Anyone have a cat with reaction to rabies shot?
Posted By: (A warning!...) - Julie on 2009-05-23
In Reply to:
Has anyone here had an experience with their cat having a reaction to their rabies shot booster? My 4-year-old Persian just had a rabies booster 2 weeks ago at a new vet's office. (Just moved - have only been going there for about a year). My guess is they use a different brand or manufacturer of vaccine than my old one did.)
Yesterday morning, exactly 2 weeks after getting her shot and seeming just fine, I found a large, 2x2 cm lump on my cat's right lower hindquarter. Thinking it was a hair mat, I put on my glasses for a better look. It wasn't a mat; instead, it was a subcutaneous lump that felt similar to a lipoma, but was firmer, not as soft and squishy as a lipoma. She had also vomited 4 times during the night -- food, not hairballs. She's never done that before.
I took her to the vet right away, and they aspirated some fluid out of the lump, looked at it in a microscope, and said she had a lot of white cells. (She also had a fever). They sent off the slides to the lab to see if this might be vaccine-associated sarcoma - something I never even knew existed until yesterday! While waiting for the lab results, she's on an antibiotic, as well as an anti-inflammatory for 5 days.
So, I got on the internet and did some research about these vaccine-related sarcomas, and would advise any cat-owner to do the same thing. The information I found was NOT encouraging! Did you know that the occurrence of these sarcomas has been increasing since the early 90's, when they started making adjuvant (more inflammatory) rabies vaccines? The sarcomas are VERY aggressive in cats. (I had a former cat die in only 7 months after a mastectomy for breast ca. with adenosarcoma.) They think some cats may be predisposed to developing sarcomas at the site of injection for both rabies and the feline leukemia / FIP vaccines. The rescue where I adopted my cat advises its adopters not to get the leukemia/FIP vaccine, so I don't get that one. But this is the first I've heard about the rabies shot being dangerous, as well.
My reading brought to light the fact that vets almost always give the rabies shot as distally as possible in the RIGHT rear quarter. The reason? If a sarcoma forms, they're very invasive, and they found that tumors from shots given between the shoulder blades or in the scruff of the neck tended to spread into the spine and lungs. (Oh, GREAT....) Even more thrilling to learn is the reason they give the shot in the lower rear quarter: It's so that if the cat gets a sarcoma, the best chance they have of prolonging the cat's life is to amputate the entire leg.
Each state differs, but in California, rabies shots for cats are recommended, but NOT mandatory. Had I known this, and about the danger of the adjuvant rabies vaccines, I would have skipped the vaccine altogether. My vet recommended that if she gets a rabies shot in the future, (which I don't intend to do with either of my strictly indoor-only cats), there is a SAFER brand - Merial "PureVax". It's a non-adjuvant vaccine that is much safer. (My guess is that it's probably more expensive, too.) It's also apparently not easy to find. My vet office doesn't use it (WHY, I don't know, since they're recommending it...), so that's just one more reason for me to say "NO" to rabies vaccines in the future. However, If I were getting a new kitten, I would make sure it got the Merial PureVax instead of the regular kind, provided it's approved for kittens. It's disadvantage is that it's given yearly, rather than q.3 years.
Anyway, regardless of whether my cat's lab tests come back positive or negative for malignancy, after what I've learned from researching feline rabies shots, I thought I'd pass the information on to everyone who's interested, so they can talk to their own vets about it and at least make a more-informed decision about vaccinations than I did! 
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that's what I was thinking (rabies), but I
looked online and it says that possums rarely get rabies because of their really low body temp. I'm still steering clear of him though. He has some scary looking teeth. He's cute to watch from the safety of my office though.
rabies for cats
I'm the "mom" of 3 wonderful, rescue puds from the Humane Society. They are spayed/nutered and have had only 1 rabies shot in their lives (ages 8,4 & 3); the one for me to take them home. I live in Texas and if I remember correctly, rabies are required. However, all of my puds are indoor cats and only my 8 y/o has had another rabies shot that was required when we had to board her. Since they are strictly indoor cats, my vet doesn't feel that yearly shots are necessary. The only thing I do is take them in for a yearly ck up. They've all been very healthy and happy (thank God).
