do the injections leave them sore?

I had jasper at the vets today and he had a booster injection. I didnt get him till he was 6 months old though so it's the first injections he's had with me. He whined when the vet did it then growled at him a couple of times afterwards and the vet commented on how that wasn't in his nature because of the breed.

He just lay on my knee there and I went to stroke him as he was going to sleep and he was crying out in pain when I touched him on his side. I'm not sure if he was injected there or on his back? but I'm also wondering if it will be sore because of the injection or cos he might have hurt himself.

Whenever I go out to work he scratches at the door because he doesnt want to be left and has done it for so long (as in months not hours) he managed to actually put a hole in the door and there were splinters of wood everywhere so I'm just worried incase he might have got hurt by them. and with his reaction to the vet he may have already been sore before the injection.

Couple of things there! I'd suggest reading the documents on separation anxiety training (see link below) and I'd be confining him to a good high puppy xpen or gated into the kitchen or somewhere where he cannot scratch a door into splinters, to save your house interior! I'd also start crate training him when you are around if you haven;t done so already, so he learns to be calm on his own. Crate training: http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=11857 And if you haven't, I'd get him asap into a good, rewards-based obedience class so he learns self confidence and self control there too. A good obedience class isn't just for teaching a dog to sit -- it teaches many more beneficial things.

He also sounds like he needs some things to do during the day and is bored. Do you leave him with something to do like work on some kongs and some good *safe* toys? Radio on? Does someone get home midday to walk him? If not this would be a good idea to arrange and also consider if he can go to a doggie daycare situation even if only a day or two a week to break up the monotony of a working week. This is not a breed that does well left alone all day. I generally recommend two dogs for people who are gone for a full workday -- it is just very lonely and dull for a people focused breed and you do need to make some sort of arrangements to ease that day if there's no dog companion (though really even with several dogs they need a human break midday).

Info on separation anxiety: http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=14390

Hope that will be helpful! It does take training time to prepare a dog to be left alone.


On the injections...Yes, jabs can make dogs very sensitive. Also, because of the high incidence of syringomyelia in the breed (even if a dog is asymptomatic) many neurologists recommend only giving injections to cavaliers in a thigh -- not the neck or the back, which is where they can have syrinxes and be ultra sensitive. That said my SM cavalier Leo is not bothered at all by neck injections or giving blood from a front leg. But he went crazy much as you describe when the vet once vaccinated him in his back before I could stop him. All my cavaliers get injections in the thigh now.

See www.smcavalier.com for more information.

Some dogs just have bad reactions but this tends to settle in a day or so. But that sounds like a pain reaction for some reason or other. I'd have your vet check for a cause of pain perhaps next time you are in, just in case -- for neck or spine sensitivity in particular that might have been set off by a jab to that area. And just to be safe, make sure they have the printouts you can download on SM from www.smcavalier.com. All vets working with cavaliers should be aware of this condition which in other breeds, is quite rare.

Most of the vaccination serums are chilled and this is quite a horrid sensation, I can actually relate to this when I had an IV drip one time that blocked up and it was flushed through with cold water, Boy did that hurt! OUCH!!

Also you might find a slight bump on his neck in a day or so where he was injected, this is a reaction to the vaccine and should go down in a day or so, if you are really worried then ring your vet and see what they say!!

After finding this site yesterday and reading lots of posts I did start to think maybe he does need another doggy friend to keep him company. I know the kids would love to get another one but not sure my cat would be very hapy to have another one around. Plus it could get very expensive! I'm having a think about it anyway.

At the moment there's not really anyone who can come and see to him at midday. The kids school is only a 5 minute walk away but they're not allowed out of school at lunchtime yet. I think it's next year before theyre allowed out (at 14) I work 15 miles away and dont actually get a lunch break to come and see to him myself.

I've bought kongs for him but never been able to find treats that fit inside it. he has a few toys but he only ever seems to play with one thing. Oooh he likes throwing little balls around I'll make sure he always has some.

I think at the moment he may be feeling a bit unhappy because he spent the whole summer with the kids around every day no matter who was looking after them and now they've gone back to school he has to readjust to alone time.

He has been crate trained but once he grew too big for his crate I made the mistake of thinkng he didnt need it any more and would be much better off with more space to move around in. He was only ever in it when we were out because I let him sleep on my bed with me (I know I'm too soft) so he wouldn go in it of his on accord because he associated it with being alone. At least he will go and lie in his bed in the kitchen when I'm cooking or washing up etc of his own accord.

He does have a bit of swelling so it must be off the injection, poor thing. He's going back on monday to get neutered so can menton things then. I'm going to have a read about syringomyelia now, thanks