It seems that no vet in my area believes that dogs can have adverse reactions to the

[sophistacavy]

...rabies vaccine and/or booster several weeks after it was given. They've all said it appears up to 30 minutes later. I personally do not believe that. I understand that many vets refuse to tell clients the truth about certain things, in order for them to make more money. Which doesn't make sense to me, b/c I thought that if you want to become a vet, then you foremost want to help animals, not make big bucks. If you just wanted to make big bucks, then go to law school, not vet school, you see what I mean?

Here are some links to videos and info that will help explain my "opposing viewpoint" to everyone here. (fyi: This is a big part of what my paper topic for the graduation project will be about, plus I was calling all these vets b/c of my own dog, Lexie *long story*)

http://www.oldcountryvet.com/videoClips.html
http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/


What should I do? I mean, what can I do?

[diane]

My mother in law had to deal with this. With her oldest yorkie he went in for his regular shots and about a month later he developed a large knot at the injection site and has about a two inch bald spot as well. She found a new vet that said that it wasn't all that uncommon especially in small dogs. That the dosage can be to much. I am not sure what the vet does know but it hasn't been an issue with this new guy. THis same vet also helped her out with her other dog who has a liver shunt. If he hadn't of figured it out she probably wouldn't be around. He also does large farm animals, his only draw back is he doesn't deal with exotics.

[makemesmile]

I read your that website you posted. I've never heard of the rabies vac being bad. I have a few questions about it because it wasn't that clear (or maybe because I'm doing 500 other things and didn't give it all my attention ). So they're trying to get rid of the rabies vaccination? How come getting it every year is better than every 3 years? Is it because more med or whatever is in the 3 year has more because it has to last longer?

Also, I've lost all hope in vets today. I am seriously starting to believe that 95% are in it just for the money and the other 5% are ruined by the "bad vets". Here is my story:

My dog--Romeo has been sick for like 3 weeks. 2 weeks ago I took him to a vet that was across the street from where I work because his normal vet was closed. He had an URI (upper res. infection) so they put him on antibiotics, yay, everything should be good, right? Wrong. Today he is still sick so I took him to his normal vet today along with my cat--Mitzi for her annual and vaccinations.

My vet looked at Romeo first and I explained how I had taken him to the vet across from where because they're closed on Wed and I explained how Romeo has gotten better but still isn't 100%. She told me that the other vet did not have Romeo on the antibiotics long enough to completely heal him so she put him on them again.

You would think a vet should know how long to have a dog on meds! It cost me 80 dollars to take Romeo to the dumb vet and 33 to take him to my vet!

On top of that, 3 months ago, I took Mitzi to the same vet across the street from work because she had black discharge in her nose and they told me she had an URI. So today at the vet she's had that black discharge again so I asked the vet if she had the URI again, so the vet listened to Mitzi's lungs and she said Mitzi sounds perfectly fine that it doesn't sound like Mitzi has EVER had an URI (URI create scars in the lungs and you can hear it). My vet told me the black discharge is from the dust of the cat litter. And I explained my kitten doesn't get that discharge and she said some cats don't but as long as she is acting normal (not sneezing) and the discharge is not yellow or green she's good. Why did the other vet prescribe my cat antibiotics she didn't need?! Idiot!

A few weeks ago, we had a cat that had obvious URI at the kennel I work and we took him to the vet across the street and they said he didn't have an URI! My cat was acting normal (no sneezing/green discharge) and she has one, but his cat is not eating, drinking, constantly sneezing and green discharge out of it's eyes and nose and it doesn't have one but mine did! OMG!

Sooooo I'm contacting a BUNCH of different veterinary boards to report him. I have a background of petcare (I'm ABKA certified and I've worked with dogs/cats for 3 years) and he's playing games with me, I can only imagine what he's doing to the average people, or the elderly...

[Alusdra]

The vaccination thing is somewhat of a hot topic now, but it boils down to there not being enough research done to say what is the best. Historically and traditionally it is done every year. Personally I think the average person, or even the average vet, should just go ahead and do it every year. They aren't that expensive and how many people would remember to go every two years? Every three years? I would definitely forget. I can't remember the last time *I* got vaccinated for various things, much less my pets.

I, personally, would much prefer vaccinating every year rather than risk losing my pet to rabies (and potentially dying myself). What are the risks of a bad reaction versus risk of rabies (or other disease)? No idea. And there isn't really research to tell you, either. Additionally in some places it is the law to vaccinate every year. I would much much prefer risking adverse reactions in my animals than risking them biting someone and having their head cut off and sent in for testing to make sure the human didn't get exposed to rabies.

Those links you listed- I would take them with a big dose of salt. Both are asking for money and neither list references. What they are saying is as much opinion as a vet you are mad with, except they are saying what you want to hear. I would find some actual research with data before making any sort of decision. Even the AVMA website didn't reference anything (grr) though they did seem less biased. Here's the link for that.

As for being disappointed with vets- ok, some are a$$holes. But most aren't. Vets are people, too, and can make mistakes. It's not like your dog is a book, you come in, and the vet reads what needs to happen and BAM they're cured. (Well, you could make the analogy work, but it would be like a book that you had to read in a mirror in a dim room in an ancient dead language written in heiroglyphs that you studied for years to learn but not everything is known yet.)

