Since the dog’s body is greatly weakened after vaccination, it is easily susceptible to various infections, and it will take time to regain strength. To ensure that your animal does not experience any complications after vaccination, it is important to follow a number of simple rules.
Preparing your dog for vaccination
Since vaccination is the introduction of live but weakened strains of microbes and viruses into the body in order to induce immunity to diseases, it should only be carried out on a completely healthy animal that has been treated for parasites (worms and fleas). Worms weaken the four-legged immune system. Therefore, it is important to worm the animal 10-14 days before vaccination.
Currently, veterinarians recommend the following drugs for helminthiasis: Milbemax, Kanikvantel plus, Drontal. When using, the manufacturer's instructions should be strictly followed. To avoid addiction, it is recommended to change medications periodically.
If after helminthization the parasites have not disappeared, vaccination should be postponed and the animal should be re-treated for worms (according to the instructions for the selected drug). Otherwise, the body of an animal with a weakened immune system may simply not be able to cope with even a minor virus, and the dog may die.
What causes complications?
In most cases, dogs tolerate vaccinations quite adequately and normally. For their immune system in particular, and the body as a whole, this is not the most serious stress. However, complications do occur. Their reasons most often are as follows:
- inattention or ignorance of the owners (there is a quarantine regime that must be observed; violations are fraught with serious trouble);
- poor-quality composition of the injection mixture (in particular, expired vaccine, ask your veterinarian about this before the injection, use the services of proven and reliable clinics);
- introducing the composition to an already sick animal (this happens when the veterinarian has not conducted a preliminary examination, or the vaccination is generally done by a person far from veterinary medicine);
- unfortunately, it is rare, but there are cases of individual intolerance to individual components that make up the vaccine.
Which vaccine is best to vaccinate a dog?
Today there are many polyvaccines, both imported and domestically produced. All vaccines have undergone clinical trials and are not particularly different from each other. The use of any of them promotes the development of immunity. But if you are going to travel abroad with your dog, then the requirements of, for example, the European Union for the non-commercial movement of pets limit the list of vaccines used.
If you plan to travel around the world with your dog, then imported polyvalent vaccines such as Nobivak, Eurican, Duramun are recommended.
You can read in more detail about preparing your four-legged dog for vaccination and about the vaccination schedule from birth.
So, you have properly prepared the animal for the procedure and vaccinated it. I have already written that after vaccination the animal’s immunity is very weakened, so the risk of contracting a viral disease is very high. Therefore, after vaccination, quarantine should be strictly observed.
Possible complications
Local complications are normal and the owner does not need to worry. For example, it could be a lump in the area of the injection - it disappears after 2-3 weeks and, if the dog does not show concern about it, then it is considered a normal sign. Pain and slight swelling at the injection site disappears after 3 days and also does not require intervention.
The puppy usually becomes quite lethargic after the vaccine and the temperature rises to 39°C. In this case, you need to provide the pet with calm conditions for rehabilitation, and after 2-3 days the condition will return to normal. Vomiting or diarrhea may also occur after the vaccine - this is also considered a reaction to the vaccine. To stabilize the condition, you should skip one meal.
If your puppy exhibits more severe symptoms, you should seek help from a veterinarian. Among the manifestations of deterioration of the condition is a long-term persistence of the reaction to the vaccine. Lethargy intensifies, turning into weakness, the animal has no appetite for a long time, and convulsions appear. In case of prolonged diarrhea (more than 2-3 days) and the temperature exceeding 39°C, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
Symptoms of deterioration include hypersalivation and difficulty breathing, swelling and pallor of the mucous membranes. The cause may be an allergic response to the vaccine, which can be removed by using antihistamines. In case of anaphylaxis, immediate hospitalization of the animal is required.
Severe conditions after vaccination can develop if the vaccine was given to a sick or incompletely recovered dog. If the animal's body is weakened, a significant deterioration in its general condition may occur when the vaccine is administered.
