[silent watcher]

my dog had his anti rabies vaccine last wednesday. 2 days later he had a big swelling on the site and lasted for 3 days. Now the swelling "exploded" (dont know the right term for it.. hehe) and the site looks so ugly, i can see his muscles inside his body. the diameter is about 1.25 inch!

my vet says it is ok, all i need to do is to put betadine on thats injured site.
but i am so worried... is that really ok? why does it swell? why does it look really bad after the "explosion" or after it ruptured(is this the term?)!!! is this normal after taking anti-rabies vaccine?

see the wound on the pic attached...

[Lara's mom]

I've never heard of something like that happening from a rabies vaccine. Possibly the vaccine was injected incorrectly or the needle wasn't sterile. If there is a deep open wound, infection is a strong possibility. I would take your dog to another vet immediately. The one you're going to doesn't seem to know what he's doing.

I'm hoping Mr. Vega logs in and sees this post.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by silent watcher

my dog had his anti rabies vaccine last wednesday. 2 days later he had a big swelling on the site and lasted for 3 days. Now the swelling "exploded" (dont know the right term for it.. hehe) and the site looks so ugly, i can see his muscles inside his body. the diameter is about 1.25 inch!

my vet says it is ok, all i need to do is to put betadine on thats injured site.
but i am so worried... is that really ok? why does it swell? why does it look really bad after the "explosion" or after it ruptured(is this the term?)!!! is this normal after taking anti-rabies vaccine?

see the wound on the pic attached...

That is terrible! I agree with Lara--You need to see another vet. If I remember right --You had stated before that this person is not a real vet but an uncle or some relative. Sorry, but from what you have said before about him and now this??!! (If this is the same guy) That wound needs to be seen by a real vet (and I know your funds are limited). It may be more serious than this guy is telling you and could get worse before it gets better. I hate these rabies shots---I know they are necessary but one or two is enough for the dog's entire life. I have to get my Max's 5th shot this week and I always worry about either an immediate reaction or what it is causing later. This is prob. the 1st rabies shot for your dog! A word of caution here---Some dogs will have an immediate allergic reaction--My vet told me that it is usually the 2nd shot when this will happen if it is going to happen. I will sit in the vet's office for about an hour before I will go home with my dog. No matter if it is the 2nd shot or any of the following years shots! If the dog has this immediate reaction---It is an emergency--The dog can not breathe and has to have a shot to save its life!! Some people have headed for home after the shot--Didn't even get all the way home and the dog had this reaction. They turned around to go back to the vet and some of these dogs died before they could get back to the vet.

I don't know what caused this (not the immediate deadly reaction or your dog would be dead by now) More than likely this 'vet' did something wrong. I wonder if he injected into a spot he shouldn't have?! And maybe --as Lara said--Mr Vega can give you some kind of answer. I am going to go to his home page and try to get his attention and see if he will post you. Am also going to contact Kris Christine. She may of heard of this happening to another dog (If it isn't a big boo-boo by the guy who gave the shot). She is chairman for an organization that is trying to change the laws on this rabies vaccination. (She is also a member in this forum.)

[Lara's mom]

My guess would be that the injection wasn't given properly; infection set in causing the lump which then opened up like a large pimple filled with pus. This dog seriously needs to get to a reputable Doctor!!! The vaccine itself could have been contaminated.

[DoggieVogue]

That is definitely not normal! Sometimes there can be a slight bump at the injection sight, but it sounds like your pup has an abscess that ruptured. I would maybe take him to another vet... I wouldn't be comfortable with that diagnosis.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

My guess would be that the injection wasn't given properly; infection set in causing the lump which then opened up like a large pimple filled with pus. This dog seriously needs to get to a reputable Doctor!!! The vaccine itself could have been contaminated.

I agree, you need to get the dog to another vet to avoid any more infection.
This is not normal.

