distemper vaccine yesterday today she's hiding & grumpy

DH took Belle & Dillon in yesterday evening for check up.

Belle had her recheck since she was recently sick. Her ears & sinuses were all clear, in good health. She was over due for her vaccine, last one was spring 08. Today she has eaten very little, was out earlier, but now she is very grumpy & hiding. I've never had a cat do this. She does not seem to be in distress but is not herself. confused_cat
Has anyone every had this happen, we have a call into the vet but they are gone for the night?

To make us even feel worse today is her 3 year annifursary with us, she's ticked at us angry(2)_cat

Any insight would be appreciated...

 

No idea if this is the same thing that's happening with your Belle or not, but maybe ... I dunno, ten years or so ago, my Gwyn was given a vaccination by eye drops. I *think* it was distemper + upper respiratory viruses. Anyway, while she didn't have an allergic reaction or anything to the shot itself, it did make her pretty ill for the week following -- fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, tempermental, hiding away from folks, etc, etc. I spoke with my vet and we agreed that we would never give her that particular vaccine again. It's noted in huge letters on her file but, every year when I bring her in for her shots, I make sure to mention again that we're not ever doing the eye-drop vaccine.

I hope Belle's feeling better quickly!

 

Hi JJ, that is good to know.
We just switched back to our old vet. I wonder if it was a different vaccine than what the previous vet used on her.
Thank you. Dh said they gave her a shot in the butt.

 

A few cats feel crappy after shots. You said the distemper was given in the butt. The standard is to give to give the distemper in the right front arm. Rabies goes in the right rear. A right limb get the FeLV but I do not remember if it is from or back since that vaccination is not common.

 

Hi Larry,
I asked DH, he said it was on the right side towards the back. Said the vaccine was pink.
I looked at the receipt it says FVR-CP Vaccine (kv)
I hope it wasn't the FeLV vaccine.
Thanks for the info

 

FVR-CP is a combo vaccine for feline distemper (aka Panleukopenia) and upper respiratory viruses (rhinotracheitis and calici).

 

Yep some cats have adverse reactions to vaccines. I hope she feels better soon. Is she eating?
Also, that vaccine is supposed to be given in the left rear leg...as low as possible on the limb. Happy annifursary though!!

 

Per the American Association of Feline Practitioners, vaccinations sites are as follows. The distemper falls into tis category: "• Injectable vaccines containing antigens limited to FPV, FHV-1, and FCV (with or without Chlamydophila felis) should be administered SC on
the lateral side of the right forelimb below the elbow joint. "

http://www.catvets.com/uploads/PDF/2006 ... A_Plus.pdf
"injectable vaccination site recommendations

Vaccines designed to be given by injection should be administered by the SC route. Intramuscular administration does not mitigate the risk
of vaccine-associated sarcoma formation and may delay detection, should a mass develop.
To facilitate management of vaccine-associated sarcomas, to avoid multiple injectable vaccinations at single sites (a putative risk factor for
sarcoma formation201), and to aid in documenting vaccine placement, the following injection sites are recommended:
• Injectable vaccines containing antigens limited to FPV, FHV-1, and FCV (with or without Chlamydophila felis) should be administered SC on
the lateral side of the right forelimb below the elbow joint.
• Injectable vaccines containing Giardia lambliaantigen should be administered SC on the lateral side of the left forelimb below the elbow
joint.
• Injectable vaccines containing rabies virus antigen (plus any other antigen) should be administered SC on the lateral side of the right hind
limb below the stifle joint (vaccine-associated sarcomas arising in the proximal femoral area are difficult to completely excise; thus, place-
ment of vaccines in this area is strongly discouraged).
• Injectable vaccines containing FeLV or FIV antigen (plus any other antigen except rabies) should be administered SC on the lateral side of
the left hind limb below the stifle joint (vaccine-associated sarcomas arising in the proximal femoral area are difficult to completely excise;
placement of vaccines in this area is strongly discouraged).
• Injection sites of other medications should be recorded.
MMoonniittoorriinngg ooff ppoossttvvaacccciinnaattiioonn mmaasssseess
Encourage clients to monitor vaccination sites and to contact their veterinarian if a mass is detected. Biopsy the mass (incisional or wedge
biopsy or multiple cores with a Tru-Cut–type device) if any of the following criteria are met (the 3-2-1 rule):
• the mass is present 3 months after vaccination.
• the mass is ≥2 cm in diameter.
• the mass is increasing in size after 1 month. "

 

Sugar has often gotten like this or sicker after vaccinations. I think my vet has now let the city know she does not need vaccines now because they stopped bugging me, but she has really had a lot of trouble. The Purevax seem to do her ok for rabies, but honestly, she is such a picky eater to begin with vaccine reactions can get very bad for her. She spent 3 days in the hospital being force fed after one shot. So, it's not horribly unusual but if it lasts more than 24 hours, get her back to the vet.

 

Thanks all for the great info.

Belle is feeling better this morning. No longer hiding & grumpy. She has eaten well also. Vet called DH first thing this morning, asked him some questions. There was no facial swelling or difficulty breathing, that would have serious.

I remembered later on that Bootsie our other girl actually started puking & had trouble breathing, at the vet the last time she was vaccinated. They gave her some sort of shot to stop it. So she doesn't get the vaccine anymore.

 

:shock: Anaphylactic reaction! Scary! Are the two cats related?

 

I thought the current recommendation was to vaccinate every 3 years, not annually.

 

Karen, nope no related that we know of. Although we took both of them in a strays off our street. But it was 2 years apart.

Deanie, the rabies vaccine around here is every 3, but the other shots are every year.

 

No, I just went and looked it up. AAFP guidelines say no more than every 3 years for FVRCP vaccine.

http://www.catvets.com/uploads/HTML/VaccineSummary.html

 

Thank you for the info Deanie. That page is now bookmarked & printed out.

 

Sorry about my misinfo...I was thinking leukemia vaccine...that goes in left rear leg(thanks Larry). But I am so glad she is doing better!!
My Phoebe did have the face swelling after a round of vaccines years ago so anytime she needs one(which I personally opt not to do) she has to get a shot of benadryl first.
I hope this was just a fluke for you guys!