And just a question to leave you guys with- you say that you want to know the risks of vaccine reactions and if vaccinations can be once, or every few years or whatever. Fine. Guess what? That would be calling for animal research. Animals would have to be vaccinated on varying schedules and dosed with the disease and see how many get sick when. Recall- diagnosing rabies is either a waiting game or looking at the brain. Either way, likely the animals would need to be euthanized. And even if the research started right now- it would be two years to prove every other year as being effective or not.

[sophistacavy]

The AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) published the fact that the rabies vaccine was effective for 7 years, but that was when the vaccine first was invented. Veterinarians supposedly had "adverse reactions" to this statement, making complaints that forced the AAHA to re-state the vaccine as being effective for only 3 years. Their website probably won't have that info, b/c they have to keep it under cover now.

I think most of this info is already proven, but not allowed to be put into action. So, hardly any animals (if any at all) would have to be tested.
I mean, take my 100% indoor cat for example. Why does he need a rabies vaccine? Its more likely that he'll never get outside in his entire life(which is whats been going on for his current 8 years now), then somehow he gets outside, runs off, someone finds him and brings him to a vet/shelter/whatever, and he has rabies.
Why do pets need to be repeatedly vaccinated throughout their entire lives, when humans basically get several shots as children (like puppy/kitten shots), then never get another vaccine again. Except for us, some vaccines are optional, we can choose whether we want it or not. We can't choose for our animals, for some reason. Like Guardasil, its up to the individual girl whether (or her parents) she gets it or not. Its risky not getting it, sure, but we aren't required by law to get it.
I totally agree w/ puppy/kitten vaccines, and I would never forego those. Same as if I had a child, I would never not get them their childhood shots.
Many of the things pets are vaccinated for(but not all) aren't a problem to people. Because of pet overpopulation, they do need to be vaccinated so diseases don't run rampant.
I don't know here. I think everyone's opinions who have posted here so far are viable, so we'll just have to see what happens. Thanks for the input so far everyone!

p.s: Maybe this thread should be moved to the kitchen?

[Susan9608]

It's interesting that you mentioned people are vaccinated as children and then never vaccinated again. New research shows that passive acquired immunity (through vaccines, as opposed to actually having the disease) is effective for a shorter length of time than actively acquired immunity. That's why there was a push a few years ago to have people re vaccinated for small pox. That's why people are getting Hepatitis B titers draw - to see if they have antibodies. If not, they they'll get immunized again. I'm sure the same will eventually be the same for the MMR.

It is actually being recommended that people get re vaccinated against pertussis during adulthood. And, adults must continually get re vaccinated for tetanus - once every 10 years if no penetrating injury and once every 5 years with a penetrating injury. So human beings aren't immune from the need to have ongoing vaccinations.

Instead of looking at the costs vaccinating your pets, consider the costs - financial, physical, and emotional - of treating your pet for a disease that could have been prevented through routine vaccinations. I vaccinate my cats for more than just rabies every year. They get vaccinated for FVR (feline viral rhinotracheitis), calicivirus, panleukopenia (feline distemper), chlamydia, FeLV (feline Leukemia), and rabies. These are the same shots as "kitten" shots, just boosters, to keep ongoing immunity.

My dog receives vaccinations for distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza, coronavirus, and bordetella, in addition to rabies. Again, the same shots as her "puppy" shots, just boosters to ensure ongoing immunity.

Your indoor cat needs to be vaccinated against rabies because, for one thing, it's the law. For another, you may think your cat will never get outside, but the best laid plans have ways of going to hell and quickly. Just because something hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that it can't or never will. And, even if you cat never gets out, that doesn't ensure that a wild animal will never get in. A raccoon or bird or bat or something might very well get into your house and infect your cat.

Besides, if your cat bit someone ... you'd need to have the proof of rabies vaccinations.

It's the same with feline leukemia. Your cat may not go out. But if it ever did, and got picked up by a shelter, you'd want to know that your cat is protected.

Vets aren't the only ones all about the bottom line - sometimes owners are, too ... as in, how can I short change my pets health in order to save my own bottom line.

[VoodooJoint]

My vet is one who "tells the truth". He recommends dogs only get vaccinated every 5 years. unfortunately, the city and most kennels want to see those vaccination records. Luckily I have a kennel I use when I go on vacation who feels the same way about Vaccinations as my vet so I have no trouble boarding them.

I could get in trouble with the city though if they ever had a reason to question my dog's vaccinations. At the moment all of my dogs are "legal" since I had them vaccinated because or the hurricane evacuation. I might have had to board them. The last time my dogs were vaccinated was during Hurricane Katrina 3 years ago.

[Should I?]

The core vaccines and rabies are good for at 7 years mininum if not for the lifetime of the animal, this has been proven and a lot of vets are switching the vaccine schedules at their clinics.

Susan9608, the vaccines build up in the animals system and it can and does cause serious problems long-term in a lot of pets even if they don't have an immediate reaction to it. It is very bad to overvaccinate, unfortunate that its the law.

I did put my children on a slower vaccination schedule and its a good thing I did. My older daughter didn't get her first MMR vaccine until she was four, I decided this because of the link of MMR with autism. My four year old daughter had a very severe reaction with high temperature and seizures. She has not had another. Because of the reaction she had, I didn't get my younger daughter the vaccination until she was 7 and the only reason I did then is because there was an outbreak in our area. At that time I also had a titer done on my older daughter with showed she was immune (after just that one vaccine). Immunizations can be harmful so I really don't get why its so recommended to just blindly over-vaccinte everyone a certain number of times instead of doing titers first.

Anyway, getting a pet revaccinated every year is not only unnecceary, its also unhealthy.