@Alex:
Basenjis seem to be very sensitive to vaccinations. What types of negative reactions should one expect and what are some remedies?
Alex,
You are observant, and because Basenjis are a smaller breed, data indicates that they are more prone to adverse vaccinal reactions than larger breeds.
Vaccinal adverse reactions are becoming more recognized and acknowledged in the veterinary community – in an August 1, 2008 article in DVM360 entitled Vaccination: An Overview http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=568351,Dr. Melissa Kennedy states that of the two types of vaccinal adverse reactions: "The first is immediate hypersensitivity. This may be a local or systemic response, and is due to pre-existing antibody to the agent. This is the classic "allergic reaction" to the vaccine and can be life-threatening. The second is a delayed response, requiring days of longer to develop. The vaccine, seen as foreign, elicits a significant inflammatory response and is especially true for adjuvanted vaccines. This response can manifest as a granuloma, or more seriously, a fibrosarcoma ."
Further, she reports that "The likelihood of adverse reactions in dogs has been found to correlate with the size of the dog and the number of inoculations given, with higher risk associated with small size and multiple inoculations. "
If you click on this linkhttp://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=3980 , you will be taken to a post entitled 2008 REPORT ON RABIES VACCINE ADVERSE REACTIONS IN DOGS which describes the types and percentages of reported adverse reactions to the rabies vaccines such as:
"Rabies vaccines are the most common group of biological products identified in adverse event reports received by the CVB," and they give the following description of the adverse reaction followed by the % of dogs affected: Vomiting-28.1%, Facial Swelling-26.3%, Injection Site Swelling or Lump-19.4%, Lethargy-12%, Urticaria-10.1%, Circulatory shock-8.3%, Injection site pain-7.4%, Pruritus-7.4%, Injection site alopecia or hair loss-6.9%, Death-5.5%, Lack of Consciousness-5.5%, Diarrhea-4.6%, Hypersensitivity (not specified)-4.6%, Fever-4.1%, Anaphylaxis-2.8%, Ataxia-2.8%, Lameness-2.8%, General signs of pain-2.3%, Hyperactivity-2.3%, Injection site scab or crust-2.3%, Muscle tremor-2.3%, Tachycardia-2.3%, and Thrombocytopenia-2.3%.
This link http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=7270 will take you to a recent post entitled, Vaccines – Adverse Events within Three Days JAVMA 10/1/05 with quotes from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association such as:
"The risk of a VAAE in this study population was inversely related to a dog's weight."
"…each additional vaccine administered per office visit increased the rate of a VAAE by 24.2%.."
"The risk of allergic reaction has been reported to increase after the third or fourth injection of a vaccine (ie, a booster response)."
"Neutering appeared to increase risk of a VAAE ..."
