Rabies Vaccine

[gracielove]

I have never had a pet have a reaction to the rabies vaccine. We did wait when Gracie was a puppy until she was older to give it to her but that was only because of her size.

I do know that many human immunization companies have gone out of business because of the high liability factor in producing them. A good many of our immunizations are actually manufactured outside this country although they are sold by American companies.

I'm don't know where animal immunizations are being produced but if there is an increase in negative reactions to them it might be worth looking into.

[BLowry]

I was having titers done on the furkids....I decided to stop having them as it is not cheap and 9 times out of 10 the didn't need the vaccine. I made a decision and discussed it with my vet, that the pups would only get vaccinations every 5 yrs. (Bentley will probably get another round next year...we've only had him since Nov,...,,but was UTD because he was 5 months old when we got him,....They DO NOT get lepto OR lyme....My Lillie had a really bad reaction to the lyme last year and I thought we were going to lose her...never got it before....because we camp, I thought it would be a good idea to have this done...not such a good idea. My personal opinion is....They do not NEED all these vaccines...and having titers is another way for the vets to make money when vaccines are not being given. I have never had a titer come back saying they needed the vaccine...I wish they would change the laws on rabies...I wish there were something we could all do to get this every 3 yr law changed...I feel they are pumping our babies with drugs they do not need...as far as I know there is no titer for rabies...I ask this every time they go...this is the only one I would titer as it is the law...We don't get vaccinated every 3 yrs....why should our babies?

JMO

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by BLowry

I was having titers done on the furkids....I decided to stop having them as it is not cheap and 9 times out of 10 the didn't need the vaccine. I made a decision and discussed it with my vet, that the pups would only get vaccinations every 5 yrs. (Bentley will probably get another round next year...we've only had him since Nov,...,,but was UTD because he was 5 months old when we got him,....They DO NOT get lepto OR lyme....My Lillie had a really bad reaction to the lyme last year and I thought we were going to lose her...never got it before....because we camp, I thought it would be a good idea to have this done...not such a good idea. My personal opinion is....They do not NEED all these vaccines...and having titers is another way for the vets to make money when vaccines are not being given. I have never had a titer come back saying they needed the vaccine...I wish they would change the laws on rabies...I wish there were something we could all do to get this every 3 yr law changed...I feel they are pumping our babies with drugs they do not need...as far as I know there is no titer for rabies...I ask this every time they go...this is the only one I would titer as it is the law...We don't get vaccinated every 3 yrs....why should our babies?

JMO

Brenda, there is a titer for rabies, but, it's expensive and it's the law here to have your dogs vaccinated so most vets don't even mention it. Heck, most vets here won't even do titers. My vet does titers and she did explain that, even with a titer for proof of immunity, if one of my dogs ever bit anyone or they were picked up for some reason the county may not accept the titer as proof and they would vaccinate them again or euthanize to test for rabies if needed.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Brenda, there is a titer for rabies, but, it's expensive and it's the law here to have your dogs vaccinated so most vets don't even mention it. Heck, most vets here won't even do titers. My vet does titers and she did explain that, even with a titer for proof of immunity, if one of my dogs ever bit anyone or they were picked up for some reason the county may not accept the titer as proof and they would vaccinate them again or euthanize to test for rabies if needed.

Unvaccinated dogs that bite are put in quarantine in most states that I know of.

I don't know where you live, so I am not aware of your laws, but I would check that out about euthanasia.

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Brenda, there is a titer for rabies, but, it's expensive and it's the law here to have your dogs vaccinated so most vets don't even mention it. Heck, most vets here won't even do titers. My vet does titers and she did explain that, even with a titer for proof of immunity, if one of my dogs ever bit anyone or they were picked up for some reason the county may not accept the titer as proof and they would vaccinate them again or euthanize to test for rabies if needed.

really? not sure what state you live in but my vet is big on titers....they told me they don't have titers for rabies...i will ask them again. with my vet if the titer comes back that they need the vaccine they don't charge for it...guess they feel the titer is expensive enough so they give it at no charge! which is good but, if it's not needed then I am paying much more than what the vaccine would cost....They did not give me a hard time about the 5 yr plan...

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by BLowry

I was having titers done on the furkids....I decided to stop having them as it is not cheap and 9 times out of 10 the didn't need the vaccine. I made a decision and discussed it with my vet, that the pups would only get vaccinations every 5 yrs. (Bentley will probably get another round next year...we've only had him since Nov,...,,but was UTD because he was 5 months old when we got him,....They DO NOT get lepto OR lyme....My Lillie had a really bad reaction to the lyme last year and I thought we were going to lose her...never got it before....because we camp, I thought it would be a good idea to have this done...not such a good idea. My personal opinion is....They do not NEED all these vaccines...and having titers is another way for the vets to make money when vaccines are not being given. I have never had a titer come back saying they needed the vaccine...I wish they would change the laws on rabies...I wish there were something we could all do to get this every 3 yr law changed...I feel they are pumping our babies with drugs they do not need...as far as I know there is no titer for rabies...I ask this every time they go...this is the only one I would titer as it is the law...We don't get vaccinated every 3 yrs....why should our babies?

