Cat's reaction to rabies vaccine?

[torinsmom]

I took my two older cats to a rabies clinic today and had them vaccinated. There was lots of drama, since neither of them likes to travel. Once we got home, all seemed fine for about 2 hours. Then my male cat(who is a Bengal) started walking around the house yowling. When the other cats try to groom him or even get near him, he growls. He lays down for 2 minutes, then gets up and walks around, then lays down, then walks around. He basically seems uncomfortable. This has been going on for the last hour or so.

I know everything says that being sore, mild fever and sluggishness are normal. Swelling, vomiting, and itching(how do you know if a cat itches) are NOT normal, but usually happen shortly after vaccination. My only option for a vet is the emergency vet, which is $100 just to walk in the door. THey don't give advice over the phone.

Has anyone had experience with vaccine reactions? I WILL take him to the vet if things don't change or get worse.

Marsha

 

[lisajl]

Sounds like a reaction to me. I work for a vet and we see it every so often.
Sometimes it is vomiting, sometimes swelling. It sounds like your cat is in pain.
How is he doing now?
Some lethargy lasts for 24 hours, but that yowling you are talking about makes me nervous.

 

[sunnyday123]

My male cat does that after a trip to the vet-for any reason. He's mad so he paces and yowls and is mean to the girls if they try to get too close to him. Do his ears feel warm? I know that sounds crazy but one of my girls had an eye infection once and the vet tech told me if they have a fever, their ears will be warm. ( kinda like a kid and their forehead?)

He doesn't sound lethargic and that's usually a typical reaction. Is he eating and drinking?

 

[TashaRVT]

He needs to be seen - I'd get him checked out sooner rather than later.

Yet another reason NOT to give rabies clinics your business.

 

[torinsmom]

Sounds like a reaction to me. I work for a vet and we see it every so often.
Sometimes it is vomiting, sometimes swelling. It sounds like your cat is in pain. How is he doing now?
Some lethargy lasts for 24 hours, but that yowling you are talking about makes me nervous.

Still acting the same way, but not quite as much. He is not lethargic; if anything he is restless. He will come lie down by me like he wants to snuggle and then get up and turn around the opposite way, start growling and get up and walk off. He got on top of the cat tree and turned around so much that he almost knocked it over.

It is not necessarily a painful yowl; it's more a growly meow. It is the yowl he usually makes if we are irritating him. My son plays a game where he touches one side of the cat's body, then when he turns, he touches the other side, etc. The cat makes this noise then or if I bring him in from a walk before he is ready. Sometimes he makes it if he wants to go outside too.

My male cat does that after a trip to the vet-for any reason. He's mad so he paces and yowls and is mean to the girls if they try to get too close to him. Do his ears feel warm? I know that sounds crazy but one of my girls had an eye infection once and the vet tech told me if they have a fever, their ears will be warm. ( kinda like a kid and their forehead?)

He doesn't sound lethargic and that's usually a typical reaction. Is he eating and drinking?

His ears feel somewhat warm. He also hates going to the vet. He hasn't eaten or drank that I know since we got back at around 2:30, but I haven't followed him around. He has urinated and had a BM since we got back though(he makes a lot of noise with the litter when he goes)

Yet another reason NOT to give rabies clinics your business.

We have to get rabies vaccinations here in NC. The clinics have the same vaccines as the vets office from what I have been told. I think I will need to switch to the Pure Vax for this guy though. I'm going to decide here in the next hour whether to take him in or not. I have to figure out where to get the money. They won't just look at him; they'll probably insist on taking blood and giving fluids, etc.

Marsha

 

[horseshowmom]

He needs to be seen - I'd get him checked out sooner rather than later.

Yet another reason NOT to give rabies clinics your business.

I'm not sure what a possible reaction to a vaccination has to do with a rabies clinic.

OP, I hope your furbaby is better soon!

 

[Imzadi]

Is he just hyped up from the trip? Maybe he was expecting things to be "normal" when he got home, but the other kitties don't smell right. They have that "been to the vet" smell to them now, and it's annoying him and weirding him out.

