Dog owner against L4 vaccine at Usk Vets after puppy dies

Darren Morgan and Simon Evans took Pearl, a Papillion, to Usk Vets on January 11, 2024, to receive the Novibac Lepto4 (L4) vaccine.

The vaccine, which is approved by the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), is designed to reduce the risk of dogs developing the bacterial Leptospirosis disease.

Pearl died at just nine weeks old (Image: Darren Morgan)

However, just over a week later the once ‘full of life’ puppy died from kidney complications after being constantly sick.

Calling it ‘one of the hardest things he’s been through’ Darren believes vets should ‘let owners know of the possible complications.’

In response a spokesperson for Usk Vets said offered deepest sympathies to the family and said the teams did all they could to save Pearl.

Mr Morgan said: “We got Pearl on January 7 and she received the L4 vaccine on January 11 and had the booster booked for January 25.

“She was absolutely fine until Saturday January 20 when she started being sick when we were in the car, we thought she was car sick.

“Pearl continued to be sick on Sunday January 21, she kept some food down for about three hours and we thought she was starting to improve. She was playing like her normal self and was drinking throughout.

“On Monday January 22 she was sick at 2am and it was foam and water. I stayed up with her until 4am and took her to Usk Vets at 8:30am and waited for them to open.

Pearl and Simon in happier times (Image: Darren Morgan)

“They gave her an anti-sickness injection which stopped her being sick but she wouldn’t eat anything. She had an appetite until around 7:30am that Monday.  She didn’t want to eat food after the tablet.

“She was curled up in a ball, they took her in and gave her a drip. They phoned me at 5pm and told me she would have to stay overnight at Vets Now in Langstone.”

Sadly, the next day Pearl’s condition had still not improved and her kidney levels were rising.

The couple were told to take Pearl to Bristol Vet Specialists.

Pearl was like a 'child' to the couple (Image: Darren Morgan)

Mr Morgan said: “We got to the Bristol vets at around 10:30am, she had bruises in her neck, a drip in her paw and a catheter.

“Bristol was amazing, they ran proper ultrasounds, didn’t give us any false hope and they put a catheter in her neck.

“They rang at 5:30pm on January 23 and said she didn’t make it and there was no conclusive reason as to why.

“It was 36 hours from when she became ill to dying.”

The couple had tragically planned for Pearl to go on holiday with them and believe ‘people need to know what this vaccine can potentially do.’

Pearl died on January 23, 2024 (Image: Darren Morgan)

Mr Morgan said: “Pearl was like our child, full of life and so confident. It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through.

“She was going to come on holiday with us to Portugal.

“If I knew how badly some dogs can react to the vaccine I would not have let her have the L4 vaccine as she was tiny and would have waited until she was older and bigger.

“People need to know what this vaccine can potentially do, I'm not saying not to vaccinate but people need to think.”

Pearl and Simon (Image: Darren Morgan)

A spokesperson for Usk Veterinary Centre said:  “Our deepest sympathies are with our clients over the loss of their beloved puppy. The loss of a pet is always really difficult, but to lose a dog so young is even more heart-breaking, and our thoughts are with Pearl’s family.

“The wellbeing of the animals we treat is always our top priority and all of the clinical teams involved in Pearl’s care did everything they could to save her life.

“Due to client confidentiality, we cannot comment publicly on individual cases.

“All veterinary medicines (including vaccines) authorised for use in the UK have undergone thorough assessment and approvals by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

“It’s essential for pet owners to keep up with their vaccinations. Puppies should be given an initial course of vaccines and then booster injections, tailored to the individual pet and their lifestyle, are offered at their annual health checks throughout their life to ensure they stay protected. 

“Vaccinations are effective at keeping puppies and adult dogs protected against a range of infectious diseases, some of which — like leptospirosis (which the L4 vaccine protects against) and canine parvovirus — can be fatal. Pet vaccinations also play an important role in preventing the spread of serious diseases in human health.”

In response the VMD is advising that ‘all suspected adverse events should be reported to the Marketing Authorisation Holder (for this product it’s MSD Animal Health UK Limited) or the VMD themselves.