Kennel Cough vaccine side effect - seizure :(

On monday the hubby and I found out that we had to travel to Thailand the next day for business and coming back home on Thursday evening.  Since Marquez has been with us for 6 weeks, we really didn't want to put him in a kennel but absolutely had no choice.  After one of the kennels refused to take him in claiming he was related to a pit bull and that they don't take big dogs (a like because I've seen golden retrievers and labs in their pet hotel photos).  We found another that we used in the past who had no problems with our dogo so they gladly took Marquez in.  

Marquez went in on Tuesday morning and they advised us that he required the kennel cough vaccine.  Considering he had been living in a kennel environment his whole life we thought he was more than protected against kennel cough but they insisted that because it wasn't in his vaccine book (the previous owners gave us a dodgy one with stickers but no signatures or vet stamp) he needed it otherwise they wouldn't be able to take him in.  Because his new vet had him booked in a week later (this monday) we said ok so they gave it too him.  I was sending messages everyday to get progress reports from them about him and they did say he was stressed and not eating a lot of his food that we supplied which is normal as he eats 1/2 in the morning then the remainder in the afternoon so this wasn't a surprise for me. Everything else is normal from what they told us and when we got home on thursday evening he was so happy to see us and looked & acted normal.

Friday morning though, we went for our usual walk and since our last issue with overheating and doing a number of things to prevent it, he's been coming home after the walk better and cooled down with his breathing returning back to normal pretty quickly.  He was relaxing in his favourite spot under the aircon like he always does after his walks when 45 minutes later just after 9am he stood up and started what looked like choking/trying to catch air while foam and drool was coming out.  His body was also spasming.  It only last a couple of minutes and then he had this dazed look like he didn't know what had happened.  A couple of minutes after than he seemed normal again. I gave him some water which he drank more than I've ever seen him do and them he went an polished of almost all of his food which he's never done before.  I sent a message to my husband explaining what happened and he said to just keep an eye on him.  We were starting to suspect that his recent vaccination with Bronchi-Shield III was responsible for this.

About 11.30, we went upstairs and was having a rest and cuddles on the bed and just after 12,  it happened again but this time after he stopped the trying to catch air he started going round in circles also in a daze which I did manage to record.  Again he returned back to normal shortly afterwards like nothing happened.
I send the video to our vet as well as a description of what happened with the 2 incidences to get her and the other vets opinion and they believed that he had a mild epilepsy seizure brought on by stress of us leaving and then excitement of seeing us.  My husband had his office girl call the kennel too to let them know what had happened.  The lady immediately called me to ask what happened and to inform her if anything more happened.  Poor woman was really concerned as she knew and loved our dogo Marco and was shocked and saddened at his passing and it sounds like she's also fallen for Marquez.

Part of the second seizure


Just after 4pm while the hubby and I were grocery shopping, our daughter rang up in tears saying that Marquez looked like he was choking, drooling and foaming at the mouth.  I explained to her that he had done this already 2 times that day and that he will settle down in a couple of minutes and look like he doesn't know what happened.  That she had to stay calm and just talk gently to him.  She rang back a few minutes later to say that he was settled and that she gave him some water.  Have to admit that our daughter was really pissed at us for not warning her and she's right but I was hoping that it wouldn't have happened.  I told her that I didn't say anything because I knew she would worry but that she was right and I should've told her.

We started getting really worried then and was think that there was a pattern and if he was going to have another it would happen around 8pm.  Fortunately, after that 4pm episode he hasn't had anymore seizures.

What I want to know, has anyone else seen, heard or have this happened to their dogs?  I've been doing a lot of research and it is possible to happen.  Most vets will only consider them side effects/reactions if it happens immediately but there are others that say it can happen 2-5 days after the intranasal Bordetella [kennel cough vaccine].  Now I've seen first hand what vaccines can do to babies with my cousins youngest getting febrile convulsions after being vaccinated and as a result, whenever she would get a fever since then she would get convulsions so is now on medication to prevent/minimise them when she does have a fever now.

Are we way off mark with thinking that the vaccine was the cause of this?  I personally don't think we are.  We hate vaccines and antibiotics as it is and made the choice not to vaccinate all our previous dogs after their their first booster (after their puppy shots) as well as doing the same for our daughter. She got her first lot before we learnt that they aren't always a safe or healthy thing and as a result have an extremely healthy daughter while all her cousins and friends who have gotten every single one are ALWAYS sick and catch everything going around (Please don't start a vaccine debate - I'm just explaining that we choose not to do it anymore with our daughter are aware of the risks). The only reason why we've had to do it this time with Marquez is that he does need them recorded correctly because we are moving overseas later this year (and looks like he'll be coming with us to europe for our summer vacation and if us girls have it our way, we'll be staying there and not coming back to Indo ) and there is no getting out of this.

