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Old 02-23-2009, 10:14 AM
 
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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..his rabies shot? Right now he is a 4 month old lab pup. I hear some people say you can get him his rabies shot as early as 3 months while others say wait until 6 months. When should I take him to the vet for this shot?
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Old 02-23-2009, 11:01 AM
 
Location: San Diego
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I'm putting it off as long as I can. He is almost 6 months and still hasn't gotten it yet. My goal is to hold off til he's 1, but we'll see if I can keep putting the vet off. That's one of the worst vaccines out there, with some horrific side effects. If you do get one, make sure it is a killed vaccine, not the live one. And, it lasts a lifetime, which means you do not need to repeat it ever, but unlike other vaccines, titers are not accepted for rabies so they make you come back every 1 or 3 years. I plan on doing one for the duration of his life, since I am more than confident that this vaccines shortens a dog's life considerably. And, given that my dog's breed lives an average of 8 years, I will take my chances with being fined by the city. His health means more than anything and I want him around forever.
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Old 02-23-2009, 11:36 AM
 
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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If the dog is purebred, talk to the breeder to see if they have had any complications with immunizations. Sometimes labs are sensitive and need to have the immunizations staggered to prevent overloading their systems. Rabies, for whatever reason, really seems to hit the puppies hard. He or she will not be feeling well for a while.

Also, consider your location. If you are in a more rural area, vaccinating on schedule probably makes more sense than putting it off.
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Old 02-23-2009, 11:39 AM
 
Location: California
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They will usually give the Rabies along with the very last set of puppy vacs. Usually around 16 weeks or so. Most states state they must be vacinated by at least 1 year. After the initial puppy shot...next year, when he recieves it again, it will be a 3 yr shot. I have never had any problems at all all with a bad reaction or health issues with any of my dogs.

PS...you may want to make a separate appt. for the Rabies. I dislike giving multiple shots...in case there is a problem, it is easier to pinpoint which shot he had a reaction too. JMO.
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Old 02-23-2009, 12:39 PM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,256,002 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MAK802 View Post
I'm putting it off as long as I can. He is almost 6 months and still hasn't gotten it yet. My goal is to hold off til he's 1, but we'll see if I can keep putting the vet off. That's one of the worst vaccines out there, with some horrific side effects. If you do get one, make sure it is a killed vaccine, not the live one. And, it lasts a lifetime, which means you do not need to repeat it ever, but unlike other vaccines, titers are not accepted for rabies so they make you come back every 1 or 3 years. I plan on doing one for the duration of his life, since I am more than confident that this vaccines shortens a dog's life considerably. And, given that my dog's breed lives an average of 8 years, I will take my chances with being fined by the city. His health means more than anything and I want him around forever.
So......didn't you say you were taking PC to different events and dog parks? Without vacs.?
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Old 02-23-2009, 12:53 PM
 
Location: San Diego
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Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1 View Post
So......didn't you say you were taking PC to different events and dog parks? Without vacs.?
He has all the necessary vaccines, for the exception of rabies, so he is protected. Here, they don't need the rabies til they're 6 months old, so he's still good. He's more likely to contract giardia or parvo at dog parks, which he's vaccinated for, and even with the parvo vaccine, you can't be sure your dog won't get it. There was a parvo outbreak at a dog park just North of us, and several of the dogs that contracted the virus have been vaccinated and up to date on those vaccines. So as you can see, vaccines give you a false sense of security.

Rabies is a terrible vaccine and I would never give it to him at such a young age, when he is still developing or repeatedly give it to him every few years. We can prove that the dog has immunity against rabies with a simple blood test, yet titers are not accepted for rabies and people repeatedly inject their dogs every 1 or 3 years. One rabies shot is enough to last a lifetime and I hope that common sense will prevail and titers will become an acceptable alternative to repeated vaccination. And for those that will be doing the rabies, make sure it is given alone and not with the others. You do not want to overload the system by giving several vaccines at once.