 

[horseshowmom]

Is he just hyped up from the trip? Maybe he was expecting things to be "normal" when he got home, but the other kitties don't smell right. They have that "been to the vet" smell to them now, and it's annoying him and weirding him out.

Honestly, that's what I was thinking too. I've had cats that would get really irritated by trips to the vet and act out in strange ways. Of course, I wouldn't presume to guess though because you never know. Since lisajl works for a vet, I would certainly defer to her.

The normal temp for a cat is 100.0 - 102.5 (my cats have generally been on the higher side of that). You might try taking his temp.

 

[torinsmom]

Okay, $130 later and I have a cat full of benadryl and an anti inflammatory drug. I broke down and took him to the emergency vet despite my not having the money and it being a 15 mile drive in the nasty, foggy rain. I guess I now need to figure out how to cover that check I wrote on Friday.

He did NOT have hives that I could see when we left home. Well, once I got him out of the carrier at the vet, he had them over his eyes and inside his ears were BEET RED! He was also swallowing weird and was drooling. The vet said it was definitely a reaction, but not bad enough not to get the rabies vac again. She said my vet should give him benadryl before he gets vaccinated again. She said I can also give him 10-25 mg of benadryl every 8-12 hours if he still has hives tomorrow.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I was glad not to get the posts that said I was stupid for posting on the Dis. Sometimes there are gray areas, and I have learned from experience that at least one person on the Dis knows a lot about anything you ask!

Marsha

 

[sunnyday123]

I did not know cats could get hives!!!

Glad he's doing ( or going to be ) better-and don't worry about it being from a rabies clinic-they are always a vet, they use the same medications. I've gone to them for over 6 years with cats and dogs, and took my new puppy for her last round of shots at a clinic-$59 vs. $200 +...yea, I'm going with the clinic.

 

[torinsmom]

I did not know cats could get hives!!!

Glad he's doing ( or going to be ) better-and don't worry about it being from a rabies clinic-they are always a vet, they use the same medications. I've gone to them for over 6 years with cats and dogs, and took my new puppy for her last round of shots at a clinic-$59 vs. $200 +...yea, I'm going with the clinic.

I didn't know cats could get hives either, but they can and mine did. Cats don't scratch them like dogs. The vet said they mostly yowl when they are itchy.

I don't blame the clinic. I have used them for 15 years on and off. My dog is 11 and has never had a rabies shot at the vet. Same for the cat who died last year at 18 years old. This was a reaction to the SHOT, not the clinic. Heck, my regular vet used to work with this clinic until she moved to the beach. They even gave us a paper about possible reactions, although yowling and acting like you have lost your mind were not on there

Here is crazy, yowly boy when he does NOT have hives.

Marsha

 

[Imzadi]

Good for you for taking Kitty in and kudos to lisajl for being around and knowing what to do.

Doesn't Benedryl make one sleepy? Hopefully Kitty will sleep off the symptoms.


Marsha, you might want to hold off on mentioning this to your mom.

You had a bad string of kitty luck the last few months. You don't need to hear another comment about having cats from her.

 

[torinsmom]

Good for you for taking Kitty in and kudos to lisajl for being around and knowing what to do.

Doesn't Benedryl make one sleepy? Hopefully Kitty will sleep off the symptoms.


Marsha, you might want to hold off on mentioning this to your mom.

You had a bad string of kitty luck the last few months. You don't need to hear another comment about having cats from her.

Yep, thanks lisajil. Between what you said and something I read on the internet (agitation and restlessness can be signs of a reaction), I couldn't NOT take Pharaoh in. Money or not, I would never forgive myself if something happened to him.

I HAVE had bad kitty luck lately. Since I got these two youngest last September, we have had 2 we knew had calicivirus. Pharaoh had a bad bout of it and cost me $400 at the same emergency vet and lots of TLC at home to save putting him in there overnight. Then his sister Onyx got it on her nose--yuck! Luckily, she did not have to go to the vet. Pharaoh had a relapse a few months later and there went another $200.

