Check rabies vacine on your pets

[JohnS]

Dr Dan,

Trust me on this, we feel like the biggest smucks around. This lapse of shots had no monitary motivation. Purely our poor record keeping, and awareness. We would have brought our dogs in at the end of summer/early fall for their check-up and shots. In fact we have always gone to an appointment with a vet for any shots, and have never taken advantage of the day clinics, as mentioned by others. Having done no research on this in the past, our assumptions were the 3 year shot was fine. I would have assumed that the 3 year interval had some degree of safety margin. After seeing the 2 year recommendation, and many states having a one year requirement, and considering the high incident of rabies in NY, I am surprised it is still a 3 year requirement in NY. Thinking 3 years was standard, my post intensions was only to jog peoples memory to do a check, and to prevent the very hard lesson, we are going through.

PS: Our county had an incident, a few years ago, with a rabied goat at the county fair. Numerous children had to go through the post exposure shot series.

JohnS

 

[dmccarty]

JohnS,

Don't feel so bad about the bookkeeping S..t happens. Thanks to theis conversation, I think when we finally get the house built on the property the dogs will get yearly shots. NC has lots of rabies. I think we have had two fox attacks so far this summer. The lake I kayak in and would have to cross twice each day to get to and from work, had a rabid beaver attack two boys swiming at one the beaches a few years ago.... Never hear of a rabid beaver much less one biting not one but two people......

Thanks for the conversation...
Dan McCarty

 

[looch]

For clarification, we don't go to the "day clinics" either, we have an annual appointment with the vet. I was just mentioning that this service was available to us here because it seemed noteworthy. Our dogs get:

1) a multitude of vaccinations done,
2) a test for heartworm and the heartworm pills,
3) dewormed,
4) and a kennel-cough innoculation.

Can you say CHA-CHING? It's worth it, I love my guys as if they were my children.

 

[Bird]

Yep, Paul, all that's the reason ours costs so much. We don't need an appointment, but our vet does send out "reminder" postcards so we're not likely to forget./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

 

[DrDan]

Yup same here Bird,

It is the vet's responsibility to remind his clients that their pets vaccines are due. That's why we have to charge more than the day clinics. Cost of puters and people to input the data plus since a dog or cat ages about 7 to 1 compared to people it is important to examine then once a year and make sure all is well. It's like us going to the Dr once every seven years.

Dr Dan

 

[PBMAX]

Rabbid Beaver???that sounds like an Outer Limits episode...Here in Bama they have the annual drive for rabbies shots and you can use either your vet or the local mass shot set ups.They even go door to door randomly and do spot checks on occassion.NO updated tag can cost you some bucks....Though I've not heard of any one being fined.I figure with my JRT its worth it to spend $50 bucks or so for shots sence He is a critter killer...If can't out run him or go in a whole to small for him it's toast.He has even cought the occasional unlucky squirel...I told the wife to day to make sure her cats were up todate this week it seems they are helping the dog bring down the rabbit population.While we were gone to the beach we left them 2weeks food and water for the week seems they had more rabbit instead.Found 3 carcases already.The dog stayed with an aunt..

Laziness is the Father of invention.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Lil' Paul
Proud owner of TC21D

 

[JohnS]

Just a quick update: Our dog Kasha has shown no signs of rabies /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif, and will be coming home on the 30th. Its been a long wait, that will soon be over.

 

[Harv]

That's great news, John!

Have your camera ready 'cuz reunions make for good Kodak moments.

 

[Bird]

Gosh, John, where's that poor sucker been? Quarantined for 6 months? I assume you've been visiting frequently? Anyway, glad everything's turning out OK.

 

[JohnS]

Yes, she was quarantined for 6 month at an approved animal hospital. There are only two in our county, and you can't take her across county llines. Our only other choice, was to put her down! We came very close to this option, but our heart's couldn't do it.

We were kinda surprised she didn't come down with rabies. She had the racoon's blood on her. She might have had just enough antibodies left from the expired shots. We still have to watch her for the next 3 months.

It will be a Kodak momment for sure! Not only will we be very happy, but our other dog, Kato, hasn't been the same without her.

Just a couple more weeks....

PS: Kato was named after the infamous OJ personality. Long hair, free loader! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif