I adopted Otto on June 16, 2008. He was brought into the shelter as a stray dog on May 7, 2008. He was estimated to be about six months old, and was vaccinated that day with a five-way vaccination (distemper, adenovirus-type 2, coronavirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus) and a separate three-way vaccination (adenovirus-type 2, parainfluenza, and bordetella) made by a different company.
On May 14, 2008, he was given a rabies vaccine.
Otto was vaccinated several more times with the five-way vaccines before I adopted him, but I’m not going to talk about those vaccines right now; I want to focus on the rabies vaccine – the only vaccine that dog owners are legally required to give their dogs in most states. Rabies vaccination earned this “special” legal status due to the historical threat that rabies poses to humans; as recently as my childhood in the 1960s, domestic dogs and cats were still common vectors for spreading this deadly disease to humans. Thanks to vaccination laws, this is no longer the case. Today, the most common vectors for rabies are bats, raccoons, and skunks.
Nevertheless, there are laws that require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies in all of the United States. All of the states save three (Kansas, Minnesota, and Ohio) require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies at least every three years; in those three states that lack state laws that require rabies vaccination for dogs, there are city and county laws that require it. (Curious about your state? All of the states’ statutes regarding rabies vaccinations are collected in this terrific website.)
In California, where I live, dogs are required to have their first rabies vaccination at the age of four months, their second no more than a year later, and additional rabies vaccinations every three years after that.
So far, I have complied with my state laws regarding rabies vaccination. Otto was vaccinated for rabies again on April 2, 2009, and again on March 20, 2012.
His most recent rabies vaccination was on October 28, 2015. (Note that we were out of compliance with state law from March 21, 2015 through October 28, 2015.) So he is “due” for a rabies vaccination by October 28 of this year.
Why Should I Dread Another Rabies Vaccine for My Dog?
All vaccinations pose some risk, which must be weighed against their benefit. Since rabies is a fatal disease, is present in the United States, and carried by wild animals (bats, raccoons, and skunks are the most common vectors), and since we live in an area where all three of those vectors are present, I believe that immunization against rabies is a terrific idea. That said, it’s been demonstrated that dogs can be safely immunized against the disease with fewer vaccinations – and that the rabies vaccine can present serious adverse side effects in dogs.
It’s anecdotal, but in my own experience, senior dogs are more likely to suffer adverse effects from rabies vaccinations. My last senior dog, Rupert, had suffered from environmental and dietary allergies his whole life. In his later years, these were fairly well under control, with assiduous management of his diet. But he did have a massive allergy flare-up within a month of his last rabies shot, and getting the allergies under control again took a while. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard friends and acquaintances say, “My senior dog was perfectly healthy until not long after his last rabies shot; he just sort of fell apart after that!” Maybe these were all coincidental; after all, statistically, senior dogs are at higher risk of all health problems. But the risk of these adverse effects is unwarranted in dogs who have already been immunized against the disease!
The Rabies Challenge Fund has been working for a decade to extend the legally required interval for rabies vaccinations to five and then seven years, in an effort to reduce the number of unnecessary vaccinations our dogs would be required to have over their lifetimes. (Note: If you are looking for a great charity to support, consider a donation to this non-profit; their work, which has been funded to date largely by breed clubs and individual dog owners, will benefit countless millions of dogs.)
On January 25, 2018, the Rabies Challenge Fund announced, “Results to date of the Rabies Challenge Fund research study showed protection from live rabies virus challenge five years after the dogs received two doses of rabies virus vaccine. Other data are still being collected and analyzed for the 6.5 and 7-year post-vaccination periods.” In other words, the Fund’s studies are proving what had been hypothesized: the rabies vaccines work for longer than their makers were willing to prove they work, so dogs don’t need to be given as many vaccines over their lifetimes in order to be protected against contracting the disease and/or infecting others.
It will take some time, however, for these promising results to be used to change state laws, to extend those vaccination requirements.
