Bad vaccination experience

[sam2]

I've just had a bad experience with a conventional vet. Our puppy, 4 mths old, was given an unnecessary Bordetella (kennel cough) booster (second since June) yesterday and seems to have developed a full-blown Bordetella overnight. Poor thing! She's coughing and wheezing, kept herself and us up all night and seems pretty sick. We are going back to the vet today to see what he can do to make her feel better but anything he does won't really make us feel comfortable with him again. We need to switch vets. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good holistic or conventional vet around Oak Park, Il (Chicago suburb). Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Also, does anyone know of any good publications/websites on canine vaccination programs? What's really necessary to keep your dog healthy and what's just a lucrative business for vet clinics? Thanks a lot.

Anna and Shirley, owners of Leah

 

[Draymia]

This can happen. I do not give bordetella and actually, I vaccinate very lightly and do titers on my older dogs. A few months ago when "kennel cough" was going through the dog shows, I was very worried my guys would catch it. Not one of mine did and no vaccinations for it.

If you do a search on "vaccine protocols" here on BW, you find lots of valuable information.

As for your baby, usually some cough syrup to help settle the cough down and then let her body fight it. Kennel Cough is caused by a virus, so antibiotics don't help. Compare it to the common cold in people.

Hang in there, she will get better. Kennel cough can last from just a day or two to several weeks.

 

[Mama_Zookeeper]

Poor Leah...I hope she is feeling better. We have also used cough syrup for our pups and it does offer some relief. Start asking family & trusted friends where they go for vet services...word of mouth goes a long way.

Dora & the Zoo Crew

 

[JulieM]

There is a listing of holistic vets by state at the AHVMA site under "Referral Listing."

For vaccination issues, do a search here as the topic has been discussed - at length - numerous times. Also, here are a few links to get you started:

Considerations in Designing Effective and Safe Vaccination Programs for Dogs
AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines (PDF File)

 

[sam2]

Thanks so much for all the responses and concern for Leah. We took her back to the vet. Turns out she did have a reaction to the Bordetella vaccine as we suspected all along. He gave her some antibiotic in a form of a shot and said she should be OK shortly. We'll be checking with him in the beginning of the next week and then we'll just find another vet. Right now Leah seems weak and not as active as usually, she had slept for most of the day, but isn't coughing as much. We are prepared to give her some Robitussin for the night so we all could sleep.
We are going to read on the vaccine issue before we decide to take our puppy to get anther one.