DEAR DR. FOX: I was surprised to see a question today about rabies vaccinosis in dogs. My 7-year-old spayed bichon frise may have had a very serious reaction to her recent rabies shot.
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I took her for her physical, heartworm test and rabies shot on March 31 -- she was in perfect health, except for cataracts that have progressed. Within 48 hours, she was unbearably itchy, and I noticed her skin was bright red with some hives. I started her on Claritin, and the following day she had colitis with mucus/diarrhea. Six days after the shot, she had projectile vomiting and couldn't even hold down water. The following morning, I brought her to the vet, and he did a blood panel. It came back perfectly normal. The vet started her on Claritin and metronidazole, but she continued to get worse.
Nine days later, she started passing blood in her urine. Urinalysis showed no bacteria or infection and no crystals or sign of stones. My vet immediately started her on prednisone and called me every three hours that day. We put her on a diet of boiled chicken with baby rice cereal, but she stopped eating for two days. She responded slowly to the prednisone, the vomiting stopped and her appetite started to return, but the red skin and hives persisted a bit longer. I am tapering her off the prednisone and metronidazole and hope to have her off both within 10 to 14 days.
I have no complaints with my vet; he has seen her repeatedly and even came to the house twice to make sure she was OK. He did say it might be vaccinosis from the rabies vaccine, but there is no way to be sure. Three years ago, she had a lesser episode of severe itching with red skin and diarrhea that coincided with her previous rabies shot, but we had changed her diet at the same time and thought it was the diet change. Needless to say, I don't want another reaction.
Do you think her symptoms point to a serious rabies shot vaccinosis reaction? I would appreciate your input and advice on what I can do in the future to avoid giving her any further vaccines that could lead to an even worse reaction. She has been relatively healthy, but she does have food sensitivities. I used Dr. Jean Dodds' saliva/food sensitivity test because she had chronic colitis when she was young, and it came back saying she was highly sensitive to corn and had a milder sensitivity to wheat and milk. More than two years ago, I put her on Wellness Grain-Free food, and she had no further colitis issues until this current rabies shot. -- R.L., Ludlow, Mass.
DEAR R.L.: Your letter is important for many dog owners for two critical points. Some dogs, especially those of certain breeds such as yours, seem especially prone to develop vaccinosis. The adverse reaction to vaccination can get worse when subsequent vaccinations are given, indicating a sensitization process that can culminate in anaphylactic shock or autoimmune disease.
Veterinarians can exercise their professional authority and discretionary responsibility by providing owners of dogs who have developed vaccinosis with a certificate saying that the animal would be at risk from further anti-rabies vaccinations and that the vaccination mandate should be waived.
For more details, see my extensive review on adverse vaccine reactions posted on my website, DrFoxVet.com.
The other point that I have made for dogs with irritable bowel and similar severe digestive problems is linked to corn, most being genetically engineered, along with soy bean and imported rice, which have no place in dog or cat foods.
(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.
Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)