Rabies Vaccine Injection-Site Tumors

Zsazsa and her Injection-Site Tumor

A Chihuahua named Zsazsa developed a large injection-site fibrosarcoma after a rabies shot.  Looking for information, Angel Moran (Zsazsa’s  “mom”) e-mailed Kris Christine, Founder of the Rabies Challenge Fund.  Below is Angel’s side of their communication. Kris’s beloved dog Meadow also had a mast cell cancer develop directly on the site of his rabies shot 3 months after it was administered, and he died after it metastasized. The Rabies Challenge Fund is a nonprofit group working to prove that the rabies vaccine gives immunity for at least seven years, thus limiting the number of shots a dog has to get.  The Fund relies exclusively on donations from pet lovers. Please give if you can.

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Angel Moran, writing Sunday, August 30, 2009

Dear Kris: My chihuahua was recently diagnosed with fibrosarcoma. It is at the presumed injection site of her rabies shot. The vet said there is no correlation to her cancer and the injection site but from what I am reading I don’t believe what I am being told. Any studies you have would be greatly appreciated. She developed the lump within 3 months of her booster shot.

Kris sent Angel information from vet journals that we can send you or your vet. 

Other info Kris sent: In a DVM360 article (8-1-08) entitled  Vaccination:  An Overview,  Dr. Melissa Kennedy states: “Adverse reactions have also become a major concern in small animal medicine. …. These fall into two general categories. The first is immediate hypersensitivity. This may be a local or systemic response, and is due to pre-existing antibody to the agent. This is the classic “allergic reaction” to the vaccine and can be life-threatening.  The second is a delayed response, requiring days of longer to develop. The vaccine, seen as foreign, elicits a significant inflammatory response and is especially true for adjuvanted vaccines. This response can manifest as a granuloma, or more seriously, a fibrosarcoma.”  She added: “The likelihood of adverse reactions in dogs has been found to correlate with the size of the dog and the number of inoculations given, with higher risk associated with small size and multiple inoculations.”

Angel writing Monday, October 12, 2009

Kris, I just wanted to give you an update. I had to have my Zsazsa put down this past week. The vet who helped me care for her said the only way to determine 100% her cancer was from the rabies vaccine was to do a biopsy. We agreed to have it done just for our piece of mind and to have her count if this vaccine caused her death. Dr. Amy went to the company who created the vaccine … and she feels the vaccine caused it and explained we have her brother who we are concerned about as well. [The manufacturer] has agreed to pay for the biospy and claim they have no reports of this vaccine causing this cancer in dogs. They are interested in the results. I applaud the Dr for contacting the company and getting them to agree to pay. She warned we couldn’t sue the company but it’s not about that, it’s about the dangers of the rabies vaccine and the numbers not being accurate. Thank you for fighting for our beloved animal’s who can’t fight for themselves.

Angel writing Thursday, October 22, 2009

Dr. Amy called today with the biopsy results for Zsazsa. It was a soft tissue spindle sarcoma and/or with (not sure) peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Dr. Amy thought she had removed the entire tumor but based on the results it was much deeper and she said we made the right decision that Zsazsa would have needed radiation and chemo along with having to have her limb removed. She feels certain it is related to the vaccine and has reported the results to [the manufacturer]. Dr. Amy is going to fax me the results and notes and once I have them I can scan them in and send to you if you would like them. Dr. Amy said they have seen an increase in this type of cancer in dogs and feel it is related to vaccines but they need studies to proof this.