounds like he's just one of the few unlucky dogs to get a serious reaction from it. We get Maxine the Boardetella, DHLPP, Coronavirus and Lyme Vacc yearly. Plus the Rabies 3 year when it comes up. Our past two dogs had all of these vaccs as well with the exception of the Corona. So far Maxine is the only dog we've had to ever have a bad reaction to any of the vacc's, and with her its the Rabies as well. She has a little swelling, about the size of a silver dollar as well. It's tender for a couple of days and then it goes down. Very similar to a person getting a reaction from say a Meningitis vac. Some reaction is completely normal, at home you can try putting a ice or cold pack on the site to help. If the reaction is as painful as you say it is, or if the swelling remains for long period of time the Vet can give him another shot to counteract the side effects of the vacc without messing with the vacc itself. In terms of the difference between the 1 year and the 3 year. There really is no difference in the make-up of the vaccine. Some state or local laws may determine whether a dog can be give a 1 year or a 3 year but the vacc itself is the same. The antibodies in the vacc are all 'dead', there are no living parts in the dog vacc as opposed to a couple of the feline ones. Still traditionally a 1 year is used to expose the dog's immune system to the antibodies the first time and get the body prepped to recognize the disease. The 3 year is used as a booster shot, similar to the way that a Hepatitis C vacc works in adults. (3 shots, the second 6 months after the first and the third a year later I think?)
Best of luck and hope Chubby is feeling better. Keep us updated!
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