Hello...

[Gigi]

@sass7656 Sorry to hear about your dog ending up with a lifelong autoimmune disease and after 6 years lost the battle. I hesitated to post this at such a sad time, but even though it’s not the norm, dogs are having a lot more negative reactions to vaccines than most people realize, it’s more the adjunctives/additives in the vaccines that cause problems. The lower the weight of the dog the worse they can react. Can search about this online and find lots of info on it. Will also find it to be as controversial as children's vaccines. This is why I chose a holistic vet - my girl received all her core vaccines mercury free and thimerosal free. She also did not receive any multiple vaccines, all were given individually. It was a decision I made after researching both sides. So sad to hear these stories.

[packmom]

Sadly I was told she passed away this morning. I don't know exactly what happened, but it sounds like all of the pups had a reaction to the vaccine and our little girl along with a 2 of her siblings didn't pull through. This has devastated our family. We were all very attached to her, my daughter wanted to name her Opal. We will miss her without ever getting to know her.

[ChrisF]

So very sorry, I did not even know this happens. What a crushing blow to the heart.

[Sass7656]

I am so heartbroken for you guys! That is truly devastating news. Even I all the way in Canada was excited for you guys. It is even harder when kids are involved, they just have a hard time understanding these things and it hurts so much when their little hearts break. Where are you guys located? Is there any way to find another dog for your family. I know it won’t be the same and it’s awful to feel she could be replaced but to have your child be so heartbroken is truly devastating as a parent. Maybe consider adopting another breed? I hate to say that too as I would hate to not have a basenji, but if they are super hard to find it can be hard to wait a whole year for their breeding cycle to happen again. Maybe put your name out here and see if there are any breeders with puppies still. I think my breeder still has one available, she is in Washington. Is that too far for you guys?

[DebraDownSouth]

Such severe reaction...I've never heard of. Please let us know what vaccine and who made it if you can so others can be cautious. Please make sure the breeder reports to the drug company and fda. One of my Rottweiler pups had a reaction to lepto. Her head was swollen like a manatee. Fortunately, her breeder is a very experienced vet tech and treated her fast.

I am terribly sorry. Such a sad loss for the breeder and waiting families.

[eeeefarm]

This seems like an extremely rare incident. I would suspect a bad batch of vaccine, and presumably the veterinarian involved will be looking into it. Such a painful loss for you. I do hope that you find a way to heal your heart and comfort your children. The breeder must be devastated to lose three puppies in such a tragic way.

There is a take away message here. We never expect "routine" vaccinations will bring tragedy, but it does happen. Years ago I was in a Vet's waiting room, the client ahead of me had just left. She returned and asked the receptionist for paper towels, as her dog had just vomited in her car. Amazingly, the receptionist supplied the towels and did not alert the vet! I asked what the dog had had done, and the answer was vaccination. I yelled at the tech and the vet that they had a problem and they hurried out to the parking lot, returning with the dog which they took to a back room to work on. He recovered from a vaccine reaction, but it was touch and go for a few minutes. The client might have just driven away......and lost her pet. Reactions like this are not common, but they do happen and can be life threatening.

There is a reason humans are asked to wait a few minutes after receiving a flu shot at a clinic. In my experience, most veterinary offices do not request this after shots, but they should. Always keep a close eye on your animal after these "routine" office visits if any medication has been given. Any unusual behavior in the days following vaccination should also be a red flag. Auto immune reactions can take a while to show up, and can be very serious. If the dog seems to be a little "off", you need to pay attention....

[packmom]

@sass7656 We've been scouring the BCOA site and AKC to see if we can find another breeder with puppies available. It's not easy, and the ones we've found are not close. I feel like we've already been waiting forever for her, and I'm starting to wonder if it just wasn't meant to be. Emotions are still raw, so it's not easy to think rationally right now. I figure we should sit back and regroup before we jump into something that may not be right for our family or the puppy. Because of the distance involved (and I'm squeamish about shipping puppies), the cost quickly becomes prohibitive when you figure in travel.

[Gigi]

Pet parents are sharing their negative vaccine experiences on various pet forums, it's not just dogs. They range from mild to serious and they can happen within minutes or take years to show up in one degree or another. Have to factor in a pup's health and the possibility of a bad batch of vaccine too. Being we do have to vaccinate our pets all anyone can do is research online and decide whatever they believe is best. It’s the same with humans, I go to my doctor once a year for an annual checkup and CBC, I’m always recommended vaccines, I politely refuse them go home and research. My husband almost got talked into the shingles vaccine, thankfully he didn’t get it. Merck has since admitted it can cause eye problems and possibly shingles. The only thing anyone can do is be proactive today.

I hope you find another puppy packmom. I agree about not shipping. Opal didn’t get the chance to come home, but she will always be in your hearts.

[CrazySenji]

I’m so so sorry this happened to you and your family. Death from a vaccine reaction is extremely rare if imediate vet care is provided. I’ve seen the occasional reaction but very very few are severe and we’ve never lost a patient. I can only speculate what went wrong :(. Where are you looking for breeders? Your profile says Indiana and I know several in the the surrounding states.

[Patty]

I'm really sorry to hear about your pup and do hope you find a way to deal with this especially for your daughter. Vaccines are a controversial subject and not appropriate to talk about that now but hopefully this won't happen again should you decide to have another puppy. I note that several other posters say this is rare. My prayers are with you.