And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard friends and acquaintances say, “My senior dog was perfectly healthy until not long after his last rabies shot he just sort of fell apart after that!” Maybe these were all coincidental after all, statistically, senior dogs are at higher risk of all health problems. But he did have a massive allergy flare-up within a month of his last rabies shot, and getting the allergies under control again took a while. In his later years, these were fairly well under control, with assiduous management of his diet. My last senior dog, Rupert, had suffered from environmental and dietary allergies his whole life. It’s anecdotal, but in my own experience, senior dogs are more likely to suffer adverse effects from rabies vaccinations. That said, it’s been demonstrated that dogs can be safely immunized against the disease with fewer vaccinations – and that the rabies vaccine can present serious adverse side effects in dogs. Since rabies is a fatal disease, is present in the United States, and carried by wild animals (bats, raccoons, and skunks are the most common vectors), and since we live in an area where all three of those vectors are present, I believe that immunization against rabies is a terrific idea. Why Should I Dread Another Rabies Vaccine for My Dog?Īll vaccinations pose some risk, which must be weighed against their benefit. (Note that we were out of compliance with state law from Mathrough October 28, 2015.) So he is “due” for a rabies vaccination by October 28 of this year. His most recent rabies vaccination was on October 28, 2015. Otto was vaccinated for rabies again on April 2, 2009, and again on March 20, 2012. So far, I have complied with my state laws regarding rabies vaccination. In California, where I live, dogs are required to have their first rabies vaccination at the age of four months, their second no more than a year later, and additional rabies vaccinations every three years after that. (Curious about your state? All of the states’ statutes regarding rabies vaccinations are collected in this terrific website.) All of the states save three (Kansas, Minnesota, and Ohio) require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies at least every three years in those three states that lack state laws that require rabies vaccination for dogs, there are city and county laws that require it. Nevertheless, there are laws that require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies in all of the United States. Today, the most common vectors for rabies are bats, raccoons, and skunks. Thanks to vaccination laws, this is no longer the case. Rabies vaccination earned this “special” legal status due to the historical threat that rabies poses to humans as recently as my childhood in the 1960s, domestic dogs and cats were still common vectors for spreading this deadly disease to humans. Otto was vaccinated several more times with the five-way vaccines before I adopted him, but I’m not going to talk about those vaccines right now I want to focus on the rabies vaccine – the only vaccine that dog owners are legally required to give their dogs in most states. On May 14, 2008, he was given a rabies vaccine. He was estimated to be about six months old, and was vaccinated that day with a five-way vaccination (distemper, adenovirus-type 2, coronavirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus) and a separate three-way vaccination (adenovirus-type 2, parainfluenza, and bordetella) made by a different company. He was brought into the shelter as a stray dog on May 7, 2008. See label for complete directions and precautions.I adopted Otto on June 16, 2008. For advice on revaccination frequency and annual booster vaccinations, consultation with a veterinarian is recommended.ĭo-it-yourself at home vaccines. The need for this booster has not been established. Historically, annual revaccination with a single dose has been recommended for this product. The presence of maternal antibody is known to interfere with the development of active immunity in dogs and additional boosters will be required in most young animals. All dogs should initially receive one dose of this product and a second dose 2 to 3 weeks later. If blood enters the syringe freely, choose another injection site. IMPORTANT NOTE: Before injecting vaccine, pull back slightly on syringe plunger. Do not inject directly into blood vessel (see note below). Subcutaneous administration: Lift the loose skin behind the neck or behind the neck or behind the front leg and insert needle (see illustration, arrows 1 and 2). Withdraw entire contents into the syringe. Aseptically rehydrate the vaccine cake with 1 mL of sterile diluent supplied. Open the syringe by twisting or tapping the cap against a hard surface to break the heat weld.
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