After a rabies vaccination, your dog may remain inactive and lethargic for some time. You need to monitor her condition for 3-5 days, and if there is no improvement at the end of this period, contact a veterinary clinic. The most dangerous are usually the first 15-25 minutes after vaccination, as well as the 2nd or 3rd day. Also carefully monitor your pet’s condition after revaccination, since at this time the likelihood of developing allergies increases.
Purebred dogs are susceptible to many diseases, which can be avoided by timely vaccination. The process is not complicated, but there are pitfalls.
Vaccination of a dog is carried out with the aim of developing or maintaining the animal’s body resistance to the effects of pathogens of various diseases. Making it is quite simple, you just need to decide on its purpose, choose a vaccine and a good clinic (and sometimes a veterinarian), set a day and get vaccinated.
This is roughly how it all happens, but from the moment of vaccination, the dog needs special attention. It is necessary to create conditions in which she will be least vulnerable to possible complications. Negative consequences may not occur, since the animals’ bodies react differently to the administration of the vaccine. Quite often it is possible to prevent the occurrence of complications, but you need to be prepared for their occurrence.
Photo of a dog at a veterinarian's appointment
Is it possible to walk a dog during quarantine?
As for adult animals, dogs can and should go for walks after vaccination. However, some restrictions must be adhered to. Quarantine restrictions for adult animals are quite conditional:
- Reduce walking time to a minimum, especially in rainy and frosty weather.
- If possible, avoid contact with other animals, especially stray dogs.
- Avoid increased stress, overwork and hypothermia.
As a rule, an adult healthy animal can lead a normal active lifestyle within a week.
As for puppies, everything is much stricter here. A puppy develops stable immunity only after 2 or 3 vaccinations (depending on the vaccination schedule) and a strict 14-day quarantine after them.
As a rule, at 3.5 months the puppy receives its last annual scheduled vaccination. And after a 14-day quarantine (after this vaccination), the puppy is already allowed to go outside for a walk. Until then, you should adhere to the following rules:
- You should not let your puppy run on the ground. If you can’t wait to show your little tail the world, then at this time you can walk the baby exclusively in your arms.
- It is imperative to protect the puppy not only from contact with other dogs, but also from contact with pets that have access to the street. For example, you have a cat living in your house that “walks by itself.” So this cat can bring an infection into the house on its paws or fur. Until you have received all the necessary vaccinations and during the quarantine period after them, try to keep the puppy and the “walking” cat in separate rooms.
- You should also minimize contact with objects that are potential carriers of infections, such as outdoor shoes.
- To prevent your puppy from becoming infected, clean your house regularly. The floor can be wiped with water and potassium permanganate.
- It is better not to take a small puppy without strong immunity to a veterinary clinic for vaccinations, where he can pick up the virus. It is advisable to do the first vaccinations at home. If this is not possible, then try to protect the baby as much as possible when visiting a veterinary clinic.
Side effect options:
| Diarrhea | Loose stools occur quite often. But if you observe this process once or twice, and then everything falls into place, then there is nothing to worry about at all. |
| Vomit | One-off incidents should not cause alarm either. However, there are some pitfalls that are important to keep in mind. In particular, diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration, which complicates the situation. This means that after vaccination and in case of vomiting, you should give your pet more fluids. |
| Lost appetite | It happens that a puppy even refuses his favorite food. This is not scary, because after vaccination the body is sluggish and apathetic. Make sure that the so-called hunger strike does not last more than one day, otherwise you need to sound the alarm. |
| Lump at the injection site | It is important to ensure that this seal does not cause pain to the dog or any other discomfort. Sometimes the lump takes quite a long time to resolve – up to a month. |
Is it possible to wash a dog after vaccination?
The question of washing a dog after vaccination interests many pet owners. After all, often after a walk it is necessary not only to wash the paws, but to completely immerse the tailed “dirty one” in the bath...
However, all veterinarians strictly prohibit bathing your pet. This is again due to the fact that the four-legged immune system is greatly weakened, and any hypothermia after water procedures can cause a cold.
