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, too, am torn between responsibilities to the health of my dog and my community. My dog is now 10 and has seizures. I would really appreciate finding an alternative option for her without feeling guilty whether I am making a poor choice as I want to do the right thing for all parties involved. I will be donating to this fund. Thank you for making us aware of it! Thank you for all of your information and hard work!
I have 2 questions. 1. Why are we not allowed to used titers? 2. Is it true that dogs of all sizes get the same dose?
Just had to get my 10 year old tripawd Pom a rabies shot, and yes all dogs get the same dose. I am livid about that but as much as i argue about it with my vet, there is nothing I can do. She is supoosed to get her distemper, parvo etc shot in a couple weeks, and I an rethinking that.
Five years ago my dog had IMHA, which may have been caused by her rabies vaccination, so she hasn’t had one since. The night we took her to the emergence vet clinic she was given a 50/50 chance of surviving the night. She even had a transfusion. Luckily, I live in Ohio. I do have her titered every year, and she still is immune to rabies, along with everything else they vaccinate for. I will never have her get another rabies vaccine. Even my vet tech said don’t do it. There hasn’t been rabies found in my area of Ohio for a number of years.
The only advice I have is to try to find a Holistic vet hopefully they will give the exemption. My vet in Oklahoma gave me one for my dogs. You could also try Titer testing to see if they still have immunity in their system and see if your vet will write exemption off of those results. I have had dogs all my life and have never registered my dogs with the city I lived in. I pray that it all works out for you.
My 16 year old had a rabies shot at 4:00 today and she is wild. Crying and running in circles which is not normal for her. We are setting up with her but she won’t slow down to let us hold and love. Horrible for us both to watch. No sleep for us tonight. Never seen this before and we have had dogs for 45 years.
I took my 10 year old German Shepherd to the vet, she is fairly healthy, just some mild allergies. I discussed with my vet my concerns about giving her the rabies vaccination, he was telling me the laws and as long as she’s fairly healthy it’s OK, so I contemplated it and took her to get the vax. We do travel. The first day after the rabies and Bordetella vaccine, she was just tired, but on the third evening and fourth day she has vomited, one was a very large pile of vomit. She was fine before I took her for the rabies and Bordetella, those were the only two vaccines I would allow them to give my 10-year-old GS. I’m keeping a close eye on my girl. I don’t trust vaccines in older dogs and sometimes I think it’s a big money scam for the vets . I did give my three-year-old pug her full vaccination and she was fine, $265 for the yearly check up and vaccines. I will not be taking her next year. I will wait three years. Ridiculous. They do need to change the laws regarding the vaccine being given every three years for rabies and I do not think dogs should have to get a full vaccination every year. My personal opinion. It should be spread further apart and not given to a dog that is 10 years old or older.
I am heartbroken. 2 days ago I lost my 11 year old boxer, Sissy. She was my everything. I took her to the vet 2 weeks ago to get her yearly bloodwork and her rabies vaccine and heart worm prevention injection. Her bloodwork came back perfect as did her physical. She was a happy, healthy baby.
5 days after the vaccines, she was having extremely labored breathing. I took her back to the vet and they did an X-ray and said she had CHF (congestive heart failure). Fluid was all around her heart and lungs, everywhere. I don’t understand how that can happen so quickly.
She died a week after that visit.
So a perfectly healthy dog died less than 2 weeks after getting the rabies and proheart vaccines. I’m convinced it was the rabies vaccine that killed her.
If you have a senior dog, especially an inside dog that is never in public or around wild animals, just don’t do it. Don’t get the rabies vaccine. More than likely they’ve been vaccinated so much when they were younger that it’s not necessary. She died violently in my arms when her heart stopped and I don’t want anyone else’s best friend to go thru that.
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that. Did she vomit a couple days after the rabies vaccine? Three weeks ago I took my 14-year-old dog in for a limp, they said there was a tumor on her bone, she was perfectly healthy running around like a puppy although she had that limp and within four days her lungs filled with fluid and they said it’s because it could be aggressive cancer. No testing. She was fine when I took her to the vet and then I had to put her to sleep five days later! 😡🥲 I’m sorry for your loss. It is ridiculous that the Rabies law are killing some of our family fur babies. Now I just took my GS for her rabies, and I’m worried about her.