Avoiding Rabies Vaccine Legal Requirements
Currently, there is only one way to get a legal exemption from vaccinating your dog: to have a veterinarian help you apply for an exemption from your state or local animal control authorities. Each state has a different process (again, see the terrific resource, RabiesAware.org); in California, a veterinarian must submit an annual request for an exemption, and be able to verify and document that a rabies vaccination would endanger your dog’s life.
I know people who, unable to convince a veterinarian of the potential risk of a fifth, sixth, or even seventh rabies vaccination to their senior dogs have, instead, reported their dogs to their local animal control agencies as “deceased.”
Given Otto’s high-visibility job (modeling for both WDJ and its Instagram page), I’m not sure I could pull that one off. But I have until October 28 to figure out an alternative. (Although, because my city’s animal control department won’t issue Otto another license until his legal rabies vaccine period is longer than the licensing period, he is currently unlicensed. If he gets picked up as a stray or bites someone before all this is resolved, the fines will be much higher than they would be if he were currently licensed. Not that either of those things are going to happen, but still…)
I don’t want to sound like I’m being frivolous about a disease that can kill people. But again, the possibility that my four-times vaccinated dog could possibly get or transmit the virus is virtually zero – and the possibility that the vaccine could adversely affect him is far higher. I think four vaccines is sufficient, and I’m looking for a way to stay within the bounds of the law while avoiding any more vaccines.
Are you concerned about administering the rabies vaccine to your senior dog? Have you pursued a way to avoid this? Spill it in the comments, below!
I believe the rabies vacc harmed my little 14 1/2 year old Dachshund . When she was 10 I took her to our local rabies clinic run by a vet who is very deceitful. She was 1 day past due for her 3 year vaccine. So it was necessary to get the rabies vacc again the following year, which I sadly did. From that moment on her health went to hell. This little dog was the picture of health her whole life. No issues ever!!! She had always been fed high quality food, exercised and loved. After getting that 2nd vaccine in a year she came down with chronic nasal infections, and her health has declined ever since. Now along with the nasal infections she has skin issues, muscle atrophy, stiff joints and is in overall poor health. I am doing everything in my power to keep her comfortable. She now goes for Acupuncture weekly, she has been on Turmeric, NAC, Magnesium Citrate, Arnica Montana, Probiotics CBD Oil to help control all of her issues. It is so very sad especially when she was so healthy before. I totally blame that vaccine for all of her issues she is experiencing now. My other elderly [almost 13} Long Haired Dachshund is a little over due for her 3 year rabies due to us dealing with many other issues that were happening at home. I am so very scared of having the rabies administered to her that the same exact thing will happen to her too…. 🙁
I got a notice from my city that my dog needed her license renewed and she was due for a rabies shot. She is an almost 12 year old beagle, on liver and thyroid meds but happy and energetic! Took her in for the rabies shot and 14 days later she had a grand mal seizure. She spent a night in the hospital, but didn’t have another seizure during that time. A week later—another grand mal seizure, worse than the first. I thought she was dying right in front of me. After both seizures I was asked if she had a vaccine recently and I said yes, rabies, but it wasn’t til today that I realized the possible connection between the rabies shot and the seizures. Both times vet theorized my dog has a brain tumor. Now they have given me anti seizure meds to give her! I will seek out a holistic vet to see if my beloved Dollie can be saved. I have been devastated since witnessing her seizures and believing she is suffering from a brain tumor.
My 13 year old boston terrier developed a malignant sarcoma at the site of the rabies injection after a few days. It has grown to the size of a golf ball. A needle aspiration was done by the same vet and the report shows cancer and they say it needs to be surgically removed. 50% of the time they grow back within 6 months. My dog was completely heathly and now has cancer and the thought of putting her through all the suggested treatment, not to mention the cost, is overwhelming. I so regret getting her that rabies shot. Please think twice before getting it, especially with senior dogs! My heart is broken.