I truly hope your baby's tests all come back negative. I've been there with other cats and know what you are going through. I also believe that my Higher Power takes care of all of us, including our pets.
Important addendum to rabies warning below:
(Aaaaggghhh!!! Somebody just SHOOT me!!!) 
I guess I'm going to be changing veterinarians soon.... here's an update to the post below:
The oral pain/anti-inflammatory my cat was prescribed (which thank God I didn't give her without researching it!), is "Metacam" (meloxicam) oral suspension. The article below is from the rescue where I got my cat. Thank goodness I checked their website just now!
I was wrong about her vomiting BEFORE we went to the vet. It was last night, which was about 8-10 hours AFTER being given one dose of Metacam p.o. (This was an off-label treatment, as the oral suspension is for DOGS.) Since it was given in the vet's office directly into her mouth, and she weighs less than 10 lbs., she most likely had an OVERDOSE, which is why she vomited up her dinner in every room of the house lase night. The drug had been prescribed to help bring down the inflammation in the area of her lesion and fluid aspiration. But among other things, this drug can cause kidney failure in cats. "No, thanks!" I lost a cat to renal failure a few years back, and it took me 3 years to pay off the over $5,000 in vet bills I'd put on my MasterCard! And the cat still had to be put down, anyway.
So, here I've been spending the morning researching veterinary literature, checking my pet-insurance coverage limits, and biting my nails about the possible damage I might have done to my cat simply by trying to keep her up-to-date on her shots. I'm just about to change my pet-care-policy to "no more shots and no more meds"!
Here's the article:
Metacam Risks in Cats
What is Metacam?
Metacam ® is the veterinary brand name for meloxicam,,a
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)used to reduce
pain and inflammation.This article deals with two versions:
Metacam Solution for Injection (for cats)and Metacam Oral
Suspension (for dogs).
Metacam ’s FDA Approval Status
Metacam Solution for Injection was approved for one-time
use only in cats on 28 Nov 2004 (NADA 141-219).Metacam
Oral Suspension was approved for dogs only on 15 Apr 2003
(NADA 141-213).As of July 2006,the approval status of both
medications has not changed.
There is a misconception that using medications in a non-
FDA-approved fashion is illegal.This is simply not so;the FDA
regulates drug manufacturers,not the practice of veterinary
medicine.Veterinarians may prescribe any drugs they have
reason to believe are safe and effective,even if the particular
use is not FDA approved (this practice is known as "off-label "
or "extralabel " use)).However,you and your cat do not have
any FDA assurance that the drug is safe and effective.
Common uses of Metacam in Cats
Metacam is commonly used in cats for two cases:
(a)Metacam Solution for Injection (or simply "Metacam
Injection ")is used to provide post-operative relief of pain and
inflammation for up to 24 hours following procedures such as
dentistry,spaying and neutering.Vets often prescribe a few
daily follow-up doses of Metacam Oral for continued pain
relief,although this is not an FDA approved use.
(b)Metacam Oral Suspension (or simply "Metacam Oral ")is
often prescribed to relieve arthritis pain in cats.Although this
is also not an FDA approved use,it is known to be effective,
albeit with some risk.
Low Safety Margin =Higher Risks
According to the manufacturer ’s product sheet 1 ,Metacam has
a narrow margin of safety (also known as therapeutic index )
in cats,meaning that there is very little difference between a
safe,effective dose and a toxic dose.Repeated doses of
Metacam Oral in cats have been known to result in death,as
documented in the clinical tests 3 submitted to the FDA.
The narrow safety margin in cats is reflected in the FDA ’s
Adverse Drug Experience (ADE)reports 4 for Metacam Oral,
which summarize drug side effects reported by veterinarians.
