Little Rant? (maybe)

[Graceful-Lily]

This one is cheaper, but it doesn't include an exam, from what I saw.
Fees

What the vets claim and what the latest research shows are two different kettles of fish. The vets claim that the binder used to make the vaccine last three years is what's triggering the cancer, the binder for the one year is totally different. The latest research says that it's the actual injection doing it, not the vaccine, not the binder, whenever you put anything via needle into the skin (including subcutaneous fluids) that can cause injection site sarcoma. Why the vets are parroting the old studies and not talking about the newest study, I don't know.

That may be the case. However, a lot of the stories I've read have been about dogs that were getting vaccinated for the first time. Their owners were skeptical about vaccination but then decided to have it done. When they did, their pets fell ill and lots of them died. Daisy has already been jabbed twice on the right or left side (honestly can't remember). So should she be vaccinated on another side? With my cats, the vet usually does it on the back of the neck or the lower side of the cat.

 

[kashmir64]

That may be the case. However, a lot of the stories I've read have been about dogs that were getting vaccinated for the first time. Their owners were skeptical about vaccination but then decided to have it done. When they did, their pets fell ill and lots of them died. Daisy has already been jabbed twice on the right or left side (honestly can't remember). So should she be vaccinated on another side? With my cats, the vet usually does it on the back of the neck or the lower side of the cat.

Why is she getting jabbed on the side? You give a dog and cat an inoculation by lifting the skin on the neck and jabbing them just beneath the skin. Rabies of course is different.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I'm not sure. Both veterinarians gave her the shot on her low side. Forgot which side it was. Is that bad??

 

[kashmir64]

It's not bad. It's just that there is a lot of muscle there and can definitely cause soreness. I don't understand why they would do it right there.
The core shots is not a muscle shot, so there is no reason.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Oh dear. I had no idea. That makes me even more anxious. She was walking odd for a while after the vaccinations too. Like... weeks. I thought it was because I had stepped on her but now that I think about it...

And she got it on the same exact side both times...

 

[kashmir64]

When you take her to the vaccination clinic, ask them why a vet would do this.

Edit: And let me know because it makes no sense to me.

Another edit: There was a dog breeder who joined a month or so ago. If I can find his post, and he's still here, I will message him and find out why a shot would go there.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I definitely will. August 1st is the appointment. It's the only open date they had available so I took it. I'm also curious because every time my cats get vaccinations or antibiotics, it's given at the back of the neck. There is just so much skin on her neck back, it would make more sense. It's also more uncomfortable on her side because they have to literally pin her down. I've always gotten my vaccinations in my arm and my muscle would hurt for weeks since I have strong arms. Daisy also seems to have a good muscle tone since she's been getting raw meat so I can only imagine.

 

[kashmir64]

I searched all the back to April and couldn't find it. I will look more later, but I have something to do now. I may not be able to find this person. But, I am still friends with the person who bred my Miniature Schnauzer, so I may ask her.

This is bothering me. Now I'm really curious.

 

[jcat]

I haven't seen a dog or cat vaccinated in the neck region or between the shoulder blades in years (actually decades: the last time was when our last cat got his first kitten shots in mid-1999, and he didn't get the second round in the back of the neck). The American Animal Hospital Association and international veterinary bodies recommend specific sites for the different vaccinations not only due to the chance of vaccination site sarcoma, but also in order to easily be able to determine which vaccine may have caused an allergic reaction. In dogs, for example, the rabies vaccination is usually given in the right rear leg, while the core combination shot (distemper, etc.) is administered in (or near) the front right leg. The leptospirosis shot is in the left rear leg. Another consideration when establishing the guidelines was the chance of self-vaccination, i.e., the vets jabbing themselves. This is a short summary of the recommendations for cats:
VAFSTF Vaccine Site Recommendations

The recommendations evolve, and how your vet does it may depend on when and where she got her degree. It may soon be the case that cats will be inoculated against rabies and FeLV in their tails, which some vets are already doing.

