Q: Our vet has always allowed us to buy medication for our pets online. But she keeps telling us that she feels “safer” if we get it from her. It costs a bit more to do this. Why would it be safer buying medications from our vet’s office?
A:
I have to agree with your veterinarian on this one and here’s why. Medication dispensed at the vet’s office is less likely to contain errors. A recent study in Oregon found that 35 percent of veterinarians had experiences where a retail pharmacist had changed a prescription without their authorization. Sometimes it was simply because the pharmacy didn’t have the exact medication prescribed and substituted another. In other cases, the pharmacist told the client that the dose prescribed by the vet might be too high, suggesting the client give less. I’ve seen this happen twice to two different clients, right here in South County.
Getting medication from the vet’s office may cost a little more, but it comes with assurances that your pet’s doctor supervised the dispensing and knows it’s the best for your pet. Saving money is a good idea, but not when your pet’s health is at risk.
Q:
Our 6-year-old retriever, Arnie, is recovering from a near-fatal attack of anemia. There were two days in the hospital and a lot of worry. The vet told us he probably got sick from a bad reaction to his vaccinations he got about a month ago. This completely surprised us. We have never heard about any risk when a dog gets his shots. Is this something new? Should the vet have warned us about this when he got his vaccinations?
A:
Arnie’s illness, called Immune Mediated Anemia, could possibly have been a result of his vaccinations. Vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies to protect the patient against certain diseases. Once in a while, a patient’s immune system reacts inappropriately, producing antibodies that attack either his red blood cells (RBC’s) or platelets (a part of the blood that helps prevent bleeding). If either the RBC’s or the platelets are damaged by this reaction, anemia develops and it can be very serious.
Fortunately, this is very, very uncommon. And the risks of this are hugely outweighed by the benefit of these vaccines. Unvaccinated dogs have a high risk of contracting fatal distemper or parvovirus, and they have no protection against rabies if they are bitten by a rabid skunk or bat.
The biggest issue here is communication. Pet owners should always be aware of the risks when vaccinating their cat or dog (or giving any medication).
Unfortunately, in the excitement of the clinic, these details are sometimes lost. I know that many clients listen as we mentioned risks to them and quickly nod their head. And I know some just don’t hear what is being said.
I also know that sometimes this subject is forgotten by staff members, lost to the other questions about itchy skin or bad breath or lumps under the skin. Incidentally, similar risks are present when children and adults are vaccinated. And right or wrong, I know that the warnings of these adverse reactions in humans are sometimes glossed over or completely neglected.
Fortunately, these reactions are extremely infrequent in humans and in animals. Pet owners should always ask about potential side effects whenever any injection or pill is given to their pet. The simplest of medications (even that little over-the-counter pill used to treat for intestinal parasites) can have side effects. We give these medications and vaccines because their risk is extremely low compared to their benefit to good health.
One final note, Arnie shouldn’t receive these vaccines again, because his chance for serious reactions will be even greater. Talk to his veterinarian about this.
Q:
We adopted a mutt last week. His name is Jim and he seems pretty healthy. One of the previous owners is “pretty sure” Jim had all his vaccinations a few months ago. But I’m not sure I can believe his story. So I want to take Jim to the vet for his distemper, parvo and rabies shots. My question is this: If he had his shots a few months ago, will it harm him to repeat the same shots so soon? Can a dog get sick from being over-vaccinated?
A:
Jim can be vaccinated again without any extra risk of unusual problems. It’s important to remember that all vaccines carry a very slight risk for adverse reactions. But that risk is very low. And the dangers associated with parvovirus, distemper and rabies infection are huge. So I agree with you. Jim should be vaccinated if you’re not entirely sure he has had them.
