Vaccines are essential to prevent diseases and to control others that can be transmitted to humans. However, despite all its pros, you also have to consider the cons. And it is that the possible side effects of vaccines in dogs must be known so that, if they occur, they do not catch us by surprise.
After analyzing the most common symptoms, from Dogsis we will inform you about the most common effects and we will give you some advice on what to do in case there are any unwanted side effects.
Index of contents
- 1 What role do vaccines have in dogs?
- 2 Main side effects after vaccination
- 3 What to do if a dog shows side effects after a vaccination?
What role do vaccines have in dogs?
As with human beings, vaccines mainly have a preventive function. What is sought is to prevent the dog from contracting a serious disease, such as canine parvovirus. Vaccines have long been shown to help save lives and control highly contagious diseases so that they do not spread, especially in dog shelters.
To make this immunization possible, what vaccines do is create resistance to certain diseases. How? Well, introducing into the dog’s organism the infectious agent of the same condition that you want to prevent. Normally what the vaccine contains are weakened or dead forms of the microbe, its toxins or another part of it.
This provokes an immune response in the vaccinated dog, which in this way acquires defenses against a certain disease, such as canine distemper, rabies or Leishmaniosis. However, in some cases this procedure can cause a number of side effects. These can be given both in the third vaccine for puppies, as well as in rabies or multipurpose. Next, we will see what are the most common adverse reactions.
Main side effects after vaccination
Among the main side effects that vaccines can cause in dogs, the following stand out:
- Anaphylactic reaction: It is an allergy to the vaccine that shows symptoms such as swelling of the muzzle and difficulty breathing in the dog, in addition to a weak pulse, redness of the skin or vomiting. Anaphylaxis is the most dangerous side effect, although it is not very common. It usually occurs shortly after the injection is given and is a reaction of the body that defends itself by attacking itself. For this effect to pass, corticosteroids are usually administered.
- Fever: With the vaccine, the immune system is activated to create defenses, which can cause fever. Our furry could look, for this reason, more decayed than normal. However, it is not usually a serious side effect and the fever tends to go away within days.
- Other health problems: Various effects that vaccines can cause in dogs are: apathy, gastrointestinal disorders such as vomiting or diarrhea, local inflammation, respiratory conditions (especially in intranasal vaccines) or numbness.
If you detect any of these side effects, it is best to take the dog to the vet and explain what happens. He will be able to advise you which is better in each case. Despite the possibility that vaccines produce these complications, the truth is that their advantages are still much greater than their disadvantages.
What to do if a dog shows side effects after a vaccination?
The best is See a professional so they can assess the adverse effects of the vaccine in the dog and advise the best treatment for the symptoms it presents, which normally are not usually extremely severe.
If an allergic reaction occurs, corticosteroids usually work very well. However, they may interfere with the effectiveness of the vaccine, so the vaccine must be administered again. In this case, the vet will surely opt for another brand, in order to reduce the risk that the same thing could happen again.
The truth is that it is difficult to prevent an allergy to a drug without previous experience, but if the dog is prone to suffer them, it is recommended that you discuss these circumstances with the vet. Before a vaccination, the specialist must make sure that the dog is not sick and he will apply a dose appropriate to his age.
In this way, even at the risk of a side effect, thanks to vaccines we can prevent more serious diseases in our furry friends. Therefore, it is important that the dog is up to date with its vaccinations and follows the official calendar.