Hi all, wondering if you can help.

My friend whose pups i recently posted about have been for their 1st injection 2 days ago. All puppies are now 7 1/2 weeks old.

One of the puppies, who has a black coat, has within the past hour developed small bumps on the top of his head, and on the bottom of one of his  legs. They don't look scabby/sore, but the hair appears to be thinning where the bumps have appeared. As his coat is black, in the light they are much more visible hence why she hadn't noticed until now. they are not massively raised and are not bleeding. if you rub at the bumps, the hair seems to come away. I will ask her to try and take a picture.

Our local vets is now closed, does this warrant an out of hours visit?

does anybody have experience of this?

I have never heard of a reaction like this to vaccines. The puppy is otherwise well, eating, playing and acting normally. Also - to add pups have been wormed and flea treated up to date.

Think you or your friend should be asking the opinion of a vet the pups reaction may need attention.

that's what i wanted an opinion on, her mentor has said she has never heard of this type of reaction, other than staph infections? but this is in a different breed to what the litter is. I will ask her to call the out of hours vets. she just wanted to know whether it could wait until tomorrow.

An allergic reaction can happen to any breed and the vaccine used may be different to that used by the breeders vet. I would deal with it and not risk the pup even if the vet laugh at me - better to be wrong when there is nothing wrong than than to ignore when there is a problem.

Pups are way too young to have been vaccinated, the dams antibodies will still be present and knock out the effect of any vacs.

The pup could have picked something up at the vets or if it has been outside come in contact with something either plant or insect.

Any reaction to the vac would have been within minutes to a couple of hours.

totally agree Nova. She doesn't drive anymore, and the nearest out of hours is quite some travelling distance. I was just wondering if people have had this type of reaction before - or whether it could be unrelated. she has called the vets and is going in an hour.

rhodach, i have known of a lot of breeders to vaccinate at 7 weeks. Also, it what the vet recommended and had no problem with vaccinating if the puppies were in good health. I personally vaccinate at 8 weeks. i think it may be unrelated to the vaccine as have never heard of this late/delayed reaction.

7 and a half weeks is early but not that early don't think the problem is the age, but if they lumps are hives then they could well be a reaction to the injection even if it were a few hours ago.

Tell her to phone the vet, they will advise and if the pup needs some sort of antidote or antihistamine then they will either suggest a local chemist or they will visit, should it be a reaction it could effect the breathing so tell your friend to stop wondering about it and do something.

True she could wake up to morrow and find the pup is fine and the lumps have gone but there is just a small chance that the very worst could happen.

Personally I do not vaccinate until 10 weeks and always do it in the morning and keep an eye on the pup - would never choose to do it on a bank holiday weekend. But that advice is too late so the next think is stop thinking and act.

My vet won't vaccinate before 9 weeks and second one at 12 weeks.

I know of 2 experienced breeders who lost a pup they had bred at 6 months old from something he had been vaccinated for at 8&10 weeks, now they get titre tests done or leaves them later before vaccinating

Different drug manufacturers give different dates - I agree it is early but one assumes the vet knows better than we do the earliest the drug they use can be injected after all they read the instructions we have not.

i do not believe a vet of 25 years would vaccinate a puppy if he didn't believe it to other to be safe. she has taken the puppy to the vets. she saw a vet experience with breeding and he said he is almost certain it is not a reaction to the vaccine but something completely unrelated. he checked heart lungs eyes and gums and the puppy is otherwise healthy. he did charge to write a prescription for child's piriton , weighed him and gave her a syringe to administer the correct dosage. he is to go on Monday for a a follow up appointment. as you said nothing to worry about btw always worth getting it checked out.

I wonder if it could be nettle rash if the pups have had access to some.

Good glad it has been checked, allergic reaction is a strange matter, once had a dog that had always had a particular make of wormer and at three years old developed a violent reaction to it and without an injection would have choked to death. Piriton is a good thing to have in the cupboard if you own dogs they help in all sorts of situations and it is hard to overdose.

He has been back the vets today, and the bumps have completely and utterly gone. She was using the prescribed piriton (find it absolutely nuts that a vet charges to write a prescription for human medicine?!!?) and it cleared up within 48 hours. Strangely enough, when a friend came to visit her pups she was wearing hemp hand cream from the body shop - she only picked him up and none of their others in the litter. Very odd but the vet has said this could possibly be enough to set off an allergic reaction??

Thing is glitterbug if Piriton has cleared it up it was an allergic reaction and allergic reaction can kill. Your friend has paid for the ability to know what treatment to give and the fact it was human medication as well as animal means nothing. With an older dog she could have tried Piriton to see what happened this is a puppy and it is not worth the risk, having just paid for the pup I am sure she would not mind paying for the treatment of this investment.

One thing she will have to watch is that before she has another injection and every time she has her dog boosted that she has some Piriton in the house and it has to be the original not the non drowsy.

I agree - with my vet has in the past recommended human medicine - my breed is prone for eye problems and have never been charged for this. Money was not the issue just thought that it was odd, but appears have been very lucky with my own vet giving off the record advise out of generosity. i am very weary about puppies and vaccines.
it is handy to know re the piriton. would not have thought it something i should have had in, but like yourself vet said it is very safe for dogs if the right quantities are given. Puppy is looking brilliant now, albeit a bit bedraggled from the slight loss of hair to his paws. It was lucky she took him in, as from reading around it sounds like it could have gone down hill rather quickly.

thanks for your advise.

Yes you are lucky if your vet gives free information and medication but once you are a regular client they may be more generous but I assume the puppies owner is new to the vet and therefore not known.

I was told to buy piriton for my dog who had travel sickness and the dose to give for her size, this was before there were non drowsy alternatives.

US dog owners use Benadryl in the same way.