Of 842 reports for dogs,19 cases of kidney failure and no
deaths were reported.However in 320 cats,105 cases of
kidney failure,48 deaths and 35 cases resulting in euthanasia
have been reported.This clearly indicates that Metacam poses
a much greater risk in cats than in dogs.
The use of Metacam poses not only a significant health risk to
the cat,but also exposes the cat owner to significant financial
risk.The treatment of kidney failure requires days of hospitalization,
and the outcome may be death.Whether the cat survives or
not,the hospital bill can easily exceed $1,000.
Because of Metacam ’s narrow safety margin,veterinarians
will order blood tests to check your cat ’s kidney and liver
functions and general state of health.Don ’t try to save money
by refusing these tests;it ’s essential to know if your cat is at
greater risk.Should side effects occur,your vet is likely to
order another round of tests to check the drug ’s impact on
your cat.Be prepared for these costs.
Problems with Smaller Cats
The post-surgical use of Metacam Oral in smaller cats (under
10 lbs.)poses a unique problem.The product sheet for Metacam
Oral 2 warns against administering the drug directly into the
mouth for dogs weighing less than 10 lbs,as this may cause
an accidental overdose.Instead,it must be mixed with food to
ensure slower absorption.The Metacam Injection used during
surgery may cause loss of appetite,and the cat won ’t eat his
oral dose.So you ’re likely to try to administer the dose directly
into the mouth,but if your cat weighs less than 10 lbs.(and
many do),this only increases the risk of overdose.
Questions for your Vet
Given the clearly documented risks of Metacam Oral in cats,it
is wise to ask your veterinarian the following questions if he or
she recommends its use:
Are my cat ’s blood tests (especially liver &kidney functions)OK?
What side effects should I look out for?
Under what conditions should I discontinue the medication?
Who do I call on evenings or weekends if my cat has a reaction?
Is there a 24-hour emergency animal hospital in the area?
May I have copies of the Metacam product sheets?
Persians are a more delicate breed,are you sure this is safe?
My cat weighs less than 10 pounds,are you sure this is safe?
What other pain medications are FDA-approved in cats?
What pain medications were you using prior to Metacam Oral ’s
release in 2003?
Are these medications safer and/or cheaper than Metacam?
Conclusion
There are clearly documented risks associated with the off-
label use of Metacam Oral in cats which may lead to kidney
failure and death.These risks should be carefully discussed
with your veterinarian before proceeding with any Metacam
treatment.For post-operative pain relief,explore other alternatives
with your veterinarian before agreeing to the use of Metacam.
Acronyms
ADE Adverse Drug Experience
FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration
NADA New Animal Drug Application
References
[1 ] Product sheet:Metacam Solution for Injection for Cats
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica,Inc.(revised October 2004)
http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/product_sites/METACAMINCats/documents/Metacam_Cat_RP.pdf
[2 ] Product sheet:Metacam Oral Suspension for Dogs
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica,Inc.(revised January 2005)
http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/product_sites/METACAMORAL/documents/Metacam_Oral_Susp_rp.pdf
[3 ] Freedom of Information Summary for Supplemental NADA 141-219
(Metacam 5 mg/mL Solution for Injection for cats),28 October 2004
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
See "Tolerance Study in Cats on Meloxicam ",pp.24-26
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/141-219s102804.pdf
[4 ] Adverse Drug Experiences (ADE)Report,9 June 2006
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
See "meloxicam oral ",pp.48-64
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/ade_web_rpts_MN.pdf
Metacam ® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica,,Inc.
Your reaction is disturbing . . .
... and surprising to me that you show no strong emotion as to the implication here. Those dogs killed domesticated cats. That should never be taken lightly. In some parts of the country, it's criminal and owners are held liable. For you not to address the issue immediately, and for your sister-in-law to treat the situation so lightly is strange to me. Think about it. Next time those dogs can bite a child, a person, or continue to kill. Responsible ownership of a pet should not be taken lightly,and you and your sister-in-law are lacking here. Discuss the situation at once and come to a remedy that will prevent this from ever happening again.
