Reaction to Rabies shots

Hi

I am brand new and this is my very 1st post. My name is Dave, Hello all..

My problem

My just about 2 yr. cat Steeli. Steeli just had his second visit to vet where he has received his second Rabies shot.

The shot was a three yr. booster and the next day he started acting weird and aggravated. I called the vet and she said he was having a reaction to the shot.

I have read online about this problem and want to know if anyone else has this problem, and if it ever goes away. From what I have read, it can last for ever. I truly hope it won't.

I give Steeli a generic for Clairitin to help with his symptoms, but I'm worried about how long I can give Steeli these pills daily.

The symptoms are, he bites at his self like he has fleas
He will just jump up and chirp and let out a cry and take off running like he is trying to get away from the irritation. How ever it affects him.(I wish he could talk).
He twitches his skin and you see his body twitch.
He has also gotten more agressive and bites sometimes.
I know he does not mean too because then when I tell him no, he stoops his head and walks away slow and looks back at me.

My thoughts are he had a three yr. booster and it might take that long for the effects to ware off, I hope.

Can anybody help, and has anybody experienced this first hand and can offer some hope for a positive outcome?

Thank you in advance Dave

My cat Buster also suffered a negative reaction this year after he received his rabies and 4-in-1 shots. He's had shots for years but this is the first time it has been a problem. He started itching incessantly at the spot, which ultimately produced three bald spots that turned black! It lasted for about a week. Just to be on the safe side, I went to the vet to have it checked out. The vet said he suffered an allergic reaction and he itched so hard, that the black was a pigment reaction (I thought it was dead skin). The itching stopped and the hair grew back fast.

I would talk to your vet about it. I'm surprised that your vet gave a 3 year booster. Many now give the one-year shot because there has been problems in the past with the three-year shots.

Originally Posted by Blast-Off-Girl

My cat Buster also suffered a negative reaction this year after he received his rabies and 4-in-1 shots. He's had shots for years but this is the first time it has been a problem. He started itching incessantly at the spot, which ultimately produced three bald spots that turned black! It lasted for about a week. Just to be on the safe side, I went to the vet to have it checked out. The vet said he suffered an allergic reaction and he itched so hard, that the black was a pigment reaction (I thought it was dead skin). The itching stopped and the hair grew back fast.

I would talk to your vet about it. I'm surprised that your vet gave a 3 year booster. Many now give the one-year shot because there has been problems in the past with the three-year shots.

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Blast-Off-Girl Thank you for your response and I'm glad Buster is doing good again.

I did talk to our vet and i asked the same question you said to ask, why give a three yr. booster, especially if he had a problem to his very first rabies shot.
She just gave me a blank response. i will not be going back to this vet.
I have learned that when your cat has a reaction to a rabies shot, it probably will be worse the next time. That is why I am mad with this vet. I know she didn't even look back to her records as to what happened the first time Steeli got that shot. I didn't even know that day he was getting that three yr. booster, otherwise I would have said something about it. I thought I was just bringing him in for his yearly check up. It pays to ask questions first.

I am just hoping this will go away soon, it has been about two months and he is still being bothered by it. I just love this little pooper and hate to see him suffer like that.....

Thanks again Dave

I would check with another vet.

There seems to be a lot of this going around. When Sterling had his rabies booster this year, the next day he was very sick. Fever, listless, not eating, etc. We took him immediately to the vet who gave him another shot, and by the end of the day he was feeling much better.

chloe had a reaction to her fcrvp (does that look right? lol) shots this time last yr. it was our 1st AND LAST time going to that vet since we'd just moved here. she got sick almost immediately and we were blown off. but thanks to my "overreaction," hyperchondria," and "need of a valium shot myself" (the vets words--he didnt think i could hear him) chloe recovered in a week or so.
(i shouldve known better to use him when i saw he had chloes color listed as torbiano -- a horse color. shes a mackerel brown tabby. OY!)

i heard one of my friends say her kitty reacted badly 2 weeks ago when he got a booster too. maybe bad vaccine batch or just really big weird coinkydink?

Hi Dave, welcome to TheCatSite

My 2 cats, who are almost 8 years old, both had a similar reaction to their three yr. booster.
They recovered after about a week but it was not good.
Our vet agreed that it is best not to have it again.

I have never heard of giving a cat claritin for an antihistamine...
did your vet recommend it?

I would say that if Steeli's symptoms don't clear up soon, get another opinion for a different vet.

One of my cats had a reaction to his one year boosters. His was different he started vomiting a few minutes after we got home. I called the vet and they had me bring him back in. By the time I got him back he had a fever and was red around the eyes and the nose. She gave him a shot of benadryl, a steroid shot, and sub-q fluids. He now gets a shot of benadryl twenty minutes before the vaccination. The after effects of the reaction didn't last very long.

