Dog Community

Rabies Shot?

Posted : 7/20/2006 3:38:59 PM

I know many of you will want to kill me for asking this question but when is the rabies shot supposed to be administered on a pup? I called up my Agro center (feed store) and asked the guy who works there about the shot and he told me that I have to wait until Lizzie is a year old. Now this being my first dog I don#%92t know if its true or not, I believe that a few months after we got our Shih Tzu my mom took her to the vet and she came home with a rabies tag. Sounds strange to me but I wasn#%92t able to speak to the vet who owns the place so now Im not sure what I should do.

My mom has always taken her Golden to the man and he is very good for her, even got her mange under control when it started acting up.

Im sorry if I come off as irresponsible, don#%92t get me wrong I love my pup, I just never felt the need to ask him for a rabies vaccination, I just asked for the standard 7in1. I never thought to vaccinate her against rabies because she is never around other animals and quite frankly I have yet to hear of a rabies case in the three years ive been living in Puerto Rico, and here dogs run wild.

BUT I decided its better to be safe than sorry so I want to get her vaccinated against rabies. Do I have to go to a clinic for that or will the feed store be able to supply me with it? Thanks!

magilacudy

Posted : 7/20/2006 3:43:51 PM

If you get it I would get the vet to do it. Some owners do not have to. I do not have to. I've seen some bad reactions to it. And some people ahve said it's not neccesary. But where you live might make you get it. I'm not so sure on the age myself. I would think after all the first set of shots have been givin.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 7/20/2006 4:14:56 PM

Thinking back, Max got his puppy shots after I adopted him, then a rabies shot when he was about a year old. That shot he got at one year will last him for 3 years so he shouldn't need another until '08.

Joyce

Stephanie Book

Posted : 7/20/2006 11:11:45 PM

We're required by law to give the dogs rabies shots, my puppy Mirelle got her first rabie shot at 4 months old. I don't remember when Cassidy first got hers, it may have been at a year old. But we have to have the shots every year, not every three years[&:] But I'm kind of confused, if anyone can answer this. Is the rabies shot just all the same one? If so, and they really do last for 3 years, why do we have to get it every year? Wouldn't they change it if they knew that it did last for three years? Or is the 3-year and the 1-year shot a different one?

Justine Freeman

Posted : 7/20/2006 11:19:30 PM

Marley had his first rabies shot at 4 months old. I had to have the certificate to get his license. This year he received another rabies shot at 1 year 4 months. Again, I needed the certificate to renew the license. The recent shot is good for 3 years though. Hope that helps.

Julitza

Posted : 7/21/2006 5:43:38 AM

Its good to know that I can take her in then. Rabies is extremely rare here but hey with my luck you never can tell! I just may be housing the only rabid animal in the island in my back woods! lol

I'll definately be taking her to the real vet for this one though, I want to be able to get a tag so I have proof shes vaccinated, in case shes ever lost

thedoc617

Posted : 7/21/2006 11:43:42 AM

I do know that it depends on the state, and here it's really confusing. TX passed a law in September 2004 that said that by state law rabies shots must be given at least every 3 years after a first booster. It depends on the vets too. I know here there are some vets that will do 1 year shots (probably because it's the way they make their money).

But what really confuses me is that the county can over-ride the state law, and the city can override the county. (like in Stephenville- where I go to school they require rabies vaccs every year, but when I get Daisy's lisence there, they don't say boo to me when I show them the paper that says she dosn't need shots until 2008.)

Puppies usually get their rabies shots (first one- in TX the very first one that a puppy gets only lasts one year) between 4 and 6 months of age. (depending on the size/weight of the dog and the vet's personal preference).

Caprice Christian

Posted : 7/21/2006 11:51:33 AM

My vet feels that a dog should not have his/her rabies shot until they are 8 mnths to a year. After that, they get one every 3 years. Duke had a reaction to the shot, ended up with a huge lump on the back of his neck, and got sick. He had to go on meds. Definitely take him to the vet, just in case....

Terri

Posted : 7/21/2006 11:55:48 AM

Loki got his rabies shot at 4-5 months and then had another 1 year from then. His last shot was good for 3 years, so we don't have to get another til 2009. There are 1 and 3 year boosters, but most places I've seen lately just do the 3 year.

April

Posted : 7/21/2006 2:10:58 PM

We are legally required to get them either annually (if you get the 1-yr shot,) or every three years if you get the 3-year shot. Right now we had to give Lady the 1-yr just because we weren't sure what kind she had had last year (she is a recent addition for us with limited medical history,) so the vet felt this would be the safest course.

She took it really, really well -- actually I had no idea the vet had even given it to her yet, she didn't seem phased at all! (She is extremely good at the vet's...she tried to follow the vet back to his office after we left the exam room.) No bad reactions, she is doing just fine. But of course, I would definitely go to the vet for it because every dog is different. [

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