[Todd]

I agree once again. You NEED to see another vet as soon as possible! This obviously started as either an allergic reaction to the rabies vaccine, which isn't as uncommon as one might think, or as Laura's Mom suggested, an unsterile needle. Now that this swelling or lump has apparently ruptured or popped, there is an EXTREMELY high risk of infection. Vets recommend you take a dog in for possible antibiotic treatment because of a small puncture wound, let alone something of this nature. Get to a vet asap. This is probably not something you can handle yourself. What exactly was this like b4 the lump ruptured? Was it like a lump or abcess? If so, these can occur because of vaccinations. They generally go away with time but in this case it popped and you are probably dealing with a rupture which requires immediate medical attention. Here is some info from online;


Vaccination lumps - seromas and abscesses

Q: Hi my name is Jorge and I want to tell you that my dog have a problem because the doctor put the vaccine in a wrong way or place and it have a really big ball where the vaccine was put near the stomach. The doctor said that he will have to remove it if it dont get more liquid and if get liquid he will take it out with a syringe. I wonder if you can tell me if another thing may be done. If you dont understand write me . Thank you Jorge.

A: Jorge- I am pretty sure that your dog is probably better by now. Sometimes lumps do form where vaccines are given. If these are fluid filled lumps they are usually either abscesses or seromas. An abscess is an infected pocket under the skin and they are a rare problem. Seromas are accumulations of serum, the liquid portion of the blood, under the skin. These occur when the vaccine irritates the veins in the area and they leak serum or if there is bleeding under the skin, perhaps due to the needle passing through a vein or skin artery. These are more common than infections (abscesses) and they tend to go away on their own after one to three weeks. It is always a good idea to let your vet look at any lumps that form after vaccination, which you seem to have done. I am sure your vet will keep working with you to resolve this problem as long as is necessary.

Since the possible abcess ruptured in your case, here is some info on a ruptured abcess;

An abscess is defined as a sac or lump that contains pus. Abscesses are generally caused by bacteria, parasites, or foreign material under the skin. Trauma to the skin or underlying tissues may predispose to infection and abscess formation.

The hallmark signs of an abscess are pain and swelling in the area, as well as redness and an increased temperature of the skin overlying the abscess.

In the initial stages of abscess formation, the body's immune system detects an abnormality under the skin, which could be bacterial or foreign material or the death of cells caused by trauma or parasites. Once the immune system detects an abnormality, it increases the blood flow to that area; the blood vessels dilate, allowing certain white blood cells to gain access to the abnormal area. These white blood cells attempt to rid the area of the bacteria, foreign material or dead cells.



Pus is formed when the white blood cells die and accumulate in the affected area. As a protective mechanism the immune system also works to wall off this area from the rest of the body, by forming a fibrous capsule. This fibrous capsule keeps the pus confined to one area. If the bacteria or foreign material overwhelms the immune system, the pus continues to accumulate and the abscess becomes larger.

As time goes on, the wall surrounding the ever-growing pus pocket becomes thin, and at some point, it ruptures and pus drains out. Typically, the abscess ruptures to the exterior of the body, and you'll see the pus draining from the wound.
Some abscesses heal without treatment if the white blood cells are able to destroy the invading cells. In this case, the active source of continued infection will be eliminated and the body will slowly absorb the pus that was created during the battle to destroy the invading material.

Frequently, though, abscesses do not heal without treatment and veterinary care is recommended.

Most commonly, abscesses are related to a recent dog fight or other penetrating puncture wound. These should be treated by your veterinarian.

What to Watch For


Redness, swelling, pain and/or discharge from wound

Missing hair

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is generally based on physical exam findings of an abnormal lump. If the abscess has not ruptured, inserting a needle into the lump and drawing back on the syringe may indicate the presence of pus. If the abscess has ruptured, the diagnosis is made based on the presence of a lump with pus draining from the open wound.
Treatment

Treatment for an abscess depends of whether the abscess has ruptured. For abscesses that have not ruptured, an area of the skin over the lump is cleaned and the abscess is lanced. Pus will drain from the lump. This procedure may require heavy sedation or general anesthesia for your dog.

At this point, treatment for ruptured and non-ruptured abscesses is the same. After a majority of the pus has been removed from the abscess, a disinfectant solution such as povidone iodine or chlorhexidine is used to further flush the abscess and remove additional pus. After a thorough cleaning, antibiotics are generally prescribed to hasten healing and eliminate infection.

Home Care and Prevention

Home care for an abscess is aimed at helping the body's immune system fight off the infection. This may include the application of warm compresses for about 5-10 minutes 3- 4 times per day to help increase the flow of blood to the area. This in turn will increase the white blood cell population within the abscess, to better fight the infection.

