# Rabies vaccine (booster)



## jcris (Feb 19, 2015)

Hello,
I just received a note from my vet saying my girls 3 year rabies vaccine is due. My spoo's are both 7 1/2 years old. What's the current thinking on this type of booster shot? Is it really necessary and what risks are there?
Thanks,
Jcris


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

To some degree I think it depends upon whether or not your dog could possibly be exposed to rabies. In most places that is a possibility, so it's wise to keep dogs vaccinated. Even in big cities there are wild animals who can carry the disease - skunks and raccoons, for example.


----------



## jcris (Feb 19, 2015)

Thanks Johanna,
Zoe is absolutely gorgeous. I just love her haircut and especially her color. Just beautiful.
Jcris


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Thank you, jcris. Zoe is a joy - such a funny and energetic little one. She is quite small for a miniature poodle - she only weighs 11 pounds and is not thin!


----------



## jcris (Feb 19, 2015)

She is such a beauty though.
I have 2 standards and they have been on a diet of late so I understand the "not thin" comment. So easy for them to gain weight, but not to lose it. I'm in the process of re-training me! haha
Jcris


----------



## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

I don't know what the laws are where you live, but where I live my dogs aren't able to get licensed without the rabies vaccine. It is the only required shot.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

jcris said:


> Hello,
> I just received a note from my vet saying my girls 3 year rabies vaccine is due. My spoo's are both 7 1/2 years old. What's the current thinking on this type of booster shot? Is it really necessary and what risks are there?
> Thanks,
> Jcris


Check your state laws. You might not have any choice if you live where it’s mandatory and titers are not accepted. 

My county had 22 official cases last year between bats, cats, raccoons, hedge hogs etc but no dogs In fact looking at last years data no dogs were infected in my state but cats were the fourth most infected animal with rabies after raccoons, bats and skunk. 

We have had raccoon testing positive on my property and years later my next door neighbor. Rabies is too close to me, I keep my pets vaccinated.


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Unfortunately in California, state law dictates rabies vaccines and does not recognize, or accept titers. We have run into issues, particularly with dogs in their teens, but even advanced age is not viewed as an allowable excuse. Our vet says he has never had any of his submissions for getting out of a rabies shot accepted, not for medical,or advanced age. One thing to remember should you decide to try to "opt" out of the rabies vaccine is that California does have wildlife that tests positive for rabies every year. Down here it is mostly bats. We do have a lot of wild life in our area and one or our poodle's is an avid killing machine. We vaccinate for rabies, and titer for distemper.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

The Rabies Challenge by Dr. Dodds has shown that the rabies vaccine lasts at least 7 years, but unfortunately, CA law states they must be vaccinated every 3 years, so I comply with the law for all of my dogs. I actually feel fortunate to live in a state where it isn't required yearly :afraid: I titer for parvo/distemper and haven't done any other vaccines except bordetella if they had to have it for boarding, grooming, or training.


----------



## jcris (Feb 19, 2015)

Several good points made, thanks guy's,
I will probably allow it. Now that spring is here, the girls will be allowed off leash much more. And while I don't necessarily allow it, the girls will get after critters of all sorts. The skunk and feral cat population around here is kinda crazy. Belle actually killed a chicken last year. I was so angry with her, I was just to old to catch her. Anyway, thanks so much for the guidance.
Jcris


----------



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

The first link is to the AVMA guidelines for vaccinations 2017, 
the second is within the first link referencing titer vs revaccination,
and the third is within the second link referencing Rabies titer and the Rabies Challenge mentioned by zooeysmom.

https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/171101f.aspx

https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/160701a.aspx

https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/160701b.aspx

Maybe someday the law will catch up with the research.


----------



## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I vaccinate per my vet, First rabies was at 4 months and then at their first annual they get another 1 year vaccination. After that it is only required every 3 years. According to the CDC a unvaccinated dog that has been exposed will either be euthanized or quarantined for 4-6 months. A dog that has expired vaccination 45 days. We still have had cases of rabies in raccoons, coyotes, bats. I worry about a bat, we have lots that fly about at night often swooping down and if one ever got in the house, yikes!


----------



## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

Mufar42 said:


> I vaccinate per my vet, First rabies was at 4 months and then at their first annual they get another 1 year vaccination. After that it is only required every 3 years. According to the CDC a unvaccinated dog that has been exposed will either be euthanized or quarantined for 4-6 months. A dog that has expired vaccination 45 days. We still have had cases of rabies in raccoons, coyotes, bats. I worry about a bat, we have lots that fly about at night often swooping down and if one ever got in the house, yikes!


