Warning about dog immunisation

[Rosy]

I've had a terrible experience this week and am passing it on because it could mean the difference of life and death with a dog.

I took my 7yo German Shepherd in for her annual vaccinations this week. Afterwards I put her in the car while I went back into the clinic. When I returned to the car after a couple of minutes she'd vomited heaps. I went back in and told the vet she'd vomited and wasn't looking too flash. His response was that there was nothing he'd given her that could make her vomit so she was just stressed. He didn't even want to check her just to be sure. Instead I was told to just take her home and not feed her for a couple of hours.

Thankfully I was concerned enough to ignore his advice and stay there. I took her out for a little walk and she just laid down obviously distressed. I led her staggering into the clinic and called for the vet to come quickly. Before he got to us she'd collapsed unconscious on the floor and it was absolute panic stations.

Apparently she'd had a severe anaphylactic reaction. Not sure of the details or the cause yet because it was a relieving vet and I won't see our own vet till next week.

The fact is if I'd driven home straight away as the vet told me I would have arrived home with a dead dog. If it didn't happen right in the surgery where they were on hand to resuscitate her she'd be gone.

This might be a very rare situation but she'd never had any reaction to her immunisations before. I'd strongly recommend anyone having their dogs immunised to wait a few minutes before leaving just in case there's a reaction. Our drama occurred with vomiting within a few minutes and close to death within 10-15 minutes of her being immunised.

I've had a very sick and sorry doggy for a few days but thankfully she's starting to improve now.

 

[Wildcat]

Thanks for the news Rosy, mine are done in Jan which is handy seeing this news. Hope she is feeling better and her usual self asap.

 

[Rosy]

Thanks Wild. We were so close to losing our beautiful girl so I'm telling everyone I know about this. Very sudden and extremely deadly situation. A few minutes hanging around, just time for a coffee or a short walk, can make a massive difference. I'm still in shock from when I thought she'd dropped dead and I'd lost my soul mate.

 

[caspar]

That's terrible . Sorry to hear, and good thing you trusted your intuition.

 

[Tigersub]

Thanks for the heads up Rosy, our pets are part of our family and I would been just a distressed as yourself in such a instance.

 

[Tigerhart04]

Similar story Rosy but not to the same extreme. Took our two dogs to get immunised and both were vomiting a couple of hours later. Rang the Vet and was told nothing they gave them would have done that, must be a coincidence. Hmmm.

 

[joegarra]

That's why we make everyone wait in the waiting room for 15 minutes (children and adults) after immunisations.

 

[ROLLS ROYCE]

Thanks for advice Rosy and great to hear she is on the mend.

 

[Rosy]

That's why we make everyone wait in the waiting room for 15 minutes (children and adults) after immunisations.

It astounds me that doesn't seem to be the case with dogs Joe.

I'm quite involved with dog people through obedience clubs and trialling and not one person I've spoken to has ever been advised to hang around for a bit following their dog immunisations. We've had a lot of dogs, including puppies when we used to breed, and it's never been mentioned once to us. Nobody, myself included, even seemed aware of possibly lethal adverse reactions or the potential to suddenly be in a life and death situation following a routine immunisation.

The vet not wanting to see my dog when she was vomiting and looking distressed straight after her immunisation, telling me it couldn't be anything he gave her and that she was just stressed seems quite negligent to me. I don't have a veterinary degree but everything I've since read on canine anaphylaxis mentions sudden vomiting as a first symptom. Alarm bells should have rang for that vet to at least check her to see she was ok.

Anaphylaxis is different in dogs than with other animals and humans. I hope my vet will give me some information or a website to learn more about it. If so I'll post it in hopes it might help prevent others finding themselves in such an awful situation.

 

[tigerman]

Thanks for letting us know Rosy, it's a good example of following your instincts.

 

[Total Tiger]

Wow- how scary. It's not like it's her first vaccination? What's changed to cause this reaction now?

 

[tigerdave]

Wow- how scary. It's not like it's her first vaccination? What's changed to cause this reaction now?

Even dog's get nervous following the Tige's! ;D

 

[winmad]

Just wondering Rosie, was it a normal 12 months or the 3 year immunisation that is now offered?
Cant believe the Vet just didnt bring the dog straight back in.... would have thought that would be just the norm that any Vet would do !! Know it wasnt your normal Vet, but, that doesnt excuse this. I have had the occassional lump on the neck a day or so after, just a re action, not to worry about, but vomiting !! Really.... I would not be at all happy....