topic Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick.... in Pet Lovers

Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Nataliesgramma — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 11:15:06 GMT

I have a 6 month old Morkie who got her final Lepto shot yesterday and she couldn't even lift her head up on the sofa. She layed there from noon until i put he in bed with us at 9 PM.

I knew something was wrong when she went to lay down and she fell over. I did take her outside to potty in the middle of the day and when I placed her in the grass....she fell and just layed there until I picked her up and tried again.

I've had Maltese....Maltese/Shih tsu's and it always happens. My last dog, was laying on the floor foaming at the mouth.

I've changed Vets to one that will give them only one shot at at time, but Belle still got so lethargic. She warned me that small dogs often have "flu-like" side effects.

Anyone else has similar issues with their small dogs?

Belle is back to herself this morning and eating and drinking again.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

NickNack — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:03:07 GMT

Most dogs do not need the lepto vaccine. When your dog has a reaction like that to a vaccine it is life threatening and she/he should go back to the Vet immediately. Please never give your dogs that vaccine again.

Morkies and Maltese are house dogs. They are at extremely low risk from being exposed to rat urine. I don't know any Vets who recommend that vaccine from dogs who are not primarily outside dogs.

From Vetstreet.com:

Exposure to leptospirosis can be reduced by preventing your dog from drinking from puddles of standing water or from swimming in lakes, streams, or other bodies of water that may be contaminated. Unfortunately, for dogs that are accustomed to an active outdoor lifestyle that includes swimming, these precautions may not be practical.

From AKC.org:

Prevention is best accomplished by stopping your dog’s access to contaminated water. Also, try to sanitize your dog’s environment by eliminating food and garbage to reduce the attraction of rats, raccoons, or feral cats.

Vaccination for leptospirosis is an option to consider if your dog is at high risk of contracting the disease. The American Animal Hospital Association considers Leptospirosis a “non-core” vaccine for dogs. That is, they do not recommend it unless there is a good chance your dog will be exposed to Leptospirosis. The efficacy of the vaccine is variable: short-lasting or limited. There have been reports of reactions to the vaccine that vary from minor to severe.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

goldensrbest — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:02:38 GMT

@Nataliesgramma wrote:
I have a 6 month old Morkie who got her final Lepto shot yesterday and she couldn't even lift her head up on the sofa. She layed there from noon until i put he in bed with us at 9 PM.

I knew something was wrong when she went to lay down and she fell over. I did take her outside to potty in the middle of the day and when I placed her in the grass....she fell and just layed there until I picked her up and tried again.

I've had Maltese....Maltese/Shih tsu's and it always happens. My last dog, was laying on the floor foaming at the mouth.

I've changed Vets to one that will give them only one shot at at time, but Belle still got so lethargic. She warned me that small dogs often have "flu-like" side effects.

Anyone else has similar issues with their small dogs?

Belle is back to herself this morning and eating and drinking again.

Depending on if your dog is in a area that this is high, you do not have to give it , vets want too many vaccines, look up Dr. jean dodds,do research on vaccines.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

goldensrbest — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:05:09 GMT

@NickNack , She is correct, please learn about what vaccines your little dog needs,i firmly know vets want too many vaccines.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Skyegirl21 — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:20:54 GMT

Yes, my smallish dog had/ has same reaction to the Lepto vaccine. From now on, they give her another pain med to offset the effect.
Dogs do need the Lepto vaccine if they walk in wild, wooded areas, which we do almost daily. If they get Lepto, it can make them very sick. That's what they tell me, anyway! But I also seriously wonder if all these are necessary....

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Carmie — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:27:31 GMT

My breed of choice is Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

I have two of them right now. They are my third and fourth.

None of my dogs have ever had a Lepto vaccine. When I acquired my first Cavalier, her breeder advised me to never get Lepto. She said it was dangerous for many breeds and the Cavaliers were one of them.

I refuse to get the immunizations suggested every year for my dogs. The only one they Get every three years is the rabies vaccine required by law.

Once a year when they get their routine exam, they get blood tests. It has been proven that most vaccines given to dogs last about 7 years. We are overdosing our pets on these vaccines. They are a big money maker for Vets.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Skyegirl21 — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:35:54 GMT

I do tend to agree with you @Carmie , but we do walk her in wooded areas daily, where deer are a huge concern, so Ticks and Lyme are definitely a risk. It does depend where you live and where you walk your animal!
And also, if you need to kennel the animal (no other resources around to keep her), at least Bordetella vaccine is required.
They make it hard to bypass everything-

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

goldensrbest — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:53:01 GMT

@Carmie wrote:
My breed of choice is Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

I have two of them right now. They are my third and fourth.

