Cross posted from another list, this happened in NSW recently. Permission is given to cross post.
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Hi All
I am a very recent addition to this list and would never ever have thought that
I would be writing to it for the reason that I am.
2 1/2 weeks ago I took four of our dogs to the local vet for their routine
annual vaccinations - two young ones (8 yrs & 4 yrs old), Touch (13 yrs) and
Jodie (12 yrs). These four were given a C 3 vaccination by needle and the kennel
cough protection was given directly down the nose. Our 5th. dog Narnie (12 yrs)
had had a C 5 vaccination a couple of days earlier. I queried the different
method of giving the kennel cough vaccine and the vet advised that it was new
and more effective. 10 days later Jodie developed breathing difficulties,
gagging violently when trying to take air in, and starting to cough. The next
day Touch started to cough also. The two younger dogs were not effected. Over
the next couple of days, with both older dogs on antibiotics, Jodie got better
but poor Touch got worse and worse. Unbeknown to us the violent coughing was not
only causing her (and us) mental stress but also considerable physical stress.
Last Mon. evening in the garden she suddenly took a major seizure. She was still
in seizure 20mins. later when I arrived with her at the vets.. Tues. morning
confirmed that she had had a stroke. The coughing, as bad as ever, continued so
that afternoon we changed the antibiotic. That night she had another seizure.
Wed. morning saw me off to consult another vet, in panic mode, fpr a 2nd.
opinion. An immediate x-ray revealed that she had a chronic chest and lung
infection and was straight away put on a drip. A blood test also confirmed
serious problems with her kidneys badly effected. By Sat. morning she looked a
lot better, wobble-walking around the garden (but head quite level), doing her
toiletry and sniffing the odd ball as she passed it. Both the vet and I were
over-joyed and, on listening to her chest, he believed that she had beaten the
odds, but it was not to be. In the afternoon she started to go downhill in a
hurry. By 6.30 she was in extreme distress and I made the only decision left to
me.
Touch had never had a day's illness in her life. She was the excitement machine,
the instigator of all the action that happened at home - never ever still and
always full of the joys of spring. She's now dead thanks to a veterinary
practice that, as far as I'm concerned, should be outlawed. I don't know whether
it was the vaccine itself or the nasal method of delivery but one of them (or
both) kiilled her. The 2nd. vet I went to never has and never will use this
nasal delivery method. Further, because the company that manufactures the
vaccine and promotes the nasal delivery, continues to do so, he will not use any
of that company's products at all. So strongly does he believe it is bad and
I've since learned of another vet that believes the same.
My message to everybody, in as strong a way as possible, is IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE
TO HAVE YOUR DOGS VACCINATED EVERY YEAR DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ALLOW
YOUR VET TO USE THE NASAL DELIVERY FOR KENNEL COUGH. My little dynamo is now no
longer with us as a direct result of it.
Take this advice I beg you all.
Regards
Graham Elven.