Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's federal agriculture and veterinary watchdog, demanded the withdrawal from circulation and destruction of the 20th batch of the Multikan-8 vaccine made by the company Vetbiokhim. A letter dated September 14 was addressed to the manufacturer, which is itself required to organize the seizure and destruction and then report back to the agency.
Specialists at the All-Russian State Center for Quality and Standardization of Veterinary Drugs and Feed (VGNKI) found live Aujeszky's disease virus in samples from that batch. The samples were taken in the Yaroslavl region. Rosselkhoznadzor said this confirmed a causal link between mass fatal cases among dogs and the use of the 20th batch of the vaccine, contaminated with a foreign virus lethal to that animal species.
Aujeszky's disease is known as pseudorabies. The virus affects pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, as well as dogs, cats, foxes, rodents and other animals. Infected animals develop itching, convulsions and salivation, and die quickly.
The first reports of dogs dying after vaccination appeared in August, with most complaints coming from the Yaroslavl region. According to the outlet Yarkub, by August 18 there were reports of 20 to 25 dead dogs. Owners said that on the third or fourth day after vaccination the animals began to salivate heavily, suffer convulsions, refuse food and water, and vomit blood.
Vetbiokhim recalled the 20th batch back in August. On August 19 the company urged a temporary halt to the use of three more batches: the 21st batch of Multikan-8 and the 11th and 12th batches of Multikan-6. The decision was explained by additional checks and a suspicion of "organized destructive interference by hostile third parties." The current destruction order concerns only the 20th batch of Multikan-8.
Rosselkhoznadzor began an unscheduled inspection at the Vetbiokhim production facility and suspended the circulation of several batches of the drug: sales were halted for Multikan-8 batches 20 and 21 and Multikan-6 batches 11 and 12. The 20th batch of Multikan-8 contained 60,000 doses, supplied to more than 100 regions, and mass vaccination with that batch began in August.
Vetbiokhim offered owners of dead dogs to reimburse confirmed expenses and pay compensation for moral harm in exchange for waiving claims, the outlet Ostorozhno, Moskva reported. According to the channel, the agreement prohibits disclosing the circumstances of the incident and the size of the payment; judging by chats among affected owners, the sum is 200,000 to 300,000 rubles. The company confirmed to RBC that contracts on material assistance include a confidentiality clause, calling it standard legal practice.
Takie Dela reported on 169 dogs that died after vaccination, with at least four more undergoing treatment. Owners entered this data into a special table. In early September, cat owners also complained of deterioration and death of their pets after vaccination with another Vetbiokhim drug, Multifel.
Multikan-8 is intended to prevent rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, adenoviral infections, and parvovirus and coronavirus enteritis in dogs. The drug has been produced since 1996. According to RNC Pharma, in January to July 2026, Vetbiokhim products accounted for 72.6% of the Russian veterinary vaccine market in volume terms, with Multikan-8 leading in sales.
The choice of foreign veterinary drugs in Russia shrank after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to RNC Pharma, the number of companies supplying pet products fell from 29 in the first quarter of 2022 to 20 in the same period of 2023. The analytical company's development director, Nikolai Bespalov, said there is often nothing to replace the products of departed suppliers, drugs have to be imported through roundabout routes, and they have become noticeably more expensive.