Don Hamilton, DVM "Yearly "boosters" are unnecessary, provide no benefit if given (will not increase immunity). Thus boosters are either a legal issue (Rabies) or a manipulation issue (inducing clients to come in for examination rather than directly suggesting an examination."
What you should know about vaccines and booster shots
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Old 02-23-2009, 12:58 PM
 
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You have to give the rabies vaccine in accordance with the law in your area. Your vet should know what that is.

Some say the immunization is good for a lifetime, but that has not been proven (there is a study going - you can find with an online search) that is trying to get the duration pushed out to 7 years. So far, three years is the most any will recognize and that is after 1 year of age. Vaccines before then are only recognized for 1 year.

Most places require a license and you have to have a rabies certificate to gt the license. Big fines, if caught without.

You also have to consider the risk of exposure in your area. The CDC has declared the U.S. to be free of canine strain rabies, but you may be in close proximity to wild animals that carry it. Worst along the Eastern seaboard where raccons carry it.
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Old 02-23-2009, 12:59 PM
 
Location: California
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I'm not arguing the pros and cons of the vac. But, this is another reason, why I dislike dog parks. How many dogs are visiting that park without vacs? Wether if be just Rabies or any other? As mentioned above...the possibility of coming in contact with a wild animal...re skunk, oposseum, etc...at these parks.
I have no choice but to vaccinate. We live in a Hurricane prone area...and there is always the possibiltiy of us being evacuated...has happened twice already in 5 years. If I should need a shelter for me and the animals, they MUST be vaccinated. If I should need to board them....they must be vaccinated.
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Old 02-23-2009, 01:06 PM
 
Location: San Diego
5,026 posts, read 15,237,547 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1 View Post
I'm not arguing the pros and cons of the vac. But, this is another reason, why I dislike dog parks. How many dogs are visiting that park without vacs? Wether if be just Rabies or any other? As mentioned above...the possibility of coming in contact with a wild animal...re skunk, oposseum, etc...at these parks.
I have no choice but to vaccinate. We live in a Hurricane prone area...and there is always the possibiltiy of us being evacuated...has happened twice already in 5 years. If I should need a shelter for me and the animals, they MUST be vaccinated. If I should need to board them....they must be vaccinated.

See, we take him to 3 places. The park across the street which is for the people in our complex and we know them all. The second is a mile away and it's the same people at the same time every night and are all very responsible dog owners. They're both small parks, gated, and no way wild animals can just wander in. I don't take my eyes off of him when there and he is never away from us when outside. And, occassionally he goes to the beach.

The parvo outbreak that happened not too far from us was in an affluent community, and they were all shocked that it happened. What was more shocking was that the dogs that contracted this horrible disease had the required vaccinations. The park is shut down indefinitely, since parvo lives in the soil for many, many years.

It's not like he's not vaccinated. He is just missing one and I will do that when he is a bit older, given his breed and the fact that he picked up coccidia and this respiratory infection so easily. I don't want to overload his system, since it doesn't seem like he can handle anything at this point.
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Old 02-23-2009, 02:01 PM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,256,002 times
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I can understand you not wanting to overload his system. And that's a whole other subject.

But, you are kidding yourself if you think no wild animals have ever gotten into the park because it is gated
I am surrounded by water on 2 sides of my house, and my yard is completely fenced...yet I had a deer in the yard this morning, and have seen many a raccoon, and opossum in the yard. Oh, and armadillo too. And I live in a very residential area!
And your right, bacteria and virus do not know affluentcey... these can be found anywhere,but I sure would do anything in my power to make sure my animals were covered. Saying the dogs were vac. and caught whatever anyway is a poor excuse. JMO of course. Knowing your neighbors means nothing. Or going to the park at the same time means nothing. Your neighbors dogs could have been visiting another park this weekend, or some contagious dog, could have been at the park just minutes before you arrived.
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