For dogs like my dog Naya, any vaccine could most likely lead to death. My dog suffers from 1 possibly 2 immune mediated issues. Both most likely triggered by her spay at 9 months of age. The 1st one, which is very uncommon, is a fatty skin issue that causes lesions throughout her body, which then also triggers an excessive production of calcium which can lead to almost immediate kidney failure if not caught on time. The 2nd (we had a scare that she potentially had this but it improved 4 weeks after her rabies shot), Immune Mediation Thrombocytopenia, means that her body is fighting and eliminating its own blood platelets. Once the blood platelets drop below a certain number (around 20 thousand), she has a higher possibility of hemorrhaging. This condition typically happens in middle aged dogs, it is believed after having been exposed to vaccines over and over again or another type of event (her spay, and the meds used during her spay). Now anytime she get a shot, her blood platelet numbers drop and she has to be put back on strong, and toxic steroids in order to try and increase her platelets and keep the other life threatening immune issue away as well. Because of this condition, Naya will most likely relapse whenever she gets her annual vaccines. In order to continue to be in public, go to dog parks, or her agility classes, Naya is required to show proof of vaccines or a positive titer test. More and more boarding facilities, grooming salons and training facilities are accepting proof of titers. In our next post we will also discuss how this works with the rabies vaccine.