Vaccine adverse reactions

WSAVA guideline

Key findings

• Frequencies: 38 per 10,000 dogs within 3 days (USA); 52 per 10,000 cats within 30 days (USA); Japanese study (57,300 vaccinations): 359 dogs = 62.7 per 10,000 — 41 anaphylaxis, 1 death, 160 gastrointestinal, 244 dermatological, 106 other (VGG 2024, §AEFVs; FAQs).
• Timing: 83.3% of Japanese AEFVs within 12 h; anaphylaxis within 60 minutes in all, within 5 minutes in 46.3%; Type I reactions minutes–1 h — monitor susceptible revaccinated animals up to 24 hours (VGG 2024, FAQs).
• Risk factors: smaller dogs and multiple vaccines per visit; a ~5-million-dog US study found Dachshunds, Boston terriers, miniature Pinschers, French Bulldogs and Havanese at higher risk — breed independent of bodyweight (VGG 2024, §AEFVs; FAQs).
• Full doses always: no half/quarter doses for small dogs despite higher reaction rates and stronger antibody responses; low-excipient or small-volume products exist (VGG 2024, FAQs).
• Previous reactors: pre-revaccination antihistamines or anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids are acceptable, do not blunt the response; if an MLV core vaccine was implicated in a pet vaccinated per guidelines, revaccination is probably unnecessary; switch route for Bordetella; low-excipient Leptospira products exist (VGG 2024, FAQs).
• FISS "3-2-1" rule: incisional (not excisional) biopsy of any post-vaccinal mass that (1) remains present 3 months after vaccination, (2) is larger than 2 cm at any time, or (3) is still increasing in size 1 month after vaccination (VGG 2024, §Feline Injection-Site Sarcomas).
• Site discipline: no injections into the interscapular furrow; distal limbs — "left leg leukaemia, right leg rabies" at or below the stifle; SC over IM; rotate and record sites; favour non-adjuvanted feline vaccines where FISS occurs; tail vaccination is a studied future option (VGG 2024, §FISS).
• Reporting: report all suspected AEFVs (product, batch, animal, event, vet) to the manufacturer and local regulatory authority; gross under-reporting recognised (VGG 2024, §AEFVs).
• Husbandry causes of AEFV: storage 2–8°C, never frozen; reconstituted MLV left standing loses potency (CDV fragile); mix multidose vials before each dose (VGG 2024, §AEFVs; FAQs).

Drugs named in WSAVA’s own guideline text

As printed in WSAVA’s document, not this app’s own extracted data — see “Related drugs in this reference” below for that.

• (Dog & cat)

  Pain/swelling, lethargy, fever, vomiting

• (Dog & cat)

  No epinephrine protocol printed

• (Cat)

  Adjuvanted possibly more implicated; vaccination benefit far outweighs FISS risk

• (Dog & cat)

  Assign staff to oversee husbandry

• (Dog (esp. <5 kg))

  Breed risk independent of size

Recommendations

• Give full vaccine doses to dogs of all sizes (no half/quarter doses)

  VGG recommendation

• Pre-treat previous reactors with antihistamine or anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid

  Acceptable practice

• Apply the feline "3-2-1" rule with incisional biopsy

  Strongly endorsed (AAHA/AAFP 2020)

• No interscapular injections in cats; distal limbs; rotate and record sites

  Strongly endorsed

• Prefer non-adjuvanted feline vaccines where FISS occurs and alternatives exist

  VGG recommendation

• Report every suspected AEFV (with product batch) to manufacturer and regulator

  VGG strong encouragement

• Store vaccines 2–8°C, never frozen; reconstitute MLV just before use

  VGG recommendation

Related drugs in this reference (0)

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