Cat suffered side effects following annual vaccinations - do I need to tell Vet ?

Flat_Eric

Is it usual for a cat to suffer hair loss around the site of where he was given his vaccinations? and should I let the vet know? He doesn't seem to be bothered by it and ate his breakfast as normal this morning. (and is eating normally and toileting as usual).

His injections were on Satuday morning and nothing appeared amiss but Monday evening in particular - he was grumpy (didn't want to be picked up and was clearly sore - complained vocally) but he was back to his usual cheerful friendly self on Tuesday morning.

Lovelyjoolz

Oh poor thing! For your own peace of mind it might be worth ringing and chatting to the vet about it. You probably won't need to take him him seeing as he's better now.

One of my cats always suffers after his booster. The injection site swells up and he goes off his food for a day or so. He's never spontaneously lost fur tho - could your cat be biting and pulling it out because it itches there?

My vet now gives him an antihistamine at the same time as the booster and I follow that up with half a piriton tablet the next day. He's much better with that. Perhaps this would help your cat next year?

rising_from_the_ashes

Did they put flea or wormer on his neck at the same time as doing the jabs?

If so, it could be this and not the vaccine.

My old cat used to lose hair when this was done (and I usually do get it done when I'm having their boosters done as it's a lot easier with more people there! so wondering if you'd done the same).

I would phone the vet to let them know so they can make a note in his records

Sooz00

Hi Flat Eric - yes, ANY suspected adverse reactions (by humans or animals) to any veterimary medicines should be reported to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. The VMD accept SARs from pet owners, vets or both. You can do this on a hard copy form or there is a simple online form. The link is below:

http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/adversereactionreporting/Product.aspx?SARType=Animal

Also report it to the vet directly and ask them to report it to the vaccine manufacturer. I hope it turns out to be nothing to worry about but it should definitely be reported.

Sadly, I've had two pets suffer adverse reactions to vaccinations. One of my dogs was quite violently sick the evening after his vaccinations and again the following morning. My vet reported it to Pfizer who paid for him to have titre blood tests the following year to evaluate his immunity levels and see whether the jabs would be needed (some were, some weren't).

One of my cats had a much more serious reaction called vaccine associated fibrosarcoma which is a relatively rare tumour most commonly associated with the FeLV vaccine here in the UK but also the rabies vaccine hence it being more common in the US. Keep an eye on your cat in case you find any swelling, like I say it is rare but nevertheless something you should be aware of.

That aside, I do wonder if your vet did a proper risk/benefit assessment and explained all possible side effects to you before getting informed consent to inject in the new recommended location?

nomnomnom

Good point rising makes. One of mine reacted to a well known flea liquid on back of his neck. lost fur in a patch where it went on.

paddypaws101

Soozoo......is it officially recommended that vaccines are now given on the hind leg?

snowman2_2

Back leg injections are only recommended in the USA where vaccine reactions are much more common (something like 1000 times more likely). This way if a reaction tumour develops it can be removed easily by amputating the leg. I have only seen 1 injection site tumour in over 10 years and that was due to antibiotics as the cat was unvaccinated. They have different vaccines in the US, generally lower safety standards (the EU is good for something) and more problems.

All vaccines should cause some reaction, that is the point of them after all. Tell your vet, let them make a record of it / check your cat as needed but it could be due to other things like flea treatments.

Sooz00

Paddypaws101 - actually there were new guidelines issued in June 2010 stating that the flank is recommended. They also talk of individual risk/benefit assessments and gaining informed consent - a link is here below for anyone interested.

http://www.wsava.org/PDF/Misc/VaccinationGuidelines2010.pdf

Snowman 2 - I know we'll have to agree to differ on this but I remain pleased that you've only ever seen one case. Unfortunately I know of hundreds and can send you details I received from the VMD if this is something you'd be interested in (if you can attach documents to PMs?)?

As a matter of interest, is your practice fully following the (relatively) new guidelines?

