Rabies vaccination of dogs is highly important for your pet’s health. Dogs can’t be too careful and when they come down with rabies they won’t always live long enough to get proper medical attention. So, if you have a dog friend that has been infected with rabies don’t wait for the final stages of the disease to take hold to get him or her properly immunized. Get them vaccinated as soon as possible to minimize the damage rabies can do to your beloved dog.
Rabies vaccine for dogs is not particularly difficult to administer. The basic technique is to inject a specially formulated vaccine into the dogs’ central nervous system via the spinal cord or cerebrospinal fluid. Once administered, there should be no adverse reactions observed. All the states save except for Minnesota, where all dogs must be vaccinated annually.
Rabies is highly contagious and passed from one animal to another by contact. If a person or animal contacts an infected animal during the early stages of rabies, the chances of transmitting the disease to humans are very high. The most common way of infecting humans is through bite wounds. Some animals, such as bats, can also transmit rabies to humans if they are bitten while feeding on their host. However, the chances of transmission of rabies to dogs and cats are the least since cats are rarely infected by the rabies virus.
To prevent passing on the disease to humans, pet owners need to give their dogs and cats for rabies shots at least once within the first two weeks of infection. It is important for cat and dog owners to get their dogs and cats vaccinated within the first two months of infection in order to prevent passing on the disease to their pets. Dogs and cats that do not receive this vaccination stay at risk of developing rabies, which is fatal. However, it takes up to six months after the initial rabies vaccination for dogs and cats to develop symptoms. If they do not get vaccinated, the risk of infecting their pets and even family members increases.
Although vaccination of dogs and cats is mandatory in several states of north America, some cities have adopted policies allowing their citizens to opt out of having their dogs and cats vaccinated. For these individuals, a visit to the veterinarian’s office may not be required to obtain rabies vaccines. In these cases, vaccination is not required until the cat or dog has reached the age of eight weeks or older. Rabies vaccination of cats and dogs is best administered between the ages of four to six weeks, but this too may vary from state to state. Rabies vaccine of cats is usually not necessary if the animal has lived in the area without being exposed to the rabies virus.
Rabies vaccinations are risk-based. The most commonly used vaccination is the core series, which is followed by two extra doses, one at the age of six weeks and the other at twelve weeks. The first of the two additional doses is only needed if the cat has not received the core series. Up to half of the world’s rabies vaccinations are of the non-core variety.
A “poliopsy” is given two weeks after the last rabies vaccination, generally when the cat is four months or older. Fever, loss of appetite, and weakness are common signs of having been given the colony. The cat will experience some muscular weakness as well, and a cough that won’t go away will develop. Some owners prefer to administer an aerosol vaccine, which contains a small amount of the actual virus, rather than the entire vaccine. The aerosol can be injected directly into the nasal passages.
Other types of non-core rabies vaccination for