At least five dogs have died in Russia after receiving batch 21 of the Multican-8 vaccine, according to news reports.
The Telegram channel Shot Proverka reported that batch number 21 caused severe reactions identical to those linked to a previously recalled lot of the vaccine.
Affected animals experienced intense pain, itching, high fever, seizures, and acute neurological symptoms shortly after receiving their shots.
Fatal cases in Moscow Oblast
In Orekhovo-Zuyevo, a town located east of the capital in Moscow Oblast, the owner of a miniature schnauzer named Archie described how her dog began whining and refusing food and water one week after receiving the shot. Miniature schnauzers are a small utility dog breed of German origin widely kept as domestic pets.
As severe seizures set in, veterinarians placed Archie into a medically induced coma to manage his symptoms, but his family ultimately agreed to euthanasia after his condition deteriorated further.
A second owner who had her pets vaccinated with Multican at the same clinic in Orekhovo-Zuyevo reported that one of her dogs died a week later. She added that another of her dogs suffered from vomiting, diarrhea, and neurological complications.
In Podolsk, a major city situated south of Moscow, the owner of a puppy named Lucky reported similar severe symptoms. A few days after receiving the Multican vaccine, Lucky began compulsively gnawing on his own paw, suffered a high fever and seizures, and later died.
Previous recall by manufacturer
The new fatalities follow earlier reports of dog deaths after routine vaccinations in Yaroslavl Oblast, a region located northeast of Moscow. Following those reports, Moscow-based manufacturer Vetbiochim recalled batch number 20 of Multican-8 while investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Multican-8 is a multi-component canine vaccine manufactured by Vetbiochim and widely distributed across Russia. The biological product is designed to immunize dogs against major viral and bacterial infections, including canine distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, rabies, and leptospirosis.
Routine immunization against these diseases is standard practice across Russian veterinary clinics, where multi-strain vaccines are administered during annual health checkups.
Reports of fatalities associated with batch number 21 have raised further concerns among pet owners awaiting formal updates from manufacturer Vetbiochim and veterinary health authorities.
