Complications after vaccination in a cat: the pet is limping, allergies

Vaccination of animals is an important preventive measure. After vaccination, a kitten may experience some side effects and sometimes serious complications. At the same time, it will help protect the pet and owner from dangerous diseases. A caring person needs to know what reactions to vaccination may be in order to be prepared for it and try to avoid it. It is worth remembering that a rabid cat is contagious and dangerous to others.

Which ones are needed?

Some people believe that if a cat does not walk outside, then vaccinations are not necessary. But that's not true. An infectious disease that is dangerous for animals can be brought home on shoes. If the animal is accustomed to walking, then it is necessary to carry out a complex of vaccinations. Mandatory vaccinations include distemper, rabies, feline herpes and calcivirus. At the owner's request, the cat is vaccinated against chlamydia.

The first vaccination of a kitten is carried out at the age of 8-10 weeks against rhinotracheitis, calcivirus, panleukopenia. Revaccination - after 3-4 weeks. Rabies vaccinations are given no earlier than 12 weeks and repeated annually. It is recommended to use the vaccine from the same manufacturer each time. Especially if the cat tolerates it well. Quarantine after vaccination lasts 10-14 days, it is during this period that immunity to the disease is developed. It is necessary to limit the kitten from being outside and from contact with other animals, especially unvaccinated ones.

Treatment of rabies

Unfortunately, rabies is a fatal and incurable disease in both animals and humans. Humanity has not yet found a way to treat this disease. A rabid animal always dies. In rural areas, the cat always tries to leave the house and die on the street. And if it already happens that the animal has this diagnosis in question, they never even try to treat it, since the veterinarian can become infected with rabies from it.

Diagnosis of rabies is possible only after the death of the animal. In the laboratory, the brain of a sick animal is examined and the diagnosis is confirmed if the following components are present:

If Babeshi-Negri bodies are found in the animal’s brain (40-50% accuracy), the absence of these bodies also does not exclude the presence of the disease.
Antigen detection during immunofluorescent analysis of brain sections.
They make a bioassay - they infect mice with a suspension from the brain tissue of a dead animal and observe for 28 days until death, then examine for the presence of Babeshi-Negri bodies.

If you just have any suspicions that your beloved furry pet may be infected with this terrible disease, you should behave and act in this way:

The very first thing you need to do is isolate your cat from people and other animals - exclude absolutely all possible contacts, lock the animal in a separate room;
Contact your veterinarian. Remember that rabies can pass without having a picture of the classical course. We also must not forget that there are a large number of diseases in which a cat may develop symptoms very similar to signs of rabies - incoordination of movements, drooling and others, but these will be symptoms of completely different diseases - for example, infectious diseases, diseases of the nervous system, tumors, foreign bodies in the oral cavity and pharynx, etc.;
Treat the scratch or the area where the animal's saliva has gotten in with hot water and laundry soap. It is recommended to use laundry soap because it contains a larger amount of alkali. Change (possibly) contaminated clothing immediately. Be sure to treat a wound or scratch with alcohol or iodine through which it is possible to become infected with rabies from a cat and immediately contact a medical facility.

Why is vaccination necessary?

It is important to have regular vaccinations for the following reasons:

If an animal is not vaccinated against rabies, then when it becomes ill, it becomes potentially dangerous to everyone.

The diseases against which vaccines are created are deadly for animals. If an unvaccinated cat gets sick, then there is a high chance that everything will end in death.
A sick cat poses a danger to other pets.
Some diseases, such as rabies, are dangerous to humans. A cat can infect its owner. This disease is fatal to any living creature.

The main ways cats become infected with rabies

Even if a cat never leaves the house, the possibility of contracting rabies cannot be ruled out. And in this case, a meeting between an unvaccinated cat and an infected animal will be fatal both for the pet itself and, possibly, for its owner.

Most often, rabies infection in cats occurs:

through a bite;
when infected saliva gets on damaged skin.

The source of infection for a cat that does not leave the apartment can be a cohabiting and also unvaccinated dog, as well as rabies-infected rodents that have sneaked into the house.

The rabies virus has the ability to infect nerve cells, which leads to death in the infected individual

These accidents are given particular significance by both the absolute lethality of rabies infection and its high infectiousness and danger to all surrounding people and animals. The only reliable protection for a cat is vaccination against rabies.

