> The vet assistant said it was quite common (not sure if he said Chis
> or toy dogs in general). What a bummer.
Luna had a severe histamine reaction to her vaccines two years ago. She
broke out in hives, and her face swelled up -- she even started sounding
wheezy. And that was despite the fact that my vet omits Lepto vaccine (it's
not a problem in our area) and on small dogs splits the vaccines two weeks
apart so they don't receive the whole vaccine punch at once.
My vet said that vaccinations are very tough on small dogs, and he now
recommends titers instead of boosters. This involves a simple, small blood
draw, which is then sent out to one of several labs all over the country.
The lab measures the antibodies in your dog's blood. If their antibodies
are still at a good level, there's no need for vaccination. Very
frequently, after the initial puppy vaccinations, your dog is actually
protected for life, or at least for five or more years. Every state that I
know of will accept titers instead of vaccination for purposes of licensing
your dog.
If your state only requires rabies vaccinations every three years, then you
need only have rabies titers run every three years as well.
It does cost more than just the vaccines, but a heck of a lot less than an
extra vet visit and antihistamine and/or steroid injections. And it's a lot
safer for your dog.
Anne
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