If the abscess has ruptured, thorough cleaning is recommended. Often the wound is left open to drain during the healing process. During healing, it is imperative that your dog does not lick or chew at the abscess. Saliva is contaminated with bacteria and will only prolong and prevent healing. If you cannot keep your dog from licking at the area, an Elizabethan collar may be needed.

The best way to prevent abscesses is to try to prevent injuries that could result in abscesses. Keeping your dog away from other aggressive animals can reduce the chances of fights.

Also, prompt veterinary care after a fight, trauma or penetrating wound can prevent the formation of an abscess.

So again, their is a pretty high chance of infection is your case so go to another vet. If you say you can see deep in the wounded area, it could even be a more serious abcess than most or even something entirely different and more serious. Just go to the vet asap. Better safe than sorry.

[silent watcher]

thanks everyone. these are very helpful posts.
to corky: yes its the same vet, i completely lost my respect for him now as a vet!!!
i'll see another vet and i hope my mother will give me money for it.

to lara's mom and others:
i agree with u. its not normal even though that fraud vet say it so!!! have u seen the pic? it's way uglier than that. it is an abscess i think.

p.s: that fraud vet has been practicing for decades yet has not mastered his job!!! he always fails me and my dog !!!

[Kris L. Christine]

Silent Watcher,

I agree that you need to see another veterinarian immediately.

Since you did not mention any pus coming from the wound site, it is possible that your dog has/had a sterile abscess resulting from the rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccines contain adjuvants, which are inflammatory components used to enhance the immunological response, they cause swelling at the injection site.

New-Age Vaccine Adjuvants: Friend or Foe? - A major unsolved challenge in adjuvant development is how to achieve a potent adjuvant effect while avoiding reactogenicity or toxicity - BioPharm "Vaccine-caused adverse effects can be separated into two types: local and systemic reactions. Local reactions range from injection site pain, inflammation, and swelling, to granulomas, sterile abscess formation, lymphadenopathy, and ulceration."

Yearly vaccines could have lethal consequences for your pet "There are other problems that vaccination can cause, such as anaphylactic reaction, hives, injection-site soreness and sterile abscess,"

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by silent watcher

thanks everyone. these are very helpful posts.
to corky: yes its the same vet, i completely lost my respect for him now as a vet!!!
i'll see another vet and i hope my mother will give me money for it.

to lara's mom and others:
i agree with u. its not normal even though that fraud vet say it so!!! have u seen the pic? it's way uglier than that. it is an abscess i think.

p.s: that fraud vet has been practicing for decades yet has not mastered his job!!! he always fails me and my dog !!!

I am very happy to hear you are going to take your poor puppy to a different vet! It will cost more money but if your dog was in real danger if this wasn't taken care of---You would never forgive yourself if he died because of it. And the sooner you take him--the better, because if things got worse--It might take longer to get him better and more expense too. Please keep us posted on how he is doing---I don't like to keep worrying and wondering what happened. Good luck with the new vet and getting your dog back to good health!

[silent watcher]

hi everyone!!! my mom didn't allow me to go for another vet because of financial reasons. SO i just did what todd's post say. i wash the wound with soap and water, dry it out then apply betadine(providone-iodine). i put bandage to it then tie it up so my dog doesn't lick it(bacteria are present on saliva). for 3 days, the wound is healing and now my dog is fine!!! i save thousands of pesos(45 pesos is 1 USD! hehe! thanks to all of u especially to corky and ms. christine!

[Todd]

Originally Posted by silent watcher

hi everyone!!! my mom didn't allow me to go for another vet because of financial reasons. SO i just did what todd's post say. i wash the wound with soap and water, dry it out then apply betadine(providone-iodine). i put bandage to it then tie it up so my dog doesn't lick it(bacteria are present on saliva). for 3 days, the wound is healing and now my dog is fine!!! i save thousands of pesos(45 pesos is 1 USD! hehe! thanks to all of u especially to corky and ms. christine!

I'm so glad everything turned out alright!

[CorkyMax]

Good to hear that your dog is doing okay! And glad you let us know so we don't keep worrying! Give your Tiptop a big hug!