Video: ways of spreading rabies

Dangerous consequences

Allergy to vaccine

Sometimes vaccination provokes an allergic rash in furry cats.
If the animal is allergic, the injection is administered under the influence of an antihistamine. If there was no allergy to the first vaccination, this does not mean that it will not happen again. The substance can accumulate and cause complications in the cat after vaccination. Can be light or heavy. It manifests itself in the form of rashes, itching, swelling of the mucous membranes, and in severe cases - of the respiratory tract and internal organs. Rarely - anaphylactic shock. Requires immediate medical attention. There may also be hair loss, loose stools, vomiting, altered behavior, and the cat becomes lethargic.

The pet is limping

After vaccinations, the cat may develop lameness, a lump at the injection site, a lump, swelling, or a ball under the skin. These symptoms go away after a few days, but sometimes last a long time. May be due to inept administration of the vaccine by a veterinarian or an individual reaction. Sometimes when the drug gets into a nerve ending or vessel. If the injections are injected into a large nerve and it is damaged, sometimes the hind legs even fail.

Mild course of the disease

Removing worms on the eve of the procedure guarantees a normal immune response to the vaccine.
After vaccination, the cat may get sick. This occurs due to reduced immunity due to worms, inflammatory processes or indolent diseases. Vaccination should be carried out when the animal is in full health, and anti-worm tablets should also be given before it. If the cat had contact with sick pets, that is, when the quarantine had not yet passed, then it is not surprising that it became infected. During this period, the immune system is weakened.

Kidney failure

Scientists have identified the relationship between the complex vaccine and this disease. These drugs are produced from cat kidney cells. Action - once in the body, antibodies begin to be produced against the same kidney cells, destroying them. As a result, kidney failure occurs. The reason is frequent vaccinations. This complication occurs rarely.

Sarcoma after vaccination

During rabies prevention, the animal may develop sarcoma.
A malignant cancerous tumor may develop at the site of vaccine administration.
Called sarcoma. This happens very rarely. But such a formation grows quickly, and the result is that the cat died. This happens after a rabies vaccination that contains an adjuvant substance. Its actions are associated with causing an inflammatory process at the injection site and the formation of strong immunity. It is recommended to purchase vaccines without it. If the cat gets sick, in the early stages of the sarcoma an operation is performed to remove it, an injection is given intramuscularly into the paw - amputation is done.

Rabies in humans

Surely many of you remember the phrase that was used to scare you in childhood: “Forty rabies injections in the stomach.” Of course, we treat this phrase more as a joke. But there is still some truth in it. Let's figure it out.

It is rare to imagine a situation in which a person becomes infected with rabies from a wild animal. We live in a time when a person does not need to go into the forest to get food, but simply go to the supermarket. Therefore, the risk of contracting rabies from pets is much higher. And since sick cats are often much more aggressive than other animals, the risk of being infected by them is also much higher. The clinical picture of rabies, just like in animals, depends on the location of the bite. Depending on where the bite occurred and how deep it was, the disease will manifest itself at different speeds - if the virus entered the human body through a wound on the leg, the symptoms will appear more slowly, if on the face, then faster. Conclusion - the closer the site of injury is to the brain, the faster the symptoms will appear.

Signs of rabies in a person after a cat bite can become noticeable after 10 days, and there are cases when a person does not realize that he is sick for several months or even a whole year. Rabies is more common in children than in adults. This is because children are more likely to play with stray animals and may receive minor bites that they do not report to adults.

Just like in animals, with this disease the virus attacks the central nervous system. The main signs of rabies in humans are:

active constant convulsive contractions of the respiratory and swallowing muscles;
a sharp increase in salivation, profuse sweating;
severe pathological changes in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Another very clear sign of rabies in humans is the appearance of a scar phenomenon, unclear fears, and depression. The scar phenomenon is that at the site of the bite there is a very strong burning sensation, as well as a nagging and aching pain. The pain spreads along the nerve fibers located at the site of the bite. In addition, the bite site will become very red and the scar will swell. The emotional feeling and, accordingly, the behavior of the sick person will also change. The most indicative phobias (fears) with rabies will be the occurrence of hydrophobia (fear of water), aerophobia (fear of air), acousticophobia (fear of various sounds), photophobia (fear of light). The patient will begin to demonstrate a very specific reaction to any irritant: he will shudder and stretch his trembling arms forward, his body may experience a slight trembling or spasm, he will throw his head back, it will become difficult for him to take a full deep breath, and constant shortness of breath will appear. At the last stage of the disease, the person calms down, his hydrophobia and anxiety disappear, and the person becomes better psychologically. The body temperature rises above 40 degrees, the body becomes paralyzed, convulsions appear, and consciousness fades. Death occurs as a result of cardiac or respiratory arrest.