I had exactly the same reaction! Kept waiting - sm
for her to 'come alive' and really dance. I think it probably came back to bite her, since Helio won the whole thing, and deservedly so.
if you think that the fact that my 1st reaction
to seeing the photo of this dog posted on the board was 'scaaary', gives you the right to take 'actions' against my right to post on this forum, you are**********
You can insert here the worst names you can think of.
I do not know this dog and when the picture came up on the screen it frightened me. This was not what I expected, abd it has nothing to do with being
'immature.'
You have NO right to play forum police here!
It's YOU who is harassing me!
definitely normal kid culture reaction
Remembering standing outside waiting at the Brooklyn Fox for the following groups at one time or another way back when:
Little Anthony and the Imperials
Martha and the Vandellas
The Shirelles
Otis Redding
Little Stevie Wonder (he was 13)
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
The Ruffin Brothers (David and.....cannot remember the other one's name at the moment)
The Thymes (later on)
before the British Invasion music which them some of us started appreciating......and going ape waiting for the Beatles at 54th Street at the Warwick Hotel, 500-1000 young girls on the 4 corners of that intersection mobbing taxicabs....*LOL* - those were the days....
sounds like an allergic reaction....
could you be allergic to pecans now in your life? Otherwise it sounds like aphthous ulcers which may have to do with something else you might have eaten that was acidic...Did you drink something citrusy with it?
I had a different reaction when I found my husband sm
surfing. He never leaves his email open but he did just this 1 time (it's password protected) so I looked at his email and he was getting messages from an adult sex matches website. In the email, it had his "profile name." So the next day, looked up the website and I had to join just to see his profile, so I joined. There he was, no picture but what he was looking for in a woman, etc. So I printed it out. It is now in a safe place. He doesn't know that I know and I'm not spilling the beans until I file for divorce. And I'm not surprised about the website because we met on a match.com. I know I'm emotionally abused by the way he puts me down, tells me it's his way or the highway. He told me last week if I ever cheated on him or divorced him, he would "F" me up and destroy me. BUT he said if he cheated on me and I found out, that I'd have to get over it. So I'm getting a plan together, stashing some $$ because I'm not going to live like this. Like Dr. Phil asks "would you rather be alone and healthy or sick with somebody."
Should I be worried about my 8 year-old's reaction? sm
Last night my 11 year old son and 8 year old daughter were watching one of those rescue shows on TV....they had just show a little girl being found safely on the beach after wandering a couple of miles away from her parents. Then they started the story of an 11 or 12 year old boy....I had no idea they would ever have a rescue show on TV if it had been unsuccessful but the boy died! My daughter was devastated. It was almost bedtime, no less, so I held her a while and she cried and I consoled her. Then I took her to tuck her in and said prayers and sang to her like every night...but she told me she was feeling really strange inside because of the show she had seen. I tried to calm her down by staying with her and rubbing her back and continuing to sing but she started shaking really hard...and continued to shake. I told her that I had looked up the story on the internet and that it wasn't a true story (a lie to try to make her feel better), and she was glad, but she continued to shake. So I took her to the other room and rocked her for about an hour (which of course I have not done much of in the last 7 years or so). She fell asleep and then I went to put her in her bed and she started shaking again. The shaking was so bad that I could feel it through her covers!! She is just a tiny little girl! She said the shaking was so bad it was making her legs and back hurt :( I ended up taking her to my room and letting her sleep with me but I am concerned that she would get upset to that point. I know the show was sad, but is it normal for a child to shake like that? It really scared me!
allergic reaction to snobs
In this "economic environment" I find it really hard to put up with the pecking order of snobbery, when I know these people are doing terrible financially. How do you reform a snob, especially one that doesn't even have enough money to eat?
