Why are my dog's vaccines given in her leg? Is this normal practice?

Some doctors do vaccinate there but others vaccinate in the shoulders or the hips. The location in dogs varies and as long as the vaccine is properly handled and administered, it will be effective. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi Lynda. I'm wondering if you are talking about feline injection site sarcomas. It actually is recommended that the rabies vaccine be given in the leg; injection should be given at sites surgery would likely lead to a complete cure. Many vets do follow this recommendation, but unfortunately it's not a law to do it this way and it would be impossible to mandate it and make sure that it's followed. Find a vet you feel comfortable with who follows the current vaccine site recommendations. I hope this helps.

Hi, the injection needs to be administered subcutaneously so some areas are better than others, where the skin is lose. It is very important for vaccine to be administered correctly. Hope this makes sense.

This can affect any size dog. Little very loved dogs tend to show pain more than others. The more one feels sorry for them and tells them "poor baby" the more they yelp. This is because they are very clever and figure out it is a great way to get attention. They are in pain, no doubt, but tend to dramatize it a bit more than the big dogs. Pain in the leg from vaccination can sort of spread to the rest of the body. THere are nerves everywhere and some nerves sympathize with others. This is not unusual. Rimadyl is an antiinflammatory which will alleviate a lot of the pain, if not all. Depending on the weight of your dog you need to give it exactly as prescribed by your vet. The pain should subside fairly quickly and overall you should not need to give it any longer than prescribed. Overall, not a nice side effect, but not unusual, and manageable.

Hi, in most cases pain and local inflammation will gradually decrease and as they ease off Kesha should start using the leg again. I have never come across any permanent lameness following IM injections but we don't give IM injections in the legs anymore. We currently use the lumbar muscles or neck muscles in most cases. I would keep an eye on Kesha and rest her and you should see gradual improvements over the next few days. Hope this helps !

I'm so sorry that Zeke is painful after his vaccination. Unfortunately, pain at the injection site is a possible side effect of vaccinations and some small dogs tend to become achy and painful all over. I would recommend contacting your veterinarian. There are some prescription pain medications that can be very helpful in decreasing pain and inflammation associated with vaccination. I will typically use Metacam which works very well. You may also ask your veterinarian if Zeke should have pain medication in the future before his vaccinations, so he does not have this problem again. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Zeke feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chase. The rabies vaccine is typically given in the right rear leg and leptospirosis in the left rear leg. This can result in muscle soreness in some pets. This could be making him uncomfortable and not wanting to use his rear legs normally. However, labrador puppies are pretty tough. So it is unusual for him to still be so painful. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian again or you seek a second opinion. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!