JMO

They used to recommend them every year and I complied for years on end .. and honestly did not have any issues.

As for not needing vaccines, I agree there is such a thing as over vaccination but these vaccines are very necessary. The thought of one of my pups contracting distemper makes me sick. Vaccines and titers are not done for vets to make money. These illnesses are very real and a threat just like human illnesses are a threat and require immunization. There are some vets who may do it for money...to keep people coming in, but we all need to seek out those vets who are in the business for all of the right reasons.

As for the rabies thing, you are lucky you don't live in an area that requires them every year! It varies from state to state and also town to town.

[Ellie May]

I would not worry too much. My vet has been in practice for fifteen plus years and reallllllllly has to think to remember any serious rabies reactions. But if an owner is concerned, she will premed with Benadryl and/or have the client wait around for a bit afterwards. Lepto is by far more problematic for vets here.

Whether you decide to vaccinate, titer, skip vaccination and risk it...that's up to each owner. Unless there are serious medical issues making vaccination really risky, I will always choose to do it. After being around the sawing off of the head procedure (for testing), it can sway one's thoughts on this permanently... This is not something I could ever have my kids go through. And after hearing a vet tell the owner of an unvaccinated cat with possible bite marks that cat needs to spend six months confined to one room with only one point of contact...it makes me feel even better about vaccinating my pups. And to think about the fact that it is not only bites that rabies can be transferred by, but also scratches..and theoretically old saliva in the grass coming in contact with a pup's cut or scrape...not worth it to us. And besides, our pups go with us to see family. They live in an old house and they have seen a couple bats before...now the problem is fixed. But who knows... And who knows if mice have found an access point into their homes... Then there is the fact that if you go to a new vet or ER that does not know your pups, they are more likely to be muzzled and handled firmly for technician safety.

We will do a medical waiver only if the pup requires it.
We don't spend money on titers because they likely mean nothing to authorities,
As for distemper and parvo titers..we used to do them. Then I ignored the results, so no point for us.. Besides it is technially not what titers are meant for anyway.

I really feel for the people that live in areas where this vaccine is required yearly. That would make me uneasy and it is medically unnecessary.

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

They used to recommend them every year and I complied for years on end .. and honestly did not have any issues.

As for not needing vaccines, I agree there is such a thing as over vaccination but these vaccines are very necessary. The thought of one of my pups contracting distemper makes me sick. Vaccines and titers are not done for vets to make money. These illnesses are very real and a threat just like human illnesses are a threat and require immunization. There are some vets who may do it for money...to keep people coming in, but we all need to seek out those vets who are in the business for all of the right reasons.

As for the rabies thing, you are lucky you don't live in an area that requires them every year! It varies from state to state and also town to town.

If they don't get their vaccine within a certain time (once they are due) then they have to have another one the next year....when they get their first vaccine they need another the next year...after that it's every 3 yrs.....

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by BLowry

I was having titers done on the furkids....I decided to stop having them as it is not cheap and 9 times out of 10 the didn't need the vaccine. I made a decision and discussed it with my vet, that the pups would only get vaccinations every 5 yrs. (Bentley will probably get another round next year...we've only had him since Nov,...,,but was UTD because he was 5 months old when we got him,....They DO NOT get lepto OR lyme....My Lillie had a really bad reaction to the lyme last year and I thought we were going to lose her...never got it before....because we camp, I thought it would be a good idea to have this done...not such a good idea. My personal opinion is....They do not NEED all these vaccines...and having titers is another way for the vets to make money when vaccines are not being given. I have never had a titer come back saying they needed the vaccine...I wish they would change the laws on rabies...I wish there were something we could all do to get this every 3 yr law changed...I feel they are pumping our babies with drugs they do not need...as far as I know there is no titer for rabies...I ask this every time they go...this is the only one I would titer as it is the law...We don't get vaccinated every 3 yrs....why should our babies?

JMO

I have always gotten my dogs all their shots as needed. Last year I realized that there was a vaccine for Lyme and considered getting it for Gracie as one of our cats brought a tick into the house that got on her. I decided to try to find out what I could about it and everything I read was negative. It was all info from a few years ago though. What kind of a reaction did your dog have? I hoped maybe they had gotten the "bugs" out of it.

[Teegy]

My dogs will only be getting rabies from now on. I even stopped the annual heartworm meds and purchased essential oils to make natural mosquito and flea repellents

[Britster]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Vaccines and titers are not done for vets to make money. These illnesses are very real and a threat just like human illnesses are a threat and require immunization. There are some vets who may do it for money...to keep people coming in, but we all need to seek out those vets who are in the business for all of the right reasons.

