What we know about the dog deaths linked to Russia’s Multikan-8 vaccine

Owners of the affected animals told the independent Russian outlet Takie Dela that 169 dogs died in various regions of Russia after being vaccinated with Multikan-8. Four more pets are being treated.

The pet owners, who have organized into dedicated chat groups, are compiling their own data on the deaths in a shared spreadsheet. It records details about each owner and dog, including the date and location of the vaccination and the outcome—symptoms and how the animal died.

Takie Dela does not link to the spreadsheet, and it is unclear from the article whether its journalists verified the data themselves.

Baza, a Telegram channel with ties to Russian security services, claims up to 300 dogs have died in various regions of Russia after vaccination with Multikan-8.

There is currently no way to determine the true number of animals harmed by the Multikan-8 vaccinations in Russia, because there is no unified list — owners have had to gather data manually, relying on information they get from one another. Government agencies could organize a proper data-collection effort to obtain a more accurate count of the affected animals, but that has not yet happened.

News of mass dog deaths linked to Multikan-8 vaccinations first emerged in mid-August, with initial reports concentrated in the Yaroslavl region. Local offices of Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance and the local prosecutor’s office opened an inspection into the manufacturer.

Vetbiokhim, the Moscow-based manufacturer, has urged dog owners and veterinarians not to use four batches of Multikan vaccines while the investigation is underway.

The owners of the dogs that died said (1, 2, 3) their pets tested positive for the virus that causes Aujeszky’s disease (pseudorabies), whose symptoms resemble those exhibited by the affected dogs. According to the owners, unofficial tests of vaccine samples also allegedly detected the virus, but laboratories soon stopped conducting further analysis, citing “pressure from above.” Vetbiokhim has published its own research, which does not confirm that the vaccines were contaminated with the Aujeszky’s disease virus.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, imported veterinary drugs, including vaccines, have vanished from the Russian market amid sanctions and the departure of Western companies, leaving veterinary clinics reliant mainly on Russian-made drugs.