Meadow is my beloved 7 year old yellow Labrador Retriever. In April 2004, he was diagnosed with a malignant mast cell tumor which developed directly on the site of his fall rabies shot (the hole where the syringe was inserted never healed). He started having trouble at the site about two months after vaccination, but was repeatedly misdiagnosed (it's an abscess, no, it's a benign fatty tumor) before being correctly diagnosed with a cancerous mast cell tumor. After the veterinarian removed a chunk of Meadow's back thigh, I expressed a concern about future rabies vaccinations if he survived, and our veterinarian told me something I'd never heard from any veterinarian before. She said that rabies shots didn't cause as many adverse reactions as the distemper combos and that at Meadow's age (6 at the time), he'd had enough distemper shots to last him for the next several years if not the rest of his life. I was in shock. Here the same veterinarian who had been vaccinating all of our dogs for distemper annually for years was telling me that she knew the dogs didn't need the vaccinations she was giving. She had even included a "reminder" at the bottom of Meadow's surgical bill that he was due for his "annual" distemper booster in November 2004.

Something was clearly wrong. I started researching veterinary vaccines and learned, to my astonishment, that veterinary care providers had deceived my family about the known durations of immunity for the vaccines they annually innoculated our dogs with. I decided to take action to ensure that pet owners would receive vaccine information would be given to pet owners in the future. On my behalf, Representative Peter Rines of Wiscasset, Maine introduced the nation's first pet vaccine disclosure legislation, LD 429--An Act to Require Veterinarians to Provide Vaccine Disclosure Forms. As of March 21, the bill is still pending and awaiting a work session.

Meadow is doing well, having had a second surgery to remove 2 tumors. He adjusted admirably to his surgeries -- walking with a slight waddle and running with his right leg elevated above his left. We feel blessed that he is still with us and hope that our prior ignorance about vaccines doesn't cost his life.

From Maine, Kris L. Christine

KayCee, our then 2 1/2 year old golden retriever, was the last patient of the day on Good Friday, 2002. She was given her annual vax and rabies. I stayed a few minutes extra chatting with my vet. My husband and I planned to go to the service at church that night, but I had spent that extra time at the vet and didn't think I had time to cook supper, us eat and get to church on time, so we decided not to go.

I was taking my time in the kitchen, which faces the livingroom. I saw KayCee run down the hall with her tail between her legs and sit down. A few seconds later she came running back into the livingroom, head down, tail between legs, and sat down behind the recliner. A few seconds later it was down the hall again.

Something was wrong. I met her behind the recliner as she sat down.

First thing I noticed was her eyes were swelling and she had knots on her snout. As I reached I could feel the heat coming from her body. I ran and got the thermometer I use on the dogs, and when I laid her down to take
her temp, she rolled onto her back and her stomach was one huge fire engine red hive. I gave her two benadryl right then and called my vet's emergency number. They said they would contact him. Almost immediately his wife called and said he was at church, but had been paged and would call when he got to the hospital.

We wrapped KayCee in wet towels and poured water over them to try to bring her temperature down. It was only a few minutes until our vet called and we rushed her to the hospital. He already had a couple of injections prepared when we got there. Her temperature was 106.9 He said when it got down to 103 we could take her home.

As we waited he got her chart and made a notation in HUGE letters that she was never to recieve anything other than law required rabies for the rest of her life. He was almost sure it was the lepto part of the vax, but didn't want to take a chance. I couldn't help but think if we had gone to church we probably would have come home to a dead dog.

Each year before her rabies vax I give her a couple of benadryl and we have had no problem. This year there was an outbreak of distemper and since it had been 3 years since her last vax, I was a little worried, so I talked it over with my vet and he said it probably would be best for her to have it. I also wanted the parvo, but that was it, just distemper and parvo. The morning of her vaccination I gave her two benadryl and took her in early and dropped her off. They gave her the vax and the kept her in ICU for several hours. The ICU is in the work area and there are always techs and often one of the two vets there to watch her. She had no problem at all.

This year when she got the rabies, he certified her good for 3 years even though our city (9400) and country requires it every year. He said if I run into any problems just send them to him and he will tell them she is not a
candidate for rabies every year. By the way, the 1 year vax and the 3 year vax are one and the same--every year is overdoing it.

I am not saying do not get vaccinations for your dogs. But be careful. They are only needed every 3 years, not every year. And if you live in an area where there is a good chance of Lyme, get the vax for it. If there is
little chance, don't get it. That applies to Lepto also. Simply put, don't put anything that isn't really needed into your dog. Each time it gets a vaccination there is a risk of adverse reaction. If you cut down to every 3
years instead of every year, that cuts out 2 chances of adverse reaction and your beloved dog is still protected.

My vet has gone to 3 year vaccinations instead of annually--except rabies which our city and country say have to be every year. He said reserach has
proven that the vaccinations are good for at least 3 years and maybe longer.

Vet schools are saying every 3 years. But he said some vets dont' want to give up that extra money every year and still want to vaccinate every year.

My girl is alive today because I dallied at my vets and decided not to go to church that night and my vet left church to come tend to her. Many others
are not so lucky.

As an afterthought, we did lose her littlermate brother,
"Hunter" to autoimmune hemolytic anemia on Oct. 16, 2003. It was brought on by his 3rd Proheart6 injection. KayCee had no problems with her puppy shots nor her first set of annuals, but the 2nd set almost killed her.

Hunter had no problem with his first two doses of ProHeart6, but the 3rd killed him.

This proves that a dog may get one or two or even more injections, and then suddenly have a reaction.

Vax are important, but just do as little as possible.

Sandra Slayton