That's all I ask of vets really. For cats who do unfortunately get VAS or ISS, if it occurs in the scruff, it's considerably harder to deal with than if it is either distally on the limb or in the flank. In the scruff they are very hard to deal with surgically as most types are spindle cell tumours such as fibrosarcoma so large surgical margins are required to get all of those tendrils that the tumour sends out. The tendrils are so minute that they are beyond microscopic which is why path reports stating 'clean margins' can never be relied upon for these tumours.

Because of the large surgical margins required, the scruff area make such tumours very hard to deal with which is why the mortality rate for cats with scruff area VAS/ISS is so much higher than other areas. The US guidelines that recommend low down on a rear leg (avoiding muscle) gives the best chance of survival for any cat unfortunate enough to have VAS/ISS as amputation gives margins upwards of 4-5 inches, therefore removing those awful spindles responsible for so many recurrences. In the scruff, you simply can't do that - those 4-5 inches aren't available.

Also, VAS/ISS within the scruff area is harder to detect unless you are looking for it. The fact that it has been known to occur up to around 10 years post vaccination in some cases makes it even harder. The fact that they can sit between those shoulder blades completely undetected, even from a normal stroke of your cat poses a problem. On the flank you'd see it sooner, on the leg you'd see if sooner.

Basically, my point is that vets have a responsibility to minimise the risk to our pets, especially as the whole point of vaccination is to protect the pet, not inadvertantly/irresponsibly put it at risk in other ways. We can't eliminate these tumours completely but we can, and more importantly vets can, minimise these risks through thorough risk assessments as to what is/isn't required, gaining informed consent and administering required vaccines is more appropriate locations. There's no doubt that it does take skill to administer a vaccine or injection in a subcutaneous, extramuscular area low down on a limb. My vet does it without any issues and more importantly my cats have no problem with it either, they don't even flinch.

And I completely agree - in order for the vaccine to work, there will be some level of inflammation which is intended to trigger the immune system into producing antibodies designed to attack the pathogen.

Also, in terms of treatments and highly specialised treatments, I have been told first hand from two highly qualified vets holding VIP positions at the RCVS that the US are actually considerably further advanced than the UK and Europe.

I'll bow out now but I do urge the OP to at least get his cat's reaction recorded with the vet and VMD. Fusses to the cat too xx

Flat_Eric

Hello
Thanks for all your replies. :j:beer::DMy cat is his usual friendly happy self this evening and although the patch of fur is still missing, it doesn't seem any bigger.


I managed to speak to the vet who reassured me and I'm just going to keep an eye on it and give my cat lots of TLC

snowman2_2

VMD data (from a FOI request in 2011) between 2002 and 2007 showed an incidence of vaccine related sarcoma of between 2 & 4 per 100,000 vaccines. Rough and ready maths, based on 8 million cats in the country, only half getting any vet care, 42% on average get a vaccine gives about 1.6 million cats vaccinated each year. That will give between 32 & 64 vaccine sarcomas per year so fortunately still rare. The risk of FeLV is far higher. The incidence in the US is much higher, probably due to different vaccines.

We follow the data provided by the VMD & NOAH and comply by the guidance on the official data sheets. The VMD produces the SPC (Summary of Product Characteristics) and the NOAH data sheets are a simplified / clarified version of this. These are produced and validated by the VMD based on research and safety tests. This advice largely follows the WSAVA guidelines but the VMD data has a legal standing in this country whereas the WSAVA doesn't. I will follow 90% of the guidelines. I am proud of the safety work done by the VMD and EU authorities - they are much more concerned with safety and efficacy than the US - vaccines save far more cats than will die from injection sarcomas. Life is a series of risks to balance.

snowman2_2

Sooz00 wrote: »

I'll bow out now but I do urge the OP to at least get his cat's reaction recorded with the vet and VMD.

I 100% agree with this and any adverse reaction should be reported. The more we know, the better.