To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
It won't be making any difference. I tried a couple of techniques for my adults and very soon I came to realize they found the antidotes for them. If there are 10 sites telling how to monitor your kids, there are 1000 more telling how to escape it. Down the road you will be pushing your kids to visit those sites (full of porn banners & adult materials) and nothing else.
I had the same reaction, I was shocked....Good that it got deleted..nm
nm
Hubs had same reaction with another Abx for same thing a few months ago. Stopped after
s
I had a similar reaction from a tiny dose of nortriptyline - sm
the doc had prescribed to try to control my chronic migraines. I took like less than half of one pill, about 1/4 the dose the doc intended me to taper up to. I took it a 10:30 pm on a Friday night. The next morning I didn't wake up 'til almost noon, and was totally, UTTERLY stoned. Coffee didn't help. No-doz didn't help. Finally felt sober enough to drive, and headed off for Lake Tahoe that afternoon (the original plan had been to go at about 9 AM), only to realize that I was still a bit on the stoned side, and didn't remember most of the 150-mile drive there! Aaaagggh! Went to bed early that night (WITHOUT the nortriptyline this time) and finally felt halfway normal by the next day.
Man - if I had to be on that stuff, I'd have lost my job for sure. Not only would I have not been able to DO my job (was an in-house MT at the time), but I most likely wouldn't have even remembered I HAD a job to go to!
The doc said I would have eventually 'gotten used to it' and not had such a drowsy reaction, but couldn't give me a time frame for that happening. I just didn't have the time to live that way, so told her it wasn't an option.
Needless to say, I threw away the rest of the contents of that bottle. Thank goodness Imitrex was on the market in tablet form about a year later. THAT worked like a charm on the migraines, and totally changed my life.
Sounds like a reaction to the surgery. The lymph nodes in our neck sm
will "activate" whenever something foreign comes near the skull or head. My son developed very large lymph nodes around both sides of his neck and we didn't know what was going on. He ended up having the chicken pox and most of the lesions were on his scalp! He had a few throughout his body, but 60% on his head. So his doc explained to us that his lymph nodes in his neck were activated because of where the pox was traveling.
It's been shot down....
You can relax. The satellite was hit yesterday and pieces are falling toward the ocean with the largest the size of a football. You can't worry about what you can't change. Go get some anxiety medicine or something, but grow up....
I agree, even with the shot you can still
get it....and maybe even when you are an adult and get it worse.
Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes things slip our minds. You are only human. Don't beat yourself up over it or let anyone else make you feel worse than you already do.
I hope he gets to feeling better real soon! :)
New Cancer Shot
I saw it on the evening news here in PA. Unfortunately, it is for real. There are two ways parents can opt out, but they have to jump through hoops to do it.
There are 8 more episodes that need to be shot
They aren't supposed to air until next year though! Can we wait that long?!
Just a shot in the dark here, but
it sounds to me like he has a warped mind regarding sex and women, the most likely culprit being pornography, or childhood abuse.
better shot of the front - sm
try, try again. This is before the previous owner refinished it, it is totally black now (with all the rust removed).
Thanks, I'll give it a shot . . . nm
nm
A military man shot his wife
This man was our son's recruiter when our son signed with the military three years ago. We had several meetings with him. He was a "fun" guy to be around, always smiling, always happy. But now, this and I can't get over the sick feeling in my stomach. He is on the run, of course. He left behind his little boy, with no mother and now no father. Temporary insanity?????
whoa!! That was a cheap shot LOL, but I'd rather have a
x
Good for you for giving it your best shot.
 You obviously found something that attracted you to the man since you are with him. Any and all relationships require work. We are each different individuals, and in order to live together, need to find the balance that makes each happy.
Try a latte but ask for half a shot sm
a small drink usually is one shot, a medium larger is usually two shots - you can actually ask for decaf espresso also - there are so many things you can ask for - just tell them at your local shop what you told us here and see what they suggest. A latte is a shot of espresso topped with milk and then foam, a mocha is chocolate milk, so I would stick with latte for now - there are also frozen drinks at Starbucks with no coffee in them at all - but cannot think of the name right off the top of my head - good luck!!