It is recommended to wash your dog after vaccination no earlier than 6-7 days. It’s better to wait until the quarantine is completely over and the dog has developed immunity.
Well, if the situation is completely hopeless, and your little tail has had such a “good walk” that it is not only impossible to let him on the sofa, but even scary to let him through the threshold of the apartment, then there is nowhere to go - you need to wash him!
But at the same time, you should protect your four-legged animal as much as possible from possible hypothermia:
- Wash your fluffy with warm water.
- After bathing, dry thoroughly and wrap him in a dry towel.
- To avoid drafts, close all doors to the room where the dog will be so that he can dry thoroughly.
Reactions to preventive vaccination
Local reactions
Considering that preventive injections against rabies are given 3 times, and in case of infection, the serum is administered as many as 5 times (and the injections are placed in different places), the occurrence of local reactions is not excluded. Usually everything is limited to mild itching, redness, thickening and swelling of the injection site. Such reactions do not cause much discomfort and disappear within 3-4 days.
General reactions
The introduction of the vaccine sometimes causes general reactions of the body, manifested in the form of weakness and drowsiness, trembling in the limbs, fever, headache, muscle or joint pain. Digestive disorders (diarrhea, constipation or flatulence) are often troubling.
Allergic manifestations
Much less often, the body reacts to the introduction of a vaccine with allergic manifestations such as urticaria or angioedema. This is usually experienced by people with a predisposition to allergic reactions. If such unpleasant symptoms occur, it is enough to consult a doctor who will prescribe one of the suitable antihistamines (Claritin, Suprastin, Zyrtec, Fenkarol and others).
Reactions to the administration of rabies serum
The body tolerates the administration of serum much more difficultly in cases where the bite has already occurred and it is necessary to obtain immunity from the rabies virus before infection occurs. In addition to the reactions described above, the administration of this serum may be accompanied by the following conditions:
- serum sickness (approximately 20% of cases) - a condition similar to allergies, but with a more severe course;
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (in 5% of cases) is a disease in which the sensitivity of the limbs is impaired. This disease goes away after 2-3 months;
- anaphylactic shock (0.05% of cases) is an acute allergic reaction that threatens the patient’s life.
As you can see, the state of the body after a rabies vaccination can be accompanied by severe reactions, but only in cases where there is a threat to human life. As for the prevention of infection, such vaccination in most cases proceeds without any troubles, so you should not treat it with caution. Good health to you!
The rabies vaccine is a lifesaver for humans. Only vaccination can reliably protect against the virus and help save the life of the victim. Despite possible adverse reactions from vaccination, all people bitten by a sick animal, regardless of gender and age, should undergo it.
Vaccination instructions
The modern method of rabies vaccination is simpler than it was ten years ago. There are several vaccination schedules that are used depending on the situation.
Rabies vaccine injections are not given in the stomach. The graft is placed in the gluteal muscle or shoulder muscle.
Vaccination in case of attack
If a person is attacked by an animal infected with rabies, the following vaccination schedule is used:
- the vaccination is given immediately after the victim consults a doctor;
- another vaccination is given on the 3rd day;
- at the end of the first week after the bite of a sick animal;
- on the 14th day;
- vaccination on the 30th day;
- the latter is done on the 90th day after the bite.
This rabies vaccination regimen ensures the formation of the most durable immunity.
Additional vaccination after an attack
A patient who received a rabies vaccination no more than 1 year ago, in the event of an attack by a sick animal, undergoes additional vaccination, carried out according to a slightly different schedule:
- one vaccination on the day the animal attacked;
- vaccination on the 3rd day;
- and another one after 7 days.
Preventive vaccination
Persons at risk (veterinarians, foresters) are recommended to undergo preventive vaccination, which is carried out according to a special schedule, regardless of whether there was an attack by a sick animal or not. The vaccination schedule is as follows:
- vaccination on the day of treatment;
- another one in 7 days;
- vaccination on the 30th day;
- a year later the first revaccination is carried out;
- and then one shot of the vaccine every three years.