When the first symptoms of rabies appear, unfortunately, a person has practically no chance of recovery. Successful outcomes of the disease are extremely rare and they are truly isolated cases. Not all people take this disease seriously enough, not understanding and not knowing that the fatality rate of the rabies virus is 100 percent. And if you do not seek professional medical help in time, immediately after being bitten by a rabid animal, then the ending will be inevitable and unambiguous. As soon as a patient seeks help from a medical facility, doctors immediately begin a course of injections. On the first day, anti-tetanus serum and rabies vaccine are administered. In some cases, rabies immunoglobulin is also administered; these are ready-made antibodies to the rabies virus. Next, five more vaccines will be administered in accordance with the approved injection schedule. During the course of injections, you must follow all the necessary measures, do not overheat, do not become overtired, and completely abstain from alcohol.

What to do if complications occur?

If your cat has a reaction to vaccination, you need to take the following measures:

If there is a lump or swelling at the injection site, doctors recommend massaging this area. Most often appears in the withers area. The same is done if the cat is limping.
The lump turns into an abscess - antibiotics or surgery are prescribed to remove it.
In case of nerve damage and paralysis, long-term therapy is carried out.
If an allergic reaction occurs, you need to give your cat antihistamines. Anaphylaxis can manifest itself in the form of convulsions, loss of consciousness, and affects the gastrointestinal tract. If your pet feels sick or vomits, it may be a manifestation of an allergy. Urgent help from a veterinarian is needed with the administration of antihistamines and droppers to relieve intoxication.
If the temperature rises, give an antipyretic.

If complications occur, you must inform your veterinarian.

What is vaccination and why does a cat need it at all?

Vaccination of cats (or vaccination, as people say) is the introduction of antigenic material (a weakened or killed causative agent of a disease - a virus or bacteria) in order to “train” the animal’s immune system to protect against a given infectious disease (to produce lifesavers - antibodies). So that in a situation where an encounter with this infectious agent occurs in real life, the body is ready to attack the pathogen. And the cat will not develop the disease. And even if it develops, it will proceed much easier and with minimal likelihood of complications.

Prevention

In order for everything to go well, it is better not to carry out disease prevention while the animal is pregnant.
To minimize the risk, you must adhere to certain rules. The vaccination must be done by a specialist in the clinic, so that the cat is under the supervision of a doctor for an hour. It is necessary to check the expiration date of the vaccine. Injections should be given when the animal is healthy and not wormed. Adhere to the vaccination and revaccination dates. After vaccination, do not bathe, do not wash the injection site, and do not overcool. Be sure to comply with quarantine. During teething in kittens and pregnancy in adult cats, it is better to abstain.

The owner should monitor the pet's condition in the first week. The cat stopped eating and drinking, vomited, a wound or other symptoms listed above appeared at the injection site; this must be reported to the veterinarian. Only he will decide whether to take measures for treatment. If a cat vomits, this may be a common individual symptom, or it may indicate the onset of anaphylactic shock.

Revaccination: how often should you get rabies vaccinations?

When exactly to get a booster shot depends on how long a particular rabies vaccine lasts. And this is written in the instructions for the drug. The validity period can be 1 year, but more often 3 years. The World Health Organization insists that it is better to choose vaccines with a three-year validity period.

However, the legislation of most countries requires annual revaccination. But is it needed?

When should the vaccine be renewed? Annual revaccination is definitely necessary in cases where the animal participates in exhibitions and travels abroad. Otherwise, the cat simply will not be released from the country. Therefore, in this case, the owner has no choice. But, if there is a choice, it is better to revaccinate the animal once every 3 years, and even better - regularly carry out an antibody test, which, however, costs several times more.

EXPERT COMMENT: US VETERINARIAN KAREN BECKER

Most domestic animals are overvaccinated against rabies (this means animals in the USA, because this requirement is strictly observed there - MURKOTIKI), that is, the frequency of vaccination is too frequent. Until vaccination laws are changed to accept titers instead of shots, this will be a problem for many. These vaccines, like all vaccines, have adverse reactions ranging from very mild to severe (including anaphylaxis and death). Therefore, I recommend insisting on the introduction of a vaccine that is effective for 3 years. Research by immunologist Ronald Schultz and veterinarian Jean Dodds shows that the rabies vaccine provides immunity lasting even more than 3 years. This means that pets actually need far fewer vaccinations throughout their lives. And always keep a close eye on the injection site after each vaccination. If you notice a change in the appearance of the skin, such as a bump, irritation or inflammation, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Thus, many eminent veterinarians say that annual revaccination should be replaced by checking antibody titers and, if their level is sufficient, revaccination should be skipped. However, official veterinary medicine does not see a problem with frequent revaccinations.