 

[kashmir64]

Wow. That's interesting. All the vets I have used give it to them in the neck. When I took my kittens in for their series, it was given in the neck. Last year, I even had a vet show me how to give shots (which I had been doing for years) and she showed me in the neck.
Other than rabies, I have never heard of giving a shot anyplace else.

Thank you for the info.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

That's interesting indeed. Has anyone been able to find reliable studies that have been done about injections and all the ailments I listen previously? I'd like to have a look but I don't know if the ones I found are good enough. I'd also like to know if there is anyway to prevent such occurrences. I use to have a Jack Russell that got vaccinated on the same side for years and nothing happened to me that I know of. Yet again, that dog was literally a bullet. He could dodge cars and he rarely ever got sick. I can't even remember him being sick. Are some dogs just more likely to have this happen to them?

 

[inkysmom]

I don't know about good studies but my pets have all been getting vaccinated in various legs or butt for the past few years. Not the neck anymore. My horses still get them in the neck though but horses don't have any muscle in their lower legs.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I see. I guess I can just ask the veterinarian during the examination then. Hopefully they will know since it's strictly a vaccination/spay/neuter clinic.

 

[kashmir64]

Maybe I'm stubborn or maybe I'm just old school, but I'm going to continue to give shots where I've always given them. It's only once a year and I've never had a problem.

 

[inkysmom]

That's your choice to make and it's fine no one's saying not to. Horses get them in the neck since there's nowhere else to get them. But horses do get bad reactions to shots. My ancient mare had a bad reaction to a flu shot a few years ago and can't get that one shot anymore.
Maybe the thinking is if they do get injection site cancer there's less blood flow to extremities so easier to contain and treat the cancer? Or worst case scenario you can amputate a limb to save the pets life but obviously can't amputate the neck? Just guessing on my part.

 

[kashmir64]

That's your choice to make and it's fine no one's saying not to. Horses get them in the neck since there's nowhere else to get them. But horses do get bad reactions to shots. My ancient mare had a bad reaction to a flu shot a few years ago and can't get that one shot anymore.
Maybe the thinking is if they do get injection site cancer there's less blood flow to extremities so easier to contain and treat the cancer? Or worst case scenario you can amputate a limb to save the pets life but obviously can't amputate the neck? Just guessing on my part.

That may be what they are thinking. Personally, If I believed everything people say about "it causes cancer", then I would be living in a plastic bubble for fear of getting it. (some are true, however)
It kind of like coffee...depending on what you believe, it will either kill you or cure you. lol

 

[arouetta]

Maybe the thinking is if they do get injection site cancer there's less blood flow to extremities so easier to contain and treat the cancer? Or worst case scenario you can amputate a limb to save the pets life but obviously can't amputate the neck? Just guessing on my part.

If vets were thinking that they wouldn't be putting them in the hip. The article that talked of the latest research said that shots should be the lower leg or tail because sarcoma is aggressive and a leg or tail amputation would be far easier on the cat than dealing with it in the main body.

I'm just still mad that two different vets lied and said it's the 3 year binder. The article I read last month outlining the research that showed the injection itself is the problem and made recommendations to change the injection sites was pretty clear and should have been acknowledged by both vets.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

But is cancer and all those other illnesses something I should worry about with Daisy when she gets her last vaccinations? Reading all this makes me feel anxious and uneasy. They say it's a rare occurrence but I've read so many awful stories.

 

[kashmir64]

It can happen. And on rare occasions, it does happen. But IMO I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would worry more about distemper or parvo, and from what you have said about wildlife, rabies.
I always looked at things this way. If it's a rare occurrence, then there is a better chance of getting run over by a bus than the occurrence happening. So why stress yourself over it.

 

[inkysmom]

I've had a couple of different vets tell me it's the 3 year vaccine for rabies and distemper that can cause injection site cancer as well but not the one year vaccine. Regular vet doesn't even carry the three years anymore. So I avoid going there as much as possible. They either lied or are not staying current on the research.
Since the last puppy booster isn't a 3 year shot anyway, a vet wouldn't tell there's an increased risk. It's still important to make sure she has as much immunity to parvote as possible since it's such an awful and deadly disease.