After taking my 15 year old mix-breed dog for blood work just to see how she is doing as she ages she got a rabies shot. My dog has arthritis in her hips but she was in pain. They gave me pain medication and went home. She blood was good every thing normal. Now as each day past my dog is not herself. She barely moving around and she just mostly sleep. The look on her face is so heart breaking that I fight back tears every day. My dog is no longer the dog that I knew. Im so afraid that I am the cause because I let them give her a rabies shot. Only after the shot my son came over and told me that older don’t do good with rabies shot. My heart sank to my feet. I feel so bad. Thinking I was doing a good thing I believe I hurt my baby. I wait until every one is sleep and I cry. After reading from your reviews I see that is it true because most of your stories are just like my story. I will never forgive myself and now I pray to the lord God all mighty that this can be reversed. With God all things are possible. I have to have faith because that’s all I have. I will pray for everyone and your situations. God bless everyone
I got my two shih-tzus (13 and 9 yr old) their rabies vaccines by force because no groomers would take them without one and I cannot cut their hair for health reasons. Both were given the 3 year vaccine and it all happened so fast I didn’t really have time to think or fight it.
By the next day, the 9 yr old’s tail kept twitching horizontally and she had random shivering episodes. Within a week, the 13 yr old developed a 1” mass in her abdomen, which the veterinarian is attributing to old age. The 13 yr old’s tail is now doing the same thing as the 9 yr old’s tail – both of which have never happened before.
They are both a little more lethargic than usual but still eating. I’m afraid they have had a reaction to the vaccine but of course no one believes me. The 13 yr old is going to get the mass removed but not until 2 weeks from now! I pray it is not cancerous since I just learned rabies vaccines are known to cause sarcoma cancer.
I am trying NAC and Barley powder for them and pray to God it helps. I’m afraid for the surgery as well because of the additional toxins I will be putting in her small, senior body. Shame on veterinarians for doing this to our little ones.
There was one decent and ethical vet who would pretend to give my dog his rabies vaccine. I had to pay for it but she squirted the syringe in the trash each time and provided a certificate. She knew my dog was unable to handle the vaccines but didn’t want to go through having to file an exemption. She said it was best to just stay out of that system. Vets used to give rabies vaccines every single year even though the one year and the 3 year are identical vaccines. These vets are the cause of so many of our pet’s chronic illnesses, allergies and cancers- just like human medicine- they don’t make money keeping anyone well.
Anyway, That wonderful vet is no longer a vet- not because she got into trouble but because she simply couldn’t handle the greed and harm that the profession causes to animals every day. She told me that it was making her physically ill. She’s now an accountant.
A few weeks ago, I had to take my dog to the vet for blood work because I found a tumor or cyst on his ankle. I knew he was due for a rabies vaccine. The vet of course mentions this right away and she was arrogant, smug and rude about it. ” It’s the law” she said. I told her that I was well aware of the law but that I wanted to wait to see the results of his blood work first. After all, if he had cancer, why risk harming him by stimulating his immune system? She basically ignored me and said, ” As a licensed veterinarian in the state of VA, I can assure you it’s safe.” I responded by telling her that being licensed vet doesn’t ensure anything is safe and that ‘ As my dog’s guardian’ I can assure her that I know my dog better than she does. I explained to her that he was over-vaccinated when I got him and that I’ve struggled to help him overcome severe allergies as a result. Three years ago, another vet gave Bernard THREE rabies vaccines at the same time because I requested the 3 year instead of the one year. That vet is one greedy SOB and I should have known something was wrong when he said, ‘ hmmmm well, ok, Bernard is healthy enough for a 3 year rabies vaccine’ ….healthy enough? I caught him giving the 3 and yelled and stopped him midway on the third dose. He made me pay for 3 separate vaccines! I knew that the 1 year and 3 year were the exact same vaccine and I should have said something to him before he began. Bernard was so sick for two years. We’ve only had one happy and healthy year and then I had to go back to this new arrogant vet. She knew about the over vaccination but she didn’t care. Her entire agenda is about sales and more sales.
My izzy is 17 and I’m worried about her getting another rabies shot