Vaccine Reactions

Dogs (mostly) and cats can have reactions to ordinary vaccinations.  These reactions can be very soon after, or develop hours later.  In most cases, patients become itchy and red, and/or have facial swelling or hives. 

Treatment involves antihistamines and sometimes anti-inflamamatory medications to provide rapid return to comfort and, mostly, protect them from escalation of symptoms to the point of compromised breathing. 

Less commonly, dogs or cats can have serious organ disease caused, it is assumed and rarely proven, by some portion of the vaccination.  In the worst case scenarios, this can include things like liver failure or immune mediated disease attacking red blood cells.  Any illness relatively soon after vaccinations might be related.

In any such case, future vaccination strategies might need to change.  It may be appropriate to pre-treat with antihistamines, try a different type of vaccination or vaccinate with fewer vaccines at any one time. 

For most of the serious diseases, annual vaccinations give more than one year of protection, sometimes many.  Checking a blood level (called a titer) to check their status may find that they are sufficiently protected and do not need to be vaccinated that particular year.

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