Revaccination of animals that have once already shown negative effects of the vaccine is a big question. Scientists investigated this issue and came to the conclusion: for such animals, if there is a risk of contracting rabies, it is better for them to undergo serological testing when the timing of revaccination approaches and, if there is a sufficient level of antibodies, not to receive any more vaccine. But if local legislation requires it, then you will have to. Although in post-Soviet countries this requirement is often not observed, no one punishes cat owners for this. But in the USA, where the laws are followed, many animals that do not tolerate the vaccine die when it is administered again. As a result, Delaware even changed its law to allow titer testing instead of revaccination.

If an animal that once reacted poorly to a vaccine still needs to be vaccinated again, sometimes it is enough to change the manufacturer of the drug. Because the consequences are not caused by the main component of the vaccine, but by other components (for example, traces of bovine serum albumin, which is used in the process of cultivating viruses).

In addition, it makes sense to administer an antihistamine before the procedure to animals at increased risk of reacting to the vaccine. This will not affect the immune response, but will help prevent an allergic reaction.

Vaccination rules

After receiving the first passive immunity, vaccination is carried out once a year. A longer break (3 years) is typical only for vaccination against rabies, although in Russia it is strongly recommended to vaccinate pets against rabovirus more often - annually. To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should carefully read the basic rules and contraindications.

At what age should I start?

Babies are protected from infections thanks to colostrum containing their mother's antibodies. Passive immunity lasts up to 4 months, but if breastfeeding ends at 2 months, the first vaccination is given at this age.

At 2-2.5 months, kittens are vaccinated against all diseases from the mandatory list, except rabies. After 3-4 weeks they are revaccinated to consolidate the result. If by this time they reach 3 months, then a polyvalent solution containing a weakened rabies virus is used for vaccination.

Preparing for vaccination

Before the procedure, the mustachioed pet is taken to the veterinary clinic for examination and tests to exclude hidden infections. 1.5-2 weeks before vaccination, deworming is carried out to prevent a sharp weakening of the immune system due to sudden infection with helminths. Contact with other animals is temporarily prohibited.

Strict adherence to preparatory measures reduces the likelihood of dangerous complications to 0.5-1%. If alarming symptoms appear, the planned procedure is postponed until complete recovery.

Rules for vaccination of kittens and adult cats.

3 principles for successful vaccination of cats at the Dog and Cat clinic:

Principle 1.

High-quality vaccines for cats and compliance with the cold chain (delivery and storage of the vaccine at the correct temperature - from the place of production to the veterinary clinic). Overheating or hypothermia of the vaccine makes it ineffective and sometimes even dangerous to the health of the pet.
Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to buy a vaccine in an “unreliable” place (for example, in a market, in an online store, etc.). The clinic, which cares about the health of its patients, accepts vaccines only from trusted suppliers, with all the necessary certificates and thermal sensors that show at what temperature the vaccine was in transit. Principle 2.
Clinically healthy animal.
At the time of vaccination, the pet must be healthy and treated for internal and external parasites. The patient’s readiness for vaccination is determined by the doctor after a thorough examination. Principle 3.
Correct use of the vaccine. That is, the correct choice of the type of vaccine, the vaccination schedule for the cat, the correct administration of the vaccine, the prevention of possible complications.

The cat is lethargic after vaccination

The fact is that no veterinarian can tell in advance what the reaction to the vaccine will be; there are cases of allergies and others that are simply unpredictable. Therefore, it is better to be at the clinic at this time, as emergency medical care may be needed.

If the kitten feels bad after a day, two or three. Check the temperature, if you cannot set the thermometer yourself, check your nose - dry and hot, indicates a raised temperature. If there is no fever, but the kitten does not eat well or refuses food and water at all, and is lethargic or sleeps a lot, monitor the pet during the day and if there is no improvement, contact the clinic where the vaccination was carried out. If your kitten is vomiting, has diarrhea or has a fever, you should immediately contact a veterinarian; do not delay, because the health of your little furry friend is at stake.

Feeling unwell is not always a reaction to a vaccine. There are cases of infection in veterinary clinics from other animals, so some owners call a veterinarian at home for vaccination, but this should be a specialist from the clinic, and not an independent doctor, this provides guarantees in case of complications. There is also a risk of exacerbation of an existing infection in the body, which is in the incubation period and appeared earlier due to decreased immunity.

Do not refuse to vaccinate your cat in the future, because you will deprive it of protection against serious diseases. If the kitten gets sick after vaccination

, pull yourself together and don’t panic, assess the baby’s health and contact a veterinarian.

*This page is a continuation of the article Repeated vaccination of cats.

Previous chapter - Vaccination of cats against leukemia and rabies.