Rabies vac reaction

    • Gold Top Dog

    Rabies vac reaction

    I think that winston may be having a reaction to his rabies vaccine last week (Friday the 22nd) . . . . tell me what you all think

    Symptoms:
    1.  Lump at what I suspect to be the injection site.  Its a little smaller than a quarter and is UNDER the skin; it moves a little.  It does not seem to bother him though when I touch it.
    2.  Runny stool
    3.  Itching and licking (particularly his butt which I suspect is because of the runny stool).

    He's been a little lethargic the past couple days, but I suspect that its because he's been playnig with his girlfriends for several hours a day.  Otherwise, he seems normal, acts normal, eats normal, etc.

    In either case he's going to the vet this week to follow up, but I just wanted to get some opinions from all of you too.
    • Silver
    I just went through the lump scare a couple weeks ago with my little female Maddie. The vet said it was a reaction to her Rabies vaccine. The lump is getting smaller. Maddie did not have any of the other symptoms you mentioned, but it does sound like a reaction to me.
    • Gold Top Dog
    It's possible -- REMEMBER that spot -- you may find a long lump in the direction the needle was inserted (like they can be 2 inches long and an inch wide).  Since you already have a reaction massage the area lightly (be gentle -- it probably hurts) but literally you need to distribute the vaccine so massage from the spot OUT in all directions several inches.
     
    In honesty I'd probably give the 2 mg/lb dose of Benedryl - that's the dose for "allergic reaction" JUST to be safe.  I'd give it at least 2-3 times today and then tomorrow.  I'd also give the homeopathic "thuja" -- dark blue tube (Boiron is the mfg) available at any good health store.  Give 3-4 of the little beads.
     
    If you've never used a homeopathic before they are different to handle.  You DO NOT touch the pellets with your fingers at all.  Fold a 3X5 card (some clean stiff paper). 
     
    The tube is a pain in the butt -- because you don't 'touch' homeopathics, this tube is designed to clench the neck of the tube in your teeth so you just twist the tube until the number of pellets you want falls under your tongue.  But to give them to a dog you have to be a bit creative to use the dispenser.
     
    Stand the little tube over the paper (better put it in a dish -- these things bounce like anything!).  Usually I use a pair of pliers to hold the neck of the tube while I 'twist' it so the pellets fall on the paper.
     
    Then fold the paper over the pellets and crush them with the back of a spoon or tap them with a small hammer (they shatter pretty easily).  Then the first time usually if you just take a wee bit on your finger JUST FOR TASTE and put it on the dog's tongue he's gonna realize it's sweet.  YUM.  Generally I can just put the paper down and they'll lick it up or pour into their dish. 
     
    **Do not** under any circumstances put this in food or 'in' something.  Homeopathics need to be absorbed under the tongue or on the tongue -- they don't go to the stomach to 'digest' -- they simply are absorbed by the sublingual membranes and go straight into the bloodstream.
     
    Thuja is a good detox for vaccines.  It won't interfere with the efficacy of the vaccine but it will help assuage the reaction.  Give the thuja twice or three times a day for about 3 days.  That's all it will need.  No side effects to it -- a holistic vet who uses homeopathics will tell you the same thing (it was MY holistic vet who told me to always do this after vaccines).
    • Gold Top Dog
    I am glad that I saw this!
     
    I would take your pup back to the vet, if you already haven't.  It sounds like a reaction to me.  Duke had the same reaction when he got his rabies shot.  We didn't think too much about it, put him on some homeopathic meds and the lump eventually disappeared. 
    I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the initial reaction, but months later Duke became extremely aggressive with us.  He is now on a list of different Homeopathic meds again, as we think that it was caused by his rabies vaccine.  Since he has been on the meds his aggression has disappeared.
    Just something to think about, keep an eye on him!