Lump at Vaccine Site

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Hi Friends,

I'm writing to ask if anyone has had any experience with their dog having a reaction to a vaccine that resulted in a lump at the site of the injection.  I am asking because my four-month-old puppy, Charlotte, developed a mass that feels like it's the size of a grape, where I believe she received her Rabies vaccination.  I noticed it several days after she received the shot, and now a week later, it hasn't reduced in size.  In fact, the skin looks a bit red today, where it was flesh-toned earlier.  It does not seem to bother her, but it's troubling me, so I'm taking her to the veterinarian in a couple of hours.  I'm hoping that she'll tell me that it's a non-dangerous response to the vaccine.  If you have any knowledge about this type of adverse response, please share it with me.  

Thanks,

Laurie

[Chelsie]

Hi Laurie,

My Chorkie had a reaction to a vaccine once. His face swelled up. A few day later I noticed a lump on his back around the injection sight. The vet said they could do a biopsy on it if I wanted to. Be sure to ask the vet if the manufacturer of the vaccine would cover the cost of the biopsy because often times they want to know if dogs are having these reactions and will pay for that. I never had it biopsied because it went away. Hope it isn't a big deal for puppy!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

I have no advise but I'm so sorry this happened. Glad that you are heading to the vet and hope it is nothing to worry about!

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

Midas had a lump after an injection as well... I am good friends with my vet and she told me to give half a pill of benadryl :) good luck..she will be fine..but keep us posted

[Jennifer]

YES!!!! Finn developed a lump after his rabies vaccination. It lasted a week or so and then disappeared. I called the vet because I was concerned and was told it was a common reaction to the rabies vaccination.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think this is a common reaction and nothing to worry about unless something changes.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

UPDATE:  The vet aspirated the lump this afternoon and sent out the fluid for a cytology evaluation.  She expects the results to indicate that it's a harmless reaction to the rabies vaccine, but it could show that it was an allergic reaction to an insect bite or sting.  The doctor will call me tomorrow or Saturday.  In the meantime, Charlotte is acting totally normal and does not even appear to know that there's a sizable, pink lump on her shoulder.  I will keep you posted.

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

I hope Charlotte is ok and that it is just an allergic reaction to the rabies shot.  What these doodles put us through sometimes:^( & :^)...

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I hope everything is good with Charlotte. It sounds like a harmless reaction. Paws crossed.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Yes, our foster had a tender lump at the rabies injection site. It seemed to last for a while.

[Amy M. and Molly]

We opted to give Molly the vaccine for rattlesnake bites, and she developed a large, egg-sized lump about 10 days after the shot.  I went online and read about this, and it seems to be a fairly common reaction.  Our vet told us that they change the components of the vaccines sometimes, and some years dogs have more severe reactions than others.  It has been 2 weeks and the lump has subsided significantly, but is still there. He said that it may take 4-6 weeks to go completely away. Maybe the doodles are particularly sensitive to these things? 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

UPDATE #2

The cytology tests showed that the cells were normal (yea!), but they couldn't say definitively that it was from the vaccine.  It seems pretty obvious to me that the lump was a direct result from the rabies shot, as it's in the same area where Charlotte received the injection.  The vet said that it may take couple of months to resolve and to just monitor the area.  I had read that vaccine-site inflammation can later become cancerous, but the vet explained that she's only aware of that happening in cats.  Thanks for your concern, everyone, and for helping me maintain a sense of calm.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Whew... Happy for you and Charlotte. I also remember my vet telling me the same thing about site injections. That the problem has been with cats not dogs.