# losing neck hair after shots!!!



## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

My former-feral kitten, Bhisma, that I tamed, went in to get his booster shots about 3 weeks ago. Ever since then, he started losing more and more neck hair gradually. At first, I thought it was normal because of shedding season. But now all he has is little hair stubs, and when I think back.....it all started happening after he got his boosters. The vet is closed until tomorrow, so I came here.

Is this normal for a cat to be losing a bunch of hair? His sister, Shiva, went in at the same time as him and got the shots, but she seems fine. Also, he got his 1st set of shots a month before he got his boosters, and I never noticed him losing his hair then. 

The vet that gave the boosters, was different than the vet that gave his first ones. I don't know if I trust that alternate vet, because she MISSED most of the shot on his sister and spilt all the Distemper shot fluid on the table. She had to give Shiva a whole new shot. So I don't know if I trust her.....since she missed and spilt a shot.

He also got a big lump where the needle went in. I know this is normal and it should go away after a couple weeks(that's what my vet said), but it been 3 weeks. Would massaging it help?

Thanks
Abhay


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Everyone occasionally overshoots and spills a shot. That's just life. Nobody is perfect all the time.

HOWEVER, no vet in the world should still be giving shots at the base of the neck/between the shoulders. This has been recommended *against* for nearly 10 years, due to the risk of developing cancer in that spot from the vaccines. If cancer develops there, it will quickly penetrate the ribs and chest wall, becoming inoperable and usually rapidly fatal.

If kitty got a leukemia and/or rabies vaccine, and there is a lump there, at this point it's probably an inflammatory granuloma. If it does not go away within 3 months, the chances of it turning cancerous are extremely high. I would consider getting a second opinion, and having the mass biopsied and/or removed. 

Under no circumstances should cats be vaccinated in that spot. And this kitten, having had a severe vaccine reaction, should not be vaccinated again.

Good luck!
Dr. Jean


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

drjean said:


> HOWEVER, no vet in the world should still be giving shots at the base of the neck/between the shoulders. This has been recommended *against* for nearly 10 years, due to the risk of developing cancer in that spot from the vaccines. If cancer develops there, it will quickly penetrate the ribs and chest wall, becoming inoperable and usually rapidly fatal.
> 
> Under no circumstances should cats be vaccinated in that spot. And this kitten, having had a severe vaccine reaction, should not be vaccinated again.
> 
> Dr. Jean



WOAH ive never heard of that, all my cats got thier jabs on the back of the neck between the shoulders, im horrified that vets still do it if it has been known for so long.
Where is the best place for it to be done?


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

The recommendation is for rabies to be given in the right hind leg, and leukemia (if given at all; most cats don't need it) in the left hind. The reason? (You're gonna love this!). So that if they get cancer, you can just have the entire leg lopped off to "cure" it. I save the shoulder area for fluids, antibiotics, etc., not vaccines. I think distemper is supposed to be given lower on the shoulder, but distemper vaccines are unnecessary in adult cats and are now thought to be a major cause of chronic renal failure later in life.

The more injections given in one place, the higher the chance of cancer, which in cats especially is related to repeated trauma/inflammation. Rabies and leukemia vaccines cause the most inflammation because they are killed vaccines and therefore loaded up with all sorts of chemicals to stimulate an immune reaction. BTW, vaccine-induced sarcomas are now documented in dogs and ferrets too.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## queen of the nile (Aug 16, 2003)

I didn't know that either :shock: . My current vet does the injections in the legs, thank goodness. But the two before that did not. Good thing I switched! Has this been known in the regular literature or has it only been available to certain vets that go to certain conferences?


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

You'd have to be living in an ingloo in Antarctica not to know it; it's been a constant topic of discussion in all the major journals for many years. I'm always appalled to discover how many practitioners have not changed any of their vaccination procedures one whit despite the overwhelming information that comes out every month.

I'm workin' on that vaccination article for the littlebigcat website...stay tuned! I've started serializing it in the newsletter, so if you're not already subscribed--it's free, it's fabulous, it's feline! 
www.littlebigcat.com! :wink: 

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Thank you so much Dr. Jean.  I called the clinic today and asked the regular vet who gives shots, and he said that he doesn't know why she gave the shot up there. He said he does it in the hind legs. He told us that if the lump is hard(which it was not), then it is probably cancer. But if it is soft, then it should eventually go away. 

I wouldn't get Leukemia shots, only, one of my cats tested FeLV positive 12 years ago. She became immune to the diseases but 'supposedly' she is still a carrier and can pass it onto other cats. But what a vet assistant, (who I really wish was a vet because she is REALLY good) said that she gives her cats the Leuk-shot 2 years in-a-row, then skips a year. Then just keeps repeating that same pattern. Thats what I have started doing now. 

About distemper, I didn't know that it is unnecessary in adult cats. We give our older cats (over age of 5)....distemper&Rabies every 3 years. 



> Under no circumstances should cats be vaccinated in that spot. And this kitten, having had a severe vaccine reaction, should not be vaccinated again.


So are you saying that he shouldn't be vaccinated AT ALL??? Or just not at this spot? He has gotten his shots before by the other vet in the hind leg, and nothing has ever happened. Only this time, with the alternate vet who did it between the shoulders, he had a problem. 

Abhay


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## sentimentalgirl (Jan 29, 2004)

queen of the nile said:


> I didn't know that either :shock: . My current vet does the injections in the legs, thank goodness. But the two before that did not. Good thing I switched! Has this been known in the regular literature or has it only been available to certain vets that go to certain conferences?


Me neither...I didn't know about this. It's good I know now....Thanks Dr.Jean!


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Once they have a reaction, that means they have developed an allergy and the next reaction could be worse. Personally, I wouldn't vaccinate him at all.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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