It sucks that so many of us have had negative experiences with these shots. My cats are strictly indoor and I would prefer to not vaccinate them. However, it's the law in Oakland, CA that all cats must be vaccinated. Plus, the kennel/vet where I bored the cats requires up-to-date shots.

Of course, I suspect if we polled the members here, only a small percentage would report a bad reaction to a vaccination, and I sure don't want to be the one turning over rocks looking for a conspiracy, but it sure sounds like that there might be a problem.

I just went and checked the file to see if I could find out what the vet gave Sterling, but no luck. We don't have a receipt, because they didn't charge us anything for it. I'll try to remember to call them tomorrow and ask, and maybe even report what I'm hearing here.

My cat got the Purevax rabies vaccine. It's weird because he has been receiving shots since I found him in 2000 and he never suffered any reactions. I wonder if it has something to do with where he got the shots. I previously went to the vet but it was too expensive. I then went to one of those mobile vet clinics at the local pet store because I had a coupon and it was cheaper. Unfortunately, I spent more money in the long run because he needed to see the regular vet after acting sick (itching, lethargic, vomiting, etc.)

One of my kitties had a very bad reaction about 3 years ago to the rabies vaccine (he had a seizure) so my vet said that he is no longer to have the shot.

A second opinion with another vet couldn't hurt.

Welcome the the site btw!

Welcome to TCS. I had a similar experience when Jamie had his one-year boosters - he vomited, had diarrhea, and was very itchy. For the past eight years, my vets have given him antihistimines before vaccinating, and for three years, he didn't get the combination shot, but individual ones. He now is fine with the combination shot (different pharmaceutical company).

The three-year rabies shot hasn't been approved in my area.

First of all I would like to thank all of you so much for your responses, I tell you it is so refreshing having such caring people like you all.

I would like to list all your screen names and try to respond to all.......
Blast-off-Girl...mrblancher...courtney-ou...Denice...MissMew...and jcat.

First the Clairtin question, the vet said either Benadryl or Clairtin..
I first tried to give Steeli Benadryl and he foamed all kinds of saliva and he got angry and growled the next time I tried to give it to him.
So then I thought the Clairtin because its a disintegrating tab, i put it in a soft treat and he ate it no problem...

About another vet ? I am looking for one, I live in a rural area so I will have to travel about twenty miles for a new one. That will be alright though cause just like all of you, I love this little pain in the butt and he's worth it.

Today I decided to not give him anything, and he is doing ok, he actually played a little longer this morning. Then he ate and he has slept all day,(what a life) Wouldn't it be nice to be taken care of like that all our lives.

Steeli is also an inside cat and, now I have heard of some vets who will agree on not giving anymore rabies shots.

I was told by a friend that the vet should have considered not giving him that shot due to his first reaction which was just a tumor like bump at the injection site.

This cat is so different from anyone we have ever had. He gets frightened real easy with noises he hears everyday, and he always seems on edge. But then at other times he can be one of the most lovable cats you would ever see. We had two cats, Hewey & Louey before Steeli and they lives to 19 yrs of age. Louey lived about two months longer then Hewey, we were so sad at our loss that we went out to find another to love. Hewey & Louey were the most lovable cats anyone would want, nothing ever bothered them and never bit anyone.

Steeli is a little more of a challenge, he is real moody and we have just learned to leave him alone and he will warm up to you on his terms.

Well I will stop blathering here and thank all of you again, and I will be here to try to answer questions you all have, and hope I can be helpful like all of you have been.

So just a future warning to all of us who are cat and even dog owners we all need to question everything our vets try to give them. I will never sit back and let the vet do what ever they want again, without question.

Thanks Dave

Originally Posted by tcdaver

So just a future warning to all of us who are cat and even dog owners we all need to question everything our vets try to give them. I will never sit back and let the vet do what ever they want again, without question.

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Your above statement is an important reminder.

I am so glad that Steeli seems to be recovering.
You honor Hewey & Louey's memory by the loving care you are giving to Steeli.

Originally Posted by xocats

Your above statement is an important reminder.

I am so glad that Steeli seems to be recovering.

You honor Hewey & Louey's memory by the loving care you are giving to Steeli.

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Thank you, for your kind words about Hewey & Louey and I will love Steeli just as much as the other boys.

Now I need to figure out how to put his picture on my post so you all can see what he looks like..

Dave

Originally Posted by tcdaver

Now I need to figure out how to put his picture on my post so you all can see what he looks like..

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I will send you a PM right now about how to post pictures.

I did check with my vet today on what they gave Sterling when he had his reaction to a vaccination, and they said it was Metacam. He felt better by the end of the day.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

I did check with my vet today on what they gave Sterling when he had his reaction to a vaccination, and they said it was Metacam. He felt better by the end of the day.

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Thank you mrblanche for the information and the time you spent on my account,
that was very thoughtful and I appreciate that very much.

I will look into that Drug Metacam and see what a vet will do for me.

Thanks Dave