I have a friend who actually had to deal with the euthanize or quarantine threat. She had been taking care of a friend's cat for a couple of years. It never occurred to her that she should take a healthy cat to the vet and the vet's reminders were going to the originally owner's house where no one ever saw them (long story). One day, the cat was outside and she got into a fight with an unknown animal and was bitten. So my friend took her to the vet to be treated for the bite (same vet as the original owner used). Well getting bitten by an unknown animal is a reportable incident, so the vet was required to file a report with local authorities. Initially, local authorities said that the cat would have to be euthanized or quarantined for 6 months in the vet's office. To make a long story short, the vet was able to get the authorities to compromise. He provide evidence that the cat had previously been vaccinated twice (but most recent rabies vaccination was 4 or 5 years old). He said that it was his opinion based on current research that the cat was still immune. Fortunately the local officials were reasonable and allowed the cat to be quarantined in my friend's home for 6 months, after which there were visits and reports filed by both the vet and the township officials. It was a very scary time, and easy to imagine a different outcome if the officials had not been lenient.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

This is from a vet I use to see sometimes when I lived in that area. He has credentials up the ying yang and has loads of study in the field of immunology from what I understand. He is a wild life guy as well. He is a conventional vet as well as an alternative medicine kind of vet. And this is his website: The first link is to the main page telling about him and so forth. And the second link is regarding vaccinations, including rabies. If you like to read and research, here is some interesting material. Before making any decisions, I always feel better studying up on as much stuff as I can and when there are two sides to everything, I want to know both of them. I won't say what my opinion is. I'm just offering what I think is valuable material for you to research before making your decision. Good luck. 


All Animal & Bird Clinic, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Everett, WA, Washington, veterinarian, holistic care, alternative medicine, Dr. Douglas Yearout

A New Look At Vaccines | Pitcairn Education Programs


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

we used to have an active member at pf whose toy poodle had a liver shunt. she was in california and asked for an exemption for her dog. of course, no. apparently where she lived enforcement officers also went to people's homes to check. she ran into one who said, 'well, then, i guess you will have to pay a fine every year.' assuming the fines don't go up massively yearly, i actually thought the enforcement officer was offering her the only way out she knew of in view of the law in california. don't know if that's still the system, but it may be an option for some who have dogs with other health problems that they and their vets believe preclude rabies vaccinations/boosters.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Rabies is a uniformly fatal disease in humans, and it's a horrible way to die. I'd never have an unvaccinated pet. Never.


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

JudyD said:


> Rabies is a uniformly fatal disease in humans, and it's a horrible way to die. I'd never have an unvaccinated pet. Never.



a good reminder.i had a friend who used to jog even when posted to thailand. he was bitten twice by street dogs and had to take the shots twice. his wife was a nurse, so that helped in administering the treatment, but, yes, i generally agree. no unvaccinated pets, unless, perhaps, you never let them out of the house.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I don't think anyone here is advocating for _not_ vaccinating. Anyone who has done current research on the rabies vaccination knows that it lasts much longer than the 3 years it is required. But yes, leaving a dog _unvaccinated_ is terribly dangerous, especially in California.


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I am going to be traveling to Ecuador with my Service Dog. Of course he has to have a rabies, as well as others, but I actually had someone suggest I should have a rabies vaccine too!


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

kontiki said:


> I am going to be traveling to Ecuador with my Service Dog. Of course he has to have a rabies, as well as others, but I
> 
> actually had someone suggest I should have a rabies vaccine too!



i'd talk to my doctor about it. i never worried about it before what happened to my friend in thailand. that was awhile ago. but if you're traveling with your dog, i wonder if that would attract street dogs. something to think about.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

patk said:


> a good reminder.i had a friend who used to jog even when posted to thailand. he was bitten twice by street dogs and had to take the shots twice. his wife was a nurse, so that helped in administering the treatment, but, yes, i generally agree. no unvaccinated pets, unless, perhaps, you never let them out of the house.


Of the five houses we've lived in, we had bats get into three of them, each house more than once. My understanding is their bite is so small that it's very hard to see, so you might never know you or your pet had been bitten. 

I have a friend who was riding her bike at twilight and was hit by a flying bat. Twice. Even though she didn't appear to have been bitten either time, she still had to have the vaccine.


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I know at one time, veterinarians were vaccinated against rabies because of their higher than normal chance of exposure to the disease. I don't know if that is still the case.


----------



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

For a 14 y/o dog, I flat out refuse all booster vaccines but rabies. My vet doesn't argue with me.

But she does insist on a rabies booster. And I don't argue with her.

It's the law...


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Countryboy, we are talking about a rabies vaccine for a human ....


----------



## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Yes , here too, my chihuahua will be 17, he now only gets the rabies booster since its law.


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Charmed said:


> I know at one time, veterinarians were vaccinated against rabies because of their higher than normal chance of exposure to the disease. I don't know if that is still the case.


Wow, If Veterinarians chose to be vaccinated themselves, as humans, then the risk can be pretty high of transmission.

Yes, someone recommended I be vaccinated myself before going to countries where not only un-vaccinated dogs, but also un-vaccinated other animals are running around wild. 

I am not sure at all....

I already have to get Anti-Malarial, Yellow Fever, Tetnus, Hepatitis A, etc.... oh my.... I did not even know there was a Rabies vaccine for humans.


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

what does your doctor say about reasons for or against vaccinating a person? i don't think many people on a dog forum have much experience, let alone expertise, re vaccinating humans today. judyd is very possibly the only one with any experience with discussing the issue.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

patk said:


> what does your doctor say about reasons for or against vaccinating a person? i don't think many people on a dog forum have much experience, let alone expertise, re vaccinating humans today. judyd is very possibly the only one with any experience with discussing the issue.


No expertise, just a morbid fear of rabies. I do remember an amusing story (amusing only because it ended well) about a bat researcher who was vaccinated before he went to a South American country to study a huge colony of bats in a cave there. He spent weeks working among the bats, got home, and found a notice that the rabies vaccine lot he'd been given was ineffective. Fortunately he hadn't been bitten.


----------

