Rabies Shots

[renaultf1]

All 3 of my b kids get the rabies vaccine as it is required by law here - 3 year is what Maine requires. Neither Liyah nor Ruby had a reaction to it. Brando got a bump in the site of his vaccine - I messaged it and it went away in about 2 weeks.

[Kananga]

Kananga gets all his recommended and required vaccinations. No issues to date. I did have one occurrence when he had a dime sized lump where he had a vaccination (at the site of the injection), but it was gone after a few days so it wasn't much of a concern.

[Vicki]

GA law requires mandatory rabies vaccination. My dogs are given 3-year rabies, but my vet injects an "herbal ****tail" along with the injection. She is very concerned with the number of vaccinations dogs receive, as she believes (and I do, too) that vaccinations compromise a dog's immune system. Before vaccinations she does blood work to determine if the shots are needed - except for rabies. Some antibodies remain in a dog's system and continue to protect them eventho a vet will schedule regular vaccinations. In my opinion, along with several vets I've spoken to, many of the vaccinations aren't necessary as often as they are given, and some vets line their pockets thanks to the pharmaceutical industry and unneccessary vaccinations.

My explanation sounds dingy, but I do not know all the technical terms to explain this better.

****tail won't print - try this: a male chicken - a ****tail to me means a martini, gin and tonic, brandy, etc. That isn't what my dog's have with their vaccination! :p It is what I have after a difficult day!!

[Rita Jean]

Kansas and Missouri both require Rabies shots. Some vet's will give three year and some will not.

Rita Jean

[Alex]

I read that 3 year dose is higher than 1 year and can potentially cause more issues.

[Rita Jean]

I have just always done one year that away my dog gets a good check-up. I do not think it cost that much more. Just if I get a three year it might be a little to easy for me to say I do not have time I will go next year since I do not need rabies shot.

Rita Jean

[lvoss]

The 3 year vaccine is identical to the 1 year vaccine. The only difference between the two are the labels. Some states require yearly vaccines while others allow a 3 year vaccine. The Rabies Challenge Fund is working hard to prove that dogs and cats can be vaccinated less frequently for rabies and still be protected from the disease.

[lvoss]

Whether your dog recieves a vaccine or not should be irrelevant to the exam they get during their yearly check up. My vet recommends vaccinating once every 3 years for all their clients but they send yearly reminders for check ups. Their yearly exam is when their heartworm prescription for the year is written so clients have a reason to come in even though no vaccination is given. This is also a good time to have thyroids checked and run a basic blood panel to check on organ function.

[Alex]

California has a 3 year law, so all the vets should be offering 3 year vaccine?

[Vicki]

@lvoss:

Whether your dog recieves a vaccine or not should be irrelevant to the exam they get during their yearly check up. My vet recommends vaccinating once every 3 years for all their clients but they send yearly reminders for check ups. Their yearly exam is when their heartworm prescription for the year is written so clients have a reason to come in even though no vaccination is given. This is also a good time to have thyroids checked and run a basic blood panel to check on organ function.

Absolutely. Yearly blood work is so important and gives a pet owner a heads up to possible health problems.

[tanza]

@Alex:

California has a 3 year law, so all the vets should be offering 3 year vaccine?

In a word, yes… but again, remember it is the same vaccine...

I would be hard pressed to believe there is are Vets in California (Rabies shot every 3yrs is what is required by law) that are recommending a shot every year.....

[ComicDom1]

We do the three year for our dogs. Our dogs are required to get the vaccine.

While the Rabies vaccine is controlled and only administered by Vets in our state, you can still go to the Farm and Fleet Stores and buy the distemper and administer it yourself.

Jason

[Janneke]

Tillo is vaccinated for rabies. He reacted to his first shot, but not to his booster. We needed this vaccination to travel to other European counties. We also did a blood titer, so we can now travel to Norway, Sweden and the UK as well. He needs to be vaccinated once every three years. If we do it on time, we don't need to do the blood titer again. I made sure that he doesn't need all his vaccinations at the same time: one year he's vaccinated for rabies + KC, one year his ****tail + KC and one year only the KC. Or well.. that's the plan Tillo is still in his second year on this earth

[Basenjimamma]

Here in Harris County, part of Houston, we have to vaccinate for rabies, and I would want to even if we didn't, simply because rabid bats and other critters are found every so often around town, adn since my dogs are very mouthy they are bound to pick something dead or halfa– dead up, if they had the chance.
We live in the outskirts of Houston, and we have lots of bats flying around in the dusk hours, I like that, keeps mosquito populations down..
So far they have not found any rabid bats in our area of town, but you never know when that might happen..
If you do the 1 yr vaccination , of course it is good for a year, but if you do your booster within that years timeframe it counts as a 3 year shot. My vet stated that the dosage/strength is the same for both shots, it is simply a matter of how much your dog has in his system...(?)

I don't like to vaccinate for tons of different reasons, one being because I truly believe it compromises the animals health over the long run, but for diseases like rabies, I wouldn't take a chance.
Otis did not have a reaction to his first shot..so I hope he won't when he gets his booster around march/april next year.

[agilebasenji]

I do every 3 years as required by law and my therapy dog certification. I will also say that in the last few months rabies has been on a sharp upswing in my area. Just a few weeks ago there was a confirmed case of a rabid horse a few miles from where I live. First confirmed case in 25 years in this area. And this week it was a cow. Scary stuff.

http://www.kktv.com/11forhealth/headlines/62428602.html

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/59383357.html

(between that and the swine flu, i'm amazed anything is going on in colorado. they're closing schools b/c of the swine flu.)

[lvoss]

Vaccines work by causing the immune system to produce cells that will produce the antibodies to fight the disease you are vaccinated for. After being vaccinated the body will have memory cells that will recognize the virus and be able to produce the antibodies to fight it. Memory cells live for years, usually a lifetime, which is why once you have had disease such as chicken pox most people will never get it again. The reason for boostering is because they don't know which animals are going to be the ones that got lifetime immunity and which are going to be the few who need the booster.

[Alex]

Several people mentioned that there are medications (benadryl, holistic meds etc) you can give your dog prior to the rabies shot to reduce the adverse effects. What works for you (brand, dosage, before/after)?

[agilebasenji]

I do give one Benadryl AND I have the vet give the rabies by itself. I do the other shots 2 weeks later.

[sinbaje]

@Alex:

I read that 3 year dose is higher than 1 year and can potentially cause more issues.

The 1yr and 3yr are the EXACT same vaccine; nothing different about the label either. At work we give pups the same vaccine for 1 year that we give adults for their 3yr.

On another but similar note - the same dose is given to a Chi that is given to a Mastiff with no undue problems. *In other words either dog can have a reaction dependent on how good their immune system is. As breeders we should be breeding for strong immune systems; don't perpetuate problems by breeding dogs who have major vaccine reactions (tender knots is not a true reaction).

It is not the rabies that causes the reaction per se. It is the preservative namely thermisol. Luckily they make thermisol free vaccines. Talk to your vets and see what they use.

I hope this works. Sending from my iPhone.

---

UNIVERSAL HEALTH

[Vicki]

@Alex:

Several people mentioned that there are medications (benadryl, holistic meds etc) you can give your dog prior to the rabies shot to reduce the adverse effects. What works for you (brand, dosage, before/after)?

I'll ask my vet what herbal solution she gives along with vaccinations.