I made the mistake of allowing my vet to give the rabies vaxx to my 12ish y/o girl as she was going in for a dental. She was having trouble eating, so we thought it was her teeth. Her eating habits got worse after the visit, we took her to a specialist and she was diagnosed with Inflammable bowel (and esophagitis from the dental). I love my vet, but this is apparently a risk when under). Anyhow, we quickly noticed dementia symptoms kicking in early February. We thought it was from prednisone, but things just kept getting worse. We just went to a holistic/homeopathic vet who quickly pointed to the date of the rabies shot as the source of her issues. We are combatting it with chiro, homeopathic remedies, etc to get her nervous system and immune systems back not rack, while dealing with some skin issues that also came up. It’s only been 5 days, but she seems to be feeling a bit better. IBD in check for now. Dementia will take a long while to assess. All of which to say, if your vet is insisting on the rabies shot – find a holistic vet. They will do a titer test for you. Your state may not allow your dog to not be vaxxed, but its worth a shot. We live in NY, so traditional vets insist on rabies shots.
Vets only care about how much money they can squeeze out of you! We took our beloved Spectra to get routine blood work because she was on valley fever medications and anti seizure medications. Spectra was 11 and half yrs old pomapoo. We took really good care of her and the amount of vet bills we paid for would prove that. The day we took her in to get the blood work, we told them as we always did, that she was fighting severe valley fever and no vaccines were to be given. Well, they didnt do the blood work that we made the appointment for, instead they gave her 3 vaccines, 1 being rabbies, and my poor baby suffered for several days with vomiting and the runs, wouldnt eat or drink, until she took her last breath 3 days later. They did not have permission and did it without telling us, we didnt find out until we got home and looked at the paperwork and found out what they did to her. I am suing them, but it still wont bring back my beautiful girl. She used to meet me at the door when I came home from work, and she would tell me all about her day, and she had a favorite toy that she loved to play fetch with. I miss her so much, and if I had not taken her there that day, she would still be with me. Do NOT trust any vet with your pet, they do not care, just read all of these stories that could of been prevented if only the vets cared about the pet instead of their own wallets.
People are sometimes too afraid to say they are anti vaccination. Well, I am anti-vaccine, not only for animals, but for humans as well. I did not come to this lightly. I am now retired from our healthcare cartel, but I spent the last few years of my practice telling people to avoid vaccines. It is based on pseudoscience and it is primarily a money-making scheme. The CDC lost a lawsuit last year and finally had to admit that they had NEVER done a vaccine safety study. NEVER. Does everybody understand the implications of that admission? Do you think if they never cared to do any vaccine safety study on human vaccines that they would waste their time doing it on animal vaccines? Have you read the inserts on any vaccine? What does it say? Formaldehyde, aluminum, attenuated viruses, aborted fetal cells, cancer cells were found on some with the CDC admitting that thousands of people could possibly get cancer later on in life due to this, etc. Why BIG PHARMA and the CDC (all NWO/Gestapo organizations) go nuts anytime an anti-vaxxer speaks up is because it threatens their profit. It has always been about money. Of course they fool a lot of people with their propaganda in order to sell their vaccines. They will kill people, threaten lives to keep their profit-making machine. Read a book by Dr. K. Humphries. A renal MD who decided to hunker down and really study the history, etc. of vaccines since her patients were getting sicker everytime they got vaccinated. Before she published her book, she was warned that she was endangering her life. She simply rolled her eyes, probably thinking, “conspiracy theory”. She received death threats. When the book was published her car’s brake line was cut. She now carries a gun for protection. Like I said, I did not come to this lightly. I read an average of five hours every single day for at least thirty years now. I average 70 books a year. I read anything I can get my hands on because I want to know all sides of any story. I learned in fifth grade about the old school passive and active immunity, and Louis Pasteur’s “germ theory” which turns out to be another B.S. Pasteur was just another NWO schill having everyone believe that viruses, bacteria, fungus, etc. are so virulent that there was no avoiding illness and/or death unless they are eradicated. Modern MDs then controlled by the NWO WHO, the CDC , the Rockefeller AMA (study the Flexner Report if you can still find it) starts promoting vaccines as the only salvation for both humans and animals. On his deathbed which has been suppressed for good reasons, Pasteur actually admitted that the “terrain” (the body) is actually what mattered. If you eat clean food and water, avoid pesticide laden food, GMOs, avoid poisoned soap, shampoo, etc., you are fortified against diseases. And this is the reason why the NWO is very busy poisoning everything, to weaken our immune system. They want everyone susceptible to getting ill. They can then justify their selling of vaccines. I don’t even feed my dog commercial food because they are laced with pesticides and preservatives that will ruin your dog’s health. Long and very high heat cooking also destroys nutrients in food, not to mention that it also produces carcinogens. Now, try to convince me I am wrong!
