Vaccination of your pet is an important part of keeping them healthy by preventing serious illness. At Baker Ranch Animal Hospital we coordinate with you to make appropriate vaccination recommendations for your individual pet. We also monitor regional reports about the prevalence of illnesses in our area, to customize the care your pet needs.
When we vaccinate, we are stimulating your pet’s immune system to develop antibodies - which will help your pet fight off the natural infection if they encounter it. It is not practical (or cost effective) to test antibody levels in each pet, so we are guided by ongoing research into the average frequency of vaccination needed to provide immunity to most pets.
What is considered NORMAL after vaccination?
Your pet should be able to go home and resume normal activity the same day, but it is normal to experience some symptoms for up to 24hrs after vaccination:
- Soreness at the injection site
- Mild fever (shivering/ trembling)
- Lethargy or reduced appetite
- Reluctance to play, reduced activity
- Sneezing/ reverse sneezing after a nasal vaccine.
These are all normal effects and typically do not require any treatment although you are welcome to call us with any concerns you have and rarely we may dispense some anti-inflammatory medications to provide more comfort. The above symptoms are NOT considered a vaccine reaction. Your pet may continue to have booster vaccinations without any change to their schedule.
What is NOT NORMAL / What is considered a REACTION?
Very rarely, a pet may have a true allergic reaction to a vaccine and this can be dangerous or potentially life threatening. Typically allergic reactions will occur within the first 24hrs after a vaccine is administered - and more often within the first two hours.
The following symptoms list what to monitor for:
- Vomiting or Diarrhea
- Collapse or severe weakness (limp body)
- Difficulty breathing
- Pale gums
- (Hives or facial swelling)
These symptoms can be part of an anaphylactic reaction and DO REQUIRE PROMPT EMERGENCY TREATMENT. Baker Ranch has medicine and equipment to remedy these reactions during their normal business hours, so please call us immediately. IF after hours, please contact ANIMAL URGENT CARE OF ORANGE COUNTY on 949 364 6228.
Statistics show that the chance of a vaccine reaction is very low - around 13 reactions per 10,000 doses of vaccine given. Some pets are more likely to react - typically young toy breeds of dogs, but some breeds are also more susceptible to vaccine reactions: Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Maltese terriers, French and English Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers and Pit Bull terriers have been shown to have a higher incidence of reactions.
If your veterinarian feels your dog may be at increased risk, they may suggest separating the vaccines given to several visits. This has been shown to help lower the risk of reaction, in some cases a “pre-med” may be given using Diphenhydramine injection.
If your pet has had a reaction to a previous vaccination it is very important to tell the veterinary staff before your pet receives any further vaccinations. Be prepared to describe exactly what happened and which vaccine was thought to cause this. You may need to pay extra for pre-meds and monitoring in the hospital, and your vet may recommend separating vaccine visits and a reduced number of vaccines given.
If the vaccine was administered at Baker Ranch Animal Hospital, please inform us as soon as possible as we will alert the vaccine manufacturer. They may help cover or reimburse costs associated with emergency treatment, as well as determine if there are any trends for reactions within each batch/ lot of vaccine.
Rabies vaccine
In CALIFORNIA it is state law that your dog is kept vaccinated against Rabies virus. At Baker Ranch Animal Hospital we also insist that all cats are vaccinated against Rabies virus, in order to protect your pet and our staff against this fatal disease. If your pet has had a previous reaction to the Rabies vaccine they may need to have a pre-med prior and close monitoring following the vaccine.
In extremely rare cases, if your pet has had an anaphylactic reaction to Rabies vaccine, or your pet could have a life threatening relapse of an illness (auto-immune condition); you may enquire about an exemption approval. Baker Ranch Animal Hospital can assist you with completing a county exemption request, but there are very strict restrictions placed on your pet by these exemptions, as well as a low likelihood of approval being granted. Exemptions are granted by the County Public Health Officials, and in recent years they have taken a hard line, as the number of rabies cases in the area continues to grow each year.