As for the rabies thing, you are lucky you don't live in an area that requires them every year! It varies from state to state and also town to town.

I absolutely believe any vet who is doing YEARLY vaccines is in it for the money OR is simply ignorant to the newest research and science. I do think initial vaccines are important, of course. But I know I haven't gotten any vaccines since I was a child.... most humans don't get vaccines every year.

Not talking about rabies. While I think every 3 years is still too much, I would never skip it (due to the reasons Ellie May stated). I still don't understand why you would have to give rabies every 3 years. Boosters don't really booster anything. You are either immune or you aren't. You'd think 5 years would be sufficient.

But in regards to other vaccines - I just totally don't buy that dogs need vaccines every year or even every 3 years. Vaccines make vets offices a lot of money and I definitely believe they don't want to stop that income from coming in. If they told people dogs didn't need vaccines every year, or 3 years, you do wonder how often people would bring their dogs in. I know some people who just think it's a normal part of owning a dog - they don't think twice: "dogs need shots every year". I wonder if those dogs would even see the vet yearly if they didn't, ya know. So in that sense, yes, maybe the vets are just trying to get people in.

But recommending or giving yearly vaccines is just WRONG, IMO. I would never ever support or respect or recommend a vet who does them.

Consider this… One dose of rabies vaccine costs the vet about 61 cents. The client is typically charged between $15 and $38, plus a $35 office visit. The markup on the vaccine alone is 2,400 percent to 6,200 percent—a markup equivalent to charging $217 for a loaf of bread. According to one estimate, removing the one-year rabies vaccination and consequential office visit for dogs alone would decrease the average small vet’s income from $87,000 to $25,000—and this doesn’t include cats or other vaccinations.

According to James Schwartz, author of Trust Me, I’m Not a Veterinarian, 63 percent of canine and 70 percent of feline vet office visits are for vaccinations. Clearly, radically changing the vaccine schedule for dogs and cats would result in a huge economic loss for any veterinary practice that is built around shots. And chances are the vaccines you are paying so much for are creating even more income for vets, because the adverse reactions and other medical issues caused by the vaccines keep Fluffy coming back often!

Veterinary vaccine sales amounted to more than $3.2 million in 2004 and have risen 7 percent per year since 2000. This figure is projected to exceed $4 billion in 2009. Six companies account for more than 70percent of world veterinary vaccine sales. The market leader is Intervet, with sales of almost $600 million in 2004. That’s a whole lot of 61-cent vaccines. The United States has by far the largest share of the national market with revenues of $935 million, and Japan comes in second with $236 million.

Pet vaccination warning. Severe adverse reaction to immunization

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Teegy

My dogs will only be getting rabies from now on. I even stopped the annual heartworm meds and purchased essential oils to make natural mosquito and flea repellents

In most places, I'd never trust natural stuff when it comes to heartworms. I'm very minimal in regards to most stuff... but heartworms - I don't mess with. With you being in Canada, it's probably not very common.

[Cindyloohoo]

My Coco got extremely sick after her vaccines when she went for her year old round ones. She had a terrible reaction and it was actually about 10 days after. I almost lost her. She went into shock and had liver failure, they also said she was hyperthermic. She had an extremely low temperature. I took her to the University of Florida for treatment. They thoughtshe had a liver shunt, did all tests for that and she was fine. Months later after much research on my own I found that it is common to have a reacction 10 days out. I don't know which shot it was because they gave her several on the same day, apparently something that you are not suppose to do with a small dog. We skipped her rabies last year and the vet suggested titers next time. She has been a healthy, happy pup since that episode. Something def happend and I'm convinced it was the shots.

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by Teegy

My dogs will only be getting rabies from now on. I even stopped the annual heartworm meds and purchased essential oils to make natural mosquito and flea repellents

I am not stopping the vaccines altogether...I just dont get them every year...I don't think it's necessary but, this is JMO..and my vet is on board with my decision. As for heartworm......I would NEVER stop this one.....MO again...Heartworm is VERY painful for the animal and the treatment for them is horrible...The vet my parents use said she would rather put and animal down that is infected then to see them have to go through the treatment for it....As for fleas and ticks....I 100% agree with you! I started a couple of threads on using essential oils for flea and tick repellents...Lemongrass oil is a good one for flea/ticks and even for us as an insect repellent....peppermint oil is another good one...don't use it full strength though...mix 1 cup water and (start with) 15 drops of essential oil...spray a paper towel and wipe it over the animal....I did google recipes for flea/tick repellent using lemongrass oil and it did say you could spray it on the animal...not sure if I would do that...

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by Britster

In most places, I'd never trust natural stuff when it comes to heartworms. I'm very minimal in regards to most stuff... but heartworms - I don't mess with. With you being in Canada, it's probably not very common.

agree