You are not stating the truth about most of this but convincing you you are wrong is obviously not a possibility unless you are just an alarmist trying to hurt people who would believe a non educated person over scientific studies. There is truth on both sides of every conflicting issue, but you are harming the general public with your unfounded statements here. Please people don’t believe everything you read especially if it sounds like this BS alarmist conspiracy lies and speculations…research with scientific evidence please. There is no buggy man out to get you, but be your own advocate with pure research that is founded in scientific proof and not some babbling idiots mental illness.
Liz, you obviously don’t know there is a ‘buggy’ man out there, many in fact. The idea is depopulation, of humans and our pets, which has been going on for decades. If you don’t know about this, you should research. Have you not seen all the athletes who are keeling over suddenly, dying on the field, or later suffering Myocarditis?
And as for telling people on here not to take notice of what seems to be BS (ONLY YOU can’t believe it) when they all the stories are from the bereaved, due to the damn rabies shots, which are, unnecessary. Are you telling them not to believe their own evidence? Are you a bot, or do you work for the vaccine companies?
This Agenda was being used all this time, but has stepped up, causing all those Covid shot deaths. Well, vets have not been told what ingredients are really in those shots given to animals, anymore than the human doctors knew, until around 2020. Mercury has always been in the liquid, as well as Formaldehyde, MSG, and other damaging, cancer producing ingredients.
Hello,
I wish I found this and all the other information I have found online regarding this topic sooner!
I live in California and believe the rabies vaccine killed our senior dog Ginger. She passed away Tues after being very sick for a month and even lost control of her back legs in the process. We are devastated. She was 16.5 years old, but had plenty of life in her! She was perfectly healthy until two days after the vaccine.
I can’t stop thinking if only I knew this was possible and why didn’t I research more. 🙁
I am now seeking ways to make this horrible thing known to others so it can happen to less families.
Thank you,
Denise
Who is your holistic vet?
I would suggest that after your dog gets their first rabies shot that you stop repeating it. I go every year and do a blood titer to make sure my dog still has the antibodies for rabies (has to be within a certain range). The holistic vet I go to gives me a certificate of verification of that level. I do not license my dog in the town I live, for what reason? It’s just another way for them to make money off of you. My regular vet knows what I’m doing and actually told me they would do a titer too. Why b/c they don’t want to miss out on the money that I’m giving to the holistic vet. RABIES is a money maker for your vet that’s the only reason they do it every 3 years.
all these shots – its all about the money and business… i fear now a days we are the next guinea pig with the covid vaccines – yet to find out years later what side effects people will start developing” maybe they will scratch like crazy or be crazy or even start marking.. who knows – its all business and $$$
I have a belgian malinois who got her 1st rabies shot day ONLY because i wanted flea medication . After it wore off her behavior changed dramatically. Her breathing is heavier , shes totally erratic and she doesnt have the same sweet look in her eyes when she was rehomed . Its as if i poisoned her and i hope i NEVER have to do it again