Help, has anyone who recieved the Yale EGFR/HER2 vaccine experienced the injection site "sterile abscess" side effect? I'm feeling so scared.
UPDATE: Cytology is fine! Huge relief. It's a reaction for sure. Now we wait and support. Size and position mean he is pretty immobile. Hot compresses and maybe a low-dose steroid are in the cards. I am attaching a photo. He's BIG and hairy, but you can see it today as it grew like crazy overnight and the skin is starting to discolour. Photos below now:
Our guy received his second vaccine 2 weeks ago, and a few days ago I noticed the most subtle behavioural changes indicating discomfort, and then we found the lump on/between his shoulder blades. I jumped right to thinking he was having a cancer recurance/osteosarcoma metastasis because the "lump at injection site" we were warned could happen didn't occur to me immediately because it was so large and painful.
We have been in touch with the study vets, but they are in another country, so we didn't take him back there and instead went to the closest emergency vet and our own vet again over the last 2 days. All the vets are being great and are collaborating.
I've done research and found a couple of anecdotal stories from people who experienced significant swelling like we are (i.e., orange size, baseball size, 6 inches, etc.).
But this is so big and uncomfortable. He is being a trooper. We have had X-rays (no bone lesions at first glance; sent to a radiologist for thorough review) and are waiting on cytology from the aspiration he had today. I know it really has to be the vaccine side effect, but it is SO scary and hard to see. He is so stoic.
I know 20 to 25% of dogs can get this, and it can even be a positive sign, but our big guy does everything super-sized, this included, and I was wondering if anyone could just tell me their experiences and if there was anything effective they did to support their dog through it.
Thank you.