Vaccine side effects

Took Rudy to the vet yesterday for his booster shots ,last night he was a little sleepier than normal, ate his evening meal. Today when I got up he normally is begging for food by morning. This morning he didnt get off the bed , doesnt want to eat. He did go to the bathroom as normal but when I picked him up he meowed as if he did not want picked up. I dont remember if this happened last year when he had them. He is 2 yrs old

I've had cats get lethargic from their vaccinations for about 24 yours after the shot. Perhaps call your vet this afternoon if he doesn't seem to be more perky by then?

Poor Rudy!

Yes, lethargy after vaccines can be very normal - give him a day to rest and recover, and if he is really not hmself after that, then I would call your Vet.

I called the vet but she is not in yet, the receptionest said the same thing that you guys did. She said to call back at 1:00 He is resting right now. What bothers be is he is that he has no interest in his food this morning. He just wants to sleep. He did use the litter box this morning and that was all .My wife gave him a kitty treat on the bed and he did eat that.

What causes this lethargy after getting the shots? I dont remember it being this bad last year when he got them.

It's probably the same as with humans - sometimes we feel sleepy or so-so after a shot, sometimes we're a-ok. My vet has a notice on the invoice about reactions after shots - basically, a bit of lethargy isn't unexpected, but we're supposed to call if it extends more than 24 hours. Good for you for calling, and let's hope your baby feels better soon.

Originally Posted by darlili

It's probably the same as with humans - sometimes we feel sleepy or so-so after a shot, sometimes we're a-ok. My vet has a notice on the invoice about reactions after shots - basically, a bit of lethargy isn't unexpected, but we're supposed to call if it extends more than 24 hours. Good for you for calling, and let's hope your baby feels better soon.

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His appt was at 1:15 yesterday so by the time he was seen and they gave him the shots it was close to 2 pm .So it has not been 24 hrs yet, I touched his nose a little while ago and it feels cool The lady at the vet asked if he had vomited but I checked the entire room he was in all night and he did not I am sure of that. Just dont ike to see my buddy not feeling well.I am in the healthcare field and it bothers me more to see him sick than the patients I deal with at work.

My 4 year old cat got his shots a couple of weeks ago, and did much of what you describe. Far as I know, he hadn't been vaccinated before, unless maybe when he was in the pound as a kitten.

My other male cat chased him after his shots, and I don't know if that injured him or not, but he limped around for awhile (they normally are buddies) and cried when I picked him up. This is worrisome to me - they need the vaccines, but I always wonder if they're going to die from them. He got back to normal, but it lasted from Saturday morning to Monday night. I, like you, was quite worried, but it turned out okay - I'm sure yours will, too.

My little kitten Jake was also very lethargic and lost his appetite when he got his first shots at 8 weeks old... I got really scared but he was better by the next evening...It's kind of bothersome that Rudy has not eaten at all, but the other stuff sounds normal. Jake did eat a little, just a lot less than he usual. I had the same concerns though- I was used to him jumping around by morning but he had been asleep all night without waking up and was still sleeping in the morning and didn't want to wake up. I was happily relieved later though- I hope the same happens with Rudy!
Oh and also- he cried when I picked him up, especially when I touched the side where he got his shot. It must have just been that his side was sore...

It happened to my cats also but I lost Lucy because of a shot.
All the other cats were fine after.

bob66-
You might want to get yourself "up-to-speed" on where Veterinary science is "at" today on the vaccination front....

"Even" the American Association of Feline Practitioners has recognized that the old standard of yearly vaccination is no longer sustainable, and have adopted (in a genneral sense) once every three years recommendations for most vaccines.

However, the holistic Veterinary community's approach is gradually being recognized as a far more prudent and sensible one.

Two short references for you: first, then this one (scroll down for article).

And, you'll find a wealth of information here.

Personally, I would question the competency/ethics of any Veterinarian who still "pushes" the yearly vaccination routine.

Originally Posted by mews2much

It happened to my cats also but I lost Lucy because of a shot.
All the other cats were fine after.

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Oh my god that's so scary! I'm so sorry...That's why I was reluctant to take my kitty to get his first shots because I was afraid of something like that...

Thanks,
I lost her on the way to Er Aug 20th 2001.
My cats do not get that shot anymore and Coco dosent get shots because the vet said they are not good for her anymore.
She had shots until age 10.
Cleo will never get the leukemia shot.
Its on the contract never to give that shot to her.
Thats also the one Lucy died from.
They are got tired from the distemper Shots but were always ok with it.
None of my cats have got the leukemia one since Lucy died.
Lucy also got very sick from Rabies shots.
Lucy would be 17.5 now if she had not died.
Her and Coco were so close.

Originally Posted by BLAISE

bob66-
You might want to get yourself "up-to-speed" on where Veterinary science is "at" today on the vaccination front....

"Even" the American Association of Feline Practitioners has recognized that the old standard of yearly vaccination is no longer sustainable, and have adopted (in a genneral sense) once every three years recommendations for most vaccines.

However, the holistic Veterinary community's approach is gradually being recognized as a far more prudent and sensible one.

Two short references for you: first, then this one (scroll down for article).

And, you'll find a wealth of information here.

Personally, I would question the competency/ethics of any Veterinarian who still "pushes" the yearly vaccination routine.

Click to expand...

First off you NEED to change your tone,you dont come on here telling me what I need to do! and how credible is this information that you have?right now I do not need a lecture on what I need to do! MAYBE JUST MAYBE I'm not up to speed because all vets that I know are still vaccinating once every year and I dont spend my life on the internet researching what changes are made in the Veterinary science field . Like the average person I put trust in my vet to do whats best fr my pets health just as I do my dr. In the medical world there is always changes made but in all honesty if someone is not researching all of the time on the internet how do you find these things out? Also if this fact then why arent more vets practicing it? Again I do not need lectures right now thats not why I posted. I just want to hear if anyone elses cats experienced these affects and how long they lasted.So if you are not wishing to do that please do not post with lectures. I think most people here trust thier vets judgement on how often to vacinate

He did eat a few bites but not like himself. I called my vet back , she did not seem to concerned she seemed confident that this will run it course and he will be fine without further treatment. She did advise that possibly next time it may be nesessary to give him the shots at different times rather than all at the same time.

For me, it's far more important to have a good relationship with my own vet and discuss immunization protocols with him or her based on my cats' health histories and environment, and the vet's personal observation and diagnosis, than rely on anecdotal information on the internet to override my vet's professional recommendations (and that applies to human health care as well!). There's no one set protocol that applies to every cat - so being up to speed is, I think, dependent on the cat's personal situation and needs.

And, not only holistic vets keep themselves apprised of ongoing developments in immunization, last I heard . In fact, I got a nice 10 minute discussion of the current, 2008, protocols from my 'conventional' vet when I took Dharma in for her check-up and immunizations.

The three yr protocal is not accepted in some state s in the US... Do not ask me why ...


My Zoey has issues with vaccination s... I separated her shots by 4 weeks and the vet gave a pain reliever ... she did quite well

How's the munchkin today? Hoping just raring to go for the new year.

Originally Posted by darlili

How's the munchkin today? Hoping just raring to go for the new year.

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Just checking in for the same reason. How is he feeling today?

We had a real scare with Sterling after his last round of shots. We couldn't find him around the house, but finally found him huddled in a closet, high fever, wouldn't eat or drink, etc.

We took him to the vet who gave him some sort of shot and he perked right up, but the vet said to remind them that he had a reaction the next time we bring him in for his vaccinations.