I will be forwarding all this info to our vet
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2011/12/17/why-vets-dont-recognize-vaccine-reactions/
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2009/04/29/vaccinating-sick-dogs-cats/
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/bordatella-vaccination-dogs/
http://www.retrieverpro.com/dog-health-vaccines/
http://www.retrieverpro.com/data/File/health/vaccines/ivis.pdf

I think I will be looking into titer testing further as well
http://www.retrieverpro.com/data/File/health/vaccines/96-0460-RevaccinationDecisions.pdf

Omg Diane for you all. I couldnt watch all the video I found it too distressing to see your boy so distressed unfortunately I don't know if there's a link but I'll be doing more research to try and find out! I agree that titre testing is the way to go, I do hope your all recovering well xx

Thanks Hayley, I've been researching since it happened and just like doctors denying there is a link between vaccination and some pretty bad effects, vets do too.

Fortunately he's back to his normal self but we're all scared that it will happen again although I think he's over it now

Oh my goodness, bless you all, that's so awful   it's not something I know about, I've not given Daisy any vaccines since her initial ones. I'm glad he's doing ok xxx

Gosh Diane how awful for Marquez and you all I daren't watch the vid as probs would go into melt down. Defo research it hope he is back to himself now xxx

Upsetting to watch Diane, poor Marquez. I hope you get some answers, and he doesn't have any more.

Side Effects of the Vaccine
The common side effects are given below. If you notice any of these effects then there is no reason to worry. But if your dog shows some allergic reactions to the vaccine, then you have to talk to the vet about it. The common side effects are swelling at the place where the injection was given, the dog becomes lethargic and suffers from slight temperature. The dog will also lose its appetite for a few days. Some of the serious symptoms that you need to watch out for after your dog has taken the vaccine are:
Vomiting
Pale Gums
Increase in the heart rate
Diarrhea
Seizures.
If your dog shows any of these side effects after taking the vaccine, then you should take it to the vet and follow what the vet says. If, however, your dog does get the kennel cough, then there are some kennel cough treatment which you can try out.

_Hayley_ wrote:Side Effects of the Vaccine
The common side effects are given below. If you notice any of these effects then there is no reason to worry. But if your dog shows some allergic reactions to the vaccine, then you have to talk to the vet about it. The common side effects are swelling at the place where the injection was given, the dog becomes lethargic and suffers from slight temperature. The dog will also lose its appetite for a few days. Some of the serious symptoms that you need to watch out for after your dog has taken the vaccine are:
Vomiting
Pale Gums
Increase in the heart rate
Diarrhea
Seizures.
If your dog shows any of these side effects after taking the vaccine, then you should take it to the vet and follow what the vet says. If, however, your dog does get the kennel cough, then there are some kennel cough treatment which you can try out.

Thank you for this - I've just seen this on Buzzle
and adding to the links in an email for the kennel, their vet that administered the vaccine as well as Marquez's vet just to let them know that I still believe his reaction to be vaccine related even though the reaction didn't happen immediately. I also wanted it noted in his records for future reference.

Flowerbud, Inez, Sazzle and Hayley - I know how upsetting the video is to watch (the worst and first part where he's trying to breathe isn't there) hopefully one that everyone can learn from especially if they find that their or someone else they know dog go through the same thing, especially days after a vaccination.

Awww bless him, I know first hand how upsetting seizures are as ruby has had so many. Has he had anymore? You did the right thing talking to him calmly, I stroke ruby on her back if she's fitting and talk to her, she's very head touch sensitive since these started so we keep away from her neck upward. Best wishes jane

Janemiles13 wrote:Awww bless him, I know first hand how upsetting seizures are as ruby has had so many. Has he had anymore? You did the right thing talking to him calmly, I stroke ruby on her back if she's fitting and talk to her, she's very head touch sensitive since these started so we keep away from her neck upward. Best wishes jane

Thanks Janemiles13. Fortunately no more since the 3 on friday. Poor Ruby and I know how hard it is to watch. Does she get them at specific times or do they just happen? A friend said that his dog (amstaff) would get them when the weather was really hot and from the sounds of things, it was pretty bad because the dog would flat out into walls so had to be held down until the episode was over.

The reply I got from my friend back in Aus who has worked in a vet clinic for 25 years....

Yes vaccine can definitely produce side effects and mimmick the disease it vaccinated for, in most cases vets assume the worst and eutanase.
Now if it is a vacc side effect, it can take days and weeks to go away, ie a cat went into full paralysis had a temp of 40+ and seized on and off for days, now is a completely normal cat that has a blood test to ensure antibodies are high enough to protect against the disease and we dare not vacc again unless we have to.
If it is epilepsy then monitoring over a week - 2 with some Valium on hand just to help him relax is not going to hurt.
The other scary thing that can cause these symptoms is a tuna in brain or attached to spine somewhere, that is worst case but extremely rare.
So I would monitor and keep a journal of his fits and what happens with his eyes, does he we and poo himself during it and does he act as if nothing's happened when it's over??
If he appears as if nothing happened then we could be looking at epilepsy, but I would give him a couple weeks of monitoring and anti-anxiety meds
Was his temp normal at chk up?

Can't wait to send the vets here that email with this additional info