That's a hilarious shot, showing
your dog's wrinkled forehead. I can tell it's part of his breed mix characteristic, but then again it kind of looks like he's worried that a rat is attacking his mama! HA!
Do you have to watch a domesticated rat all the time to make sure they don't chew your stuff? I've seen rabbits running around a store once, and they were chewing the walls up.
the kind of action that could get you shot in this
x
Yes. Gas prices have shot up $.60 per gallon
in less than two weeks here. I drove the kids home from school one day, made a mental note to get gas, and the price had gone up $.25 by the time I got back to the gas station. Ridiculous!
After he shot the first 2 victims, he mailed this package
to NBC I believe before he started the second assault. That was only part of the whole package. There were the pictures and a video that he apparently made over a long period of time. Some of what he says cannot be understood either because he is mumbling.
The package was given to the FBI and I am sure they will release some kind of statement after going over everything.
His thoughts were so erratic, and I find it odd how he did mention so many political references. I also think there might have been some molestation going on.
I do not think he did this because he was Korean, but that does not mean that his family were not anti-American and teaching him hateful propaganda which in turn could put that hatefulness in his heart towards others.
Most all Asian people I've known or been around are very productive members of society, very well educated, have good work ethics and are great people.
Something in this boy's life made him so hateful though. He was not just born that way.
And, revolution? That just sickens me. What did these kids do to anyone or to him for that matter?
lol - but she may have a shot with the governer being Arnold Schwartzenegger and all : (
x
Here's another shot that shows his relative size.
Yes, he is missing his tail. This species uses the tail as a single-use defense mechanism (where, when threatened by a predator, the lizard goes one way and the tail goes the other), and it does not grow back, unlike some other species.
WHy when I did a shot of whiskey it help my very very sore throat and cold??
It was suggested to me to do a shot of whiskey (which I hate by the way) because I had a very bad sore throat, the kind of sore throat that is deep down in your throat like towards the bottom of your neck...anyhow I had been battling this for over 5 days worse with it getting worse with each day...So, I do the shot of whiskey and it helped reduce the intense pain immediately and while my throat still aches, the intense deep pain is gone....Why does this work?
Must've been a small town, since nobody got shot. *sigh* NM
X
Sounds like you need another triple shot coffee drink
I thought you were going to tell me your kids told you something great about yourself.
Loved Lolabug's response (at least your not in denial) HA HA HA.
I read this and thought...wow...now there's someone who knows herself. HA HA. The only thing that I am best at doing is keeping my mouth shut when DH is yelling at me for something I didn't do.
A shot of something might help, blackberry brandy, etc. Or that old tryptophan standby, a turkey
s
If I drank tea in middle of night, I'd pee 3-4x before sun up. A quick shot puts me right
s
I found this on Epinions, so can't verify the effectiveness, but worth a shot.
Fly Trap:
Need: 1) a glass jar, any size, but taller than wide
2) a piece of paper
3) a piece of masking tape
4) a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
5) a piece of decaying fruit
Put the vinegar in the jar and add water so that the liquid is about an inch deep. Add fruit bit. Twist the paper into a cone shape, leaving about a 1/2 inch opening in the bottom of the cone. Place the cone in the jar so that the opening is at least an inch, but not more than 2-3 inches, above the liquid. Tape the cone to the jar rim so that there is no opening other than the one at the base of the cone. Place the jar where there is air movement, as the flies will be drawn by scent. When the liquid starts to fill with dead flies, pour it out and make a new batch.
Not withholding as punishment - withholding as a reaction (sm)
Maybe it does exacerbate the problem - but I have dealt with the problem for over 13 years. I gave in for years hoping it would help. Now, I don't care if it exacerbates the problem - unless something changes in the relationship and I feel like I want to be with him in that way, I am not doing it.
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