None of my dogs have ever had a Lepto vaccine. When I acquired my first Cavalier, her breeder advised me to never get Lepto. She said it was dangerous for many breeds and the Cavaliers were one of them.

I refuse to get the immunizations suggested every year for my dogs. The only one they Get every three years is the rabies vaccine required by law.

Once a year when they get their routine exam, they get blood tests. It has been proven that most vaccines given to dogs last about 7 years. We are overdosing our pets on these vaccines. They are a big money maker for Vets.

I COULD GIVE YOU A MILLION HEARTS!!!!!

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Carmie — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 16:19:16 GMT

@Skyegirl21 If you look up info on the Lyme vaccine, you will see that it is dangerous, in fact, one of the worse vaccines out there. It causes kidney disease, cancer and organ failure. It is not safe for long term usage. Even my Vet doesn't feel this vaccine is needed, but they will give it if you insist. The vaccine is more dangerous than Lyme Disease.

We are boaters, so our dogs are outside in the summertime on our boat. I examine them for ticks everyday....and I have had dogs who had ticks, but not the two I have now.

It is also a fact that when dogs do get Lyme disease, most of them have no symptoms, unlike humans.

The Bordetella vaccine is required if you board your dog, which we never do. Our dogs go everywhere with us. It doesn't make sense to get this vaccine on a yearly basis. Just in case.It doesn't last long. It needs to be given about every six months if you really need to protect your dog.

I had a Samoyed who had the Bordetella vaccine who got kennel cough while boarded at the Vet's for a week. It cost me a fortune to treat him. I didn't know he had it until I took him home and he was sick....so much for that vaccine. I don't have faith that it works.

I am not anti vax.I am just cautious and careful. My dogs are vaccinated, but I always have blood work done to see if the immunity has worn off before I revaccinate them.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

CrazyDaisy — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:55:36 GMT

Suggest you discuss with you vet what vaccines are necessary. A person's geographic location, lifestyle etc should all be taken into consideration as well as reactions to previous vaccines. To say something is not necessary, while it may be true for your situation, can have dangerous consequences for others.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

juanitalinda — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 19:19:41 GMT

I am so sorry your pup went through that.

You asked if anyone had experienced something like that, and unfortunately,

I have.

About 8 years ago we had a pup that responded poorly to the first lepto shot. He was lethargic and had trouble standing up and walking for a few days after the shot. We talked with the vet who assured us it wouldn't happen again and that the risk of living near wildlife was greater than the risk of the shot.

We went ahead and got the second shot .... and the dog became ataxic ... couldn't walk or stand up. Not only that he constantly whined like he was in a lot of pain. After two weeks we had to put him down.

My dogs don't get lepto shots now. Especially once I found out the shot has to be administered yearly, and is most effective for 6-8 months. And I also discovered that there were lepto is pretty rare where I live.

However, I understand that there are always trade offs ....

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Kmac444 — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 21:47:00 GMT

You can do a titer test for some vaccines to see if the dog needs them. We used to do this for my golden but I can't remember if it was for Lepto. It is a simple bloodtest so it is definitely worth asking about!

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

NickNack — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 21:55:22 GMT

@juanitalinda wrote:
I am so sorry your pup went through that.

You asked if anyone had experienced something like that, and unfortunately,
I have.

About 8 years ago we had a pup that responded poorly to the first lepto shot. He was lethargic and had trouble standing up and walking for a few days after the shot. We talked with the vet who assured us it wouldn't happen again and that the risk of living near wildlife was greater than the risk of the shot.

We went ahead and got the second shot .... and the dog became ataxic ... couldn't walk or stand up. Not only that he constantly whined like he was in a lot of pain. After two weeks we had to put him down.

My dogs don't get lepto shots now. Especially once I found out the shot has to be administered yearly, and is most effective for 6-8 months. And I also discovered that there were lepto is pretty rare where I live.

However, I understand that there are always trade offs ....

I am so very sorry for your loss @juanitalinda . I know it was eight years ago, but we never forget our special pets.

Re: Lepto shot always makes my dogs so sick....

Boomernichols — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 22:58:18 GMT

@Nataliesgramma I had a dog that had to be given a Benadryl injection before being vaccinated to prevent severe reactions. Toby had a convulsion seizure the first time he was administered vaccines. The vet suggested we split his yearly vaccines in two visits and ALWAYS use Benadryl to head off future issues. This may be something to consider or perhaps the Lepto is unnecessary to begin with according to your dog's lifestyle.