Rabies is one of the most devastating viral diseases affecting dogs.
Time goes by too quickly. Especially when it comes to vaccination boosters. Apparently, it’s been three years already since Cookie’s last one for rabies.
I hate having to booster.
And generally, I don’t. Except for rabies. Cookie would have also been due for parvo and distemper, but with those, we can just titer. And of course, I’d never give multiple vaccines in one go no matter what. I like to put at least a month between if I do have to give more than one.
Rabies boosters are still legislated.
I’m glad that at least here we have the option of the three-year vaccines. If I had to booster annually, I’d probably lose my mind. So there is that. Something to be thankful for, I guess.
Rabies is deadly.
Not vaccinating against rabies, of course, would be insane. There is no cure, and it is a deadly disease. Vaccination is the only line of defense. That, or keeping one’s dog locked up in some kind of a protective bubble and never let them out and never let anything in. Which I don’t think any dog would appreciate.
I did, however, have high hopes in the Rabies Challenge study to prove that vaccinated dogs retain immunity for 5 to 7 years, rather than only three. The goal then would be to extend the legally required interval for rabies boosters to 5 and then 7 years. Which would be fantastic.
If my memory serves me right, though, they should have had the needed data already. But there doesn’t seem to be much news on that front.
And then, of course, there is the legislative part – have you ever seen a government do things quickly? I haven’t yet.
There is always the potential for an adverse reaction.
“Immunologically, the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions such as polyneuropathy resulting in muscular atrophy, inhibition or interruption of neuronal control of tissue and organ function, incoordination, and weakness, auto-immune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are all linked to the rabies vaccine.” ~Rabies Challenge Fund
Bad things don’t always happen, but I have seen some terrible things. Some severe reactions, such as anaphylaxis, can occur quickly, some can take a while to crop up. Most common side-effects are mild, such as local discomfort or swelling, low fever and stuff like that related to normal immune response.
But some dogs can experience life-threatening reactions which can be immediate or delayed.
Taking all precautions.
The main precaution I decided to take, though it might come across as overly paranoid, was that I wanted to make sure we’ll be vaccinating a healthy dog.
The hospital already includes a physical exam with the appointment, which is great, but I wanted to take a step further and asked to run at least a pre-op blood panel. Not because Cookie seemed ill but because a lot of things might not be readily visible. For example, we had some challenges with her ALT levels in the past. I would not want to vaccinate a dog with an unhappy liver whatever the reason for that might be.
Only after Cookie’s exam and bloodwork checked out, we did the vaccine.
After that, I always insist on hanging near the hospital for at least an hour should an acute reaction crop up. And I keep a keen eye on Cookie for the rest of the day.
After the vaccination, I gave her a round of extra milk thistle.
Cookie made it through the booster mostly unscathed.
She had no reaction I could see on the day of the vaccination and some minor local pain the next day. After that, everything seems fine.
I will still be watching for a couple of weeks, but it seems we’re out of the woods.
After that, I can relax for another three years. Unless the legislation changes by then.
Related articles:
A Primer on Rabies in Dogs
Further reading:
Rabies in Dogs