My cat got sick after taking 3 year rabies shot and received an IV, and two injections.?

Should I have to pay for the treatment after she got sick! The rabies shots were $80 and the follow up treatment that they are asking me to pay is $47.25. No, its not a lot of money but I am unemployed right now. The doctor is the one who suggested my cat take the 3 yr rabies shot. I took my cat home and she threw up everywhere and when I say everywhere I mean everywhere. And to top it all off after my cat received treatment she started sneezing a lot. I had to take her to another vet and paid another $80 for treatment and medicine. So I am out of $160 - $200 for a rabies shot.

2009-03-15T18:17:10Z

My cat has always had the rabies shot yearly. If many cats can get sick from the three year shot why do they administer it? And no I didn't sign anything that says they are not liable if my pet gets sick.

troublesniffer2009-03-15T17:12:51Z

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Hi S,

I can certainly understand your upset about this situation.Having to end up paying $160-200 for a rabies shot is outrageous.


Cats can have allergic reactions to vaccines. For rabies, in fact, many veterinarians prefer that cats remain in their carriers in the waiting room for awhile to make sure that there are no allergic reactions. Many vets do not follow this practice, which is a shame.

This being said, often cats become anxious at the vet and also can get car sick from travel. I am assuming that the vet that gave the vaccine was not available after you brought your cat home. So that could be another reason for vomiting. The sneezing sounds like an allergic reaction to me. I am glad that your cat is ok. Rabies can have serious reactions that can result in the death of a pet.

If I were you I would call the vet that administered the vaccine and explain the situation. You have a convincing reason to request your money back. Personally the cost of the rabies shot seems quite high to me. What follow up treatment is your vet talking about? I don't understand that.

I do hope you get at least part of your money refunded. And if it were my cat, I would probably switch vets to the one who treated her after she became sick.

Good luck to you, and keep us posted, if you would.

Troublesniffer
Owned by cats for over 40 years
Member: Cat Writer's Association

MadeYouReadThis2009-03-15T17:57:33Z

Well you were just unlucky and found out she is allergic to the shot. She should not get it again. You really have to pay for it. It's not as if the vet is psychic and could tell the cat was going to be allergic. Allergies to shots are rare. You should be grateful that the vet was able to treat the allergic reaction and the cat didn't die from it. Any shot you get or your pet gets has some side effects. Likely, the vet made you sign a consent to vaccinate the cat and it stated that you understood the risks. I don't think you have a way to get out of paying the bill. It is a very standard treatment to have the rabies shot. If your vet had not recommended it, that would have been unethical. Most counties require that your pet be vaccinated against rabies. Sorry, I just don't think there is any way out of paying. Perhaps they would accept a payment plan.

isiskas2009-03-15T17:44:26Z

I don't know if you will get any money back, good luck. As for if you should pay - I would say yes. There is no way of knowing if an animal is going to have an allergic reaction until it happens. In the future be sure to warn the vet that you can has had a reaction in the past. They may give and injection a few minutes before administering the rabies vaccine in an attempt to prevent an allergic reaction.

I'm glad to hear your cat is doing well. Good luck in the future.

Save a Life. Spay or Neuter!2009-03-15T16:55:55Z

Some cats don't respond well to the 3 year rabies vaccine, but your vet had no way of knowing this by just looking at her. So yes, you should have to pay the costs.

Jacen2009-03-15T16:54:38Z

You might be able to negotiate with the vet that gave her the rabies shot, but I don't think you'll have much success. Just keep it in mind for the next time she gets shots.

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