Then in July, we discovered that my little Siamese(who prob. brought the calcivirus into our house) must have had it and it settled in her gums. They went in to clean her teeth and remove anything bad an ALL her teeth behind her canines just came out in the vet's hands. I think she cost me about $500 over that trip! Now, $130 for Pharaoh again. So........$1200 in the last year for kitty medical care! And to top it off, I found out I am allergic to cats in the spring, LOL.

I would buy pet insurance, but I can't afford to get it for all of them. You know that anything bad will happen to the one(s) I don't have insurance on!

My mom is just kidding when she fusses at me. She has only one cat, and that one costs her more than all 4 of mine. She has food allergies, recurrent ear infections, and constant constipation. She is also deaf and an antisocial cat. She is no more amazed than I am that I have 4 cats now. Sometimes I look at them and wonder how this happened!

Marsha

 

[lisajl]

awww.thanks. I raised 5 kittens from about 1 week old and they have vaccine reactions. The reaction sounded just like what we see with our cats.
I have them pre-treated with dexamethasone before we give the shots.
They are MUCH better with the dex shot on board. When you have three of them crying, vomiting and hissing...not good. Luckily since I work there I just ran them right back to the office and got them taken care of.
Sorry you had to go to the E-clinic, but glad your kitty is better.

Lisa

 

[torinsmom]

awww.thanks. I raised 5 kittens from about 1 week old and they have vaccine reactions. The reaction sounded just like what we see with our cats.
I have them pre-treated with dexamethasone before we give the shots.
They are MUCH better with the dex shot on board. When you have three of them crying, vomiting and hissing...not good. Luckily since I work there I just ran them right back to the office and got them taken care of.
Sorry you had to go to the E-clinic, but glad your kitty is better.

Lisa

Next time, my cats will get their shot at the vet. I am assuming that if they have a reaction, I wouldn't get charged for the office visit for that.

The E vet said they should give him benadryl before the next shot. DO you think that's enough or should I ask for the dexamethasone?

Pharaoh's hives are gone, but he's not quite back to normal. He has been sitting in the kitchen all morning for some reason. He's eating and drinking on and off; maybe he is a little hungover from the beandryl?

Marsha

 

[lisajl]

Next time, my cats will get their shot at the vet. I am assuming that if they have a reaction, I wouldn't get charged for the office visit for that.

The E vet said they should give him benadryl before the next shot. DO you think that's enough or should I ask for the dexamethasone?

Pharaoh's hives are gone, but he's not quite back to normal. He has been sitting in the kitchen all morning for some reason. He's eating and drinking on and off; maybe he is a little hungover from the beandryl?

Marsha

Yes, I would tell your vet what happened. Actually, call them tomorrow and let them know how he is doing. We always mark on the charts of any pet that has had a reaction to the vaccine. That way when you go in for the next rabies vacc they can pretreat him right then.
If a pet comes back to us after a vaccine with a reaction, we don't charge them for the shot. But, every vet office is different, so you may want to check. As for the benadryl, it can be making him drowsy...it does that to me!
Lisa

 

[sunnyday123]

Next time, my cats will get their shot at the vet. I am assuming that if they have a reaction, I wouldn't get charged for the office visit for that.

The E vet said they should give him benadryl before the next shot. DO you think that's enough or should I ask for the dexamethasone?

Pharaoh's hives are gone, but he's not quite back to normal. He has been sitting in the kitchen all morning for some reason. He's eating and drinking on and off; maybe he is a little hungover from the beandryl?

Marsha

I would make sure to ask about that 2nd office visit first...they may very well charge you. But you could ask what you could do to prevent any future reactions.

 

[torinsmom]

I would make sure to ask about that 2nd office visit first...they may very well charge you. But you could ask what you could do to prevent any future reactions.

At least now I know that I can give benadryl. Had I known that last night, I would have tried that first. NOw I know the dosage and the sign of an allergy.

Marsha

 

[horseshowmom]

At least you'll only need the rabies shot every 3 years.

 

[Imzadi]

At least you'll only need the rabies shot every 3 years.

Unless she had opted for the 1 year shot, which I heard was supposed to be better.