Check rabies vacine on your pets

[JohnS]

On last Thursday, a raccoon came into our yard, and into our dogs runwire area. Our husky did what is natural for her, and attacked the coon, and killed it. The coon was carefully put in a sealed bag, and sent to Albany for testing. The results came back positive. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif While we were waiting for the results, we read everything on the CDC website, talked to numerous vets, and the health dept. Our check on the dogs last vacine came up three months expired. Essentially, this is now considered a non-vacinated animal. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif There are only two choices in this case, putting the animal to sleep /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif or 6 month quarintine in an approved animal hospital. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif The expense of the quarintine will run around 3K. After agonizing over this decission, we decided on the quarintine. We will now be on a week to week basis on the fate of our dog.

Please do you and your pets a favor and check their vacination dates. Three year intervals are hard to remember and track. We will now do a two year intervals. And we feel like a couple of deliquent parents.

PS: The next door neighbors who saw the whole incident, but because of the way the coon was acting, highly suspected rabies, couldn't do anything in the short timespan. Because they observed that the other dog had no contact with the racoon, saved him from a similar situation. He will be semi-issolated and watched closely, anyway.

 

[heehaw]

same thing happened to a neighbor @10 years ago, rabies vaccine was up to date, but they were told to isolate the dog for several months anyway; according to the vet, the shots are more for peace of mind of the public. when a definite exposure like this happens, quarantine was a must.
i wouldn't trust the vaccine after that kind of exposure either.
heehaw

 

[JohnS]

The info we received indicated, IF our dog's vacine was up to date, then a booster is required within five days. Then, just monitor. No issolation or quarintine would have been required. We have also heard that it is recommended to go to the 2 year interval, with pets that are outside most of the time. Hadn't heard that before.

JohnS

 

[Bird]

Hey, someone clue me in about this. Our dog get annual vaccinations. I hadn't heard of two and three year intervals.

Bird

 

[JohnS]

It maybe state regs, but don't know. In NY for rabies, you get the initial vaccine, then return the next year for the 2nd one. After that it is every 3 years. Other vaccines, like distemper, are every year. How infected animals are handled is goverened by our county health dept. But, in general follow all the state regs and CDC recommendations.

From my recent point of view, Texas is probably better off with one year intervals. It would be interesting to see if this varies across the country.

JohnS

 

[Brushy]

Bird, Texas has a yearly vaccination required by state law to help control exposure to this disease. All Veterinarians are also required by law to use the 3 year Rabies vaccine. Granted this may be much more than is needed or maybe we shouldn't be vaccinating so often. Even so, with the high incidence of this disease in certain areas of our state and with Rabies being over 99% fatal in people, I know I feel better by keeping my dogs vaccinated yearly.

 

[ERNIEB]

Bird, until recently I've been happily dogless for many years. But I know it used to be annual. My wife recently brought home a puppy. She took the pot licker to the Vet, and I have never asked her how often for the rabies shot.
While I was thinking about it, Brushy came up with the answer.
Ernie
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by ERNIEB on 08/01/01 11:00 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[DrDan]

Bird

It all has to do with state law. The vaccine is only good for one year the first time it is given. After that, it is good for three years if it is a 3 year vaccine which most of them are now. Like in my clinic I give rabies vaccine to dogs and cats from WV and Ohio. Same vaccine but it is only good for two years in WV and three in OH. All depends on state law.

Yes I have seen it happen soooooo many times. People think we are just money-grabbers when we encourage them to keep up vaccines with reminder cards, newspaper articles, etc. - It's a heck of a wake up call when your pet is exposed or comes down with a "preventable disease". I once went to a dentist who had a little decal on his light. It read "Prevention Pays - Neglect Costs" HOW TRUE!!!

A fifteen dollar vaccine can prevent a $600 disease (parvovius) or even death or public health threats.

Dr Dan

 

[looch]

Bird,

We do it yearly here, too. In fact, you don't even have to make an appointment with the vet. Every year the municipality has a vet come down to the firestation. People line up with their pets - 10$ each. Also, the wooded areas are peppered with "bait" dropped from cessna's. Give's the wild animals their yearly dose.

 

[Bird]

Thanks to all of you. I wondered if something had changed I didn't know about. They have an annual deal in a little park here where you can take your critter and get him/her vaccinated for rabies for $6, but we have a vet we like and trust, so "Buster" gets taken there every year. This year it cost $54, but I got a list of the vaccinations and think he got vaccinated for everything but the bubonic plague, got his toenails clipped, etc./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird