Discuss It > Lepto vaccine
We had our 3 and a half year old Havanese vaccinated with Canigen Lepto 2 booster on 22nd June 2011 and she got a terrible infected abcess at the injection site and became very poorly. The emergency vet said it was just because she was having a reaction as we do when we get vaccinated to go abroad so she gave her another injection of metacam this time to bring her temperature down and that too abscessed with what the normal vet described as a sterile abscess. She needed the abscesses draining and I was less than impressed with the whole process the vet really hurt her. She had to have her coat in the area shaved off and it is now growing back a different texture and much darker. She also started to scratch her hair out from her neck and chest and was almost bald in those areas. She didn't eat for 5 days and I stayed up with her all night for 6 nights to make sure she got fluids into her. It was three days before the vet gave us antibiotics for her. She is making a recovery but it has certainly taken a lot out of her. I am now looking for another vet practice and will have her antibody levels checked before we get another vaccination. I will say though that she has had booster vaccinations every year till now without problems but now I am scared about the whole thing.
Susie:
Unless you are in a high exposure area we suggest that we ask our puppy people not to give lepto. We almost lost our Shoshi due to it and since then I have heard similar stories to ours and yours. I am so sorry you have gone through this. Start feeding the omegas as a supplement to help the coat and skin. Unless you are in a high exposure area I would not repeat the lepto but I am not a vet and you as an owner have to make the decision that is right for you and your loved ones. There is a reason many of us have no lepto shots in our contracts. Many vets don't 'get' it till they have repeated reactions or worse lose one or two. That is not good enough for me.
When we brought our little Havanese home 2 years ago our breeder cautioned us about not having our Rudy vaccinated for lepto. Our vet says we should have it done. Do you have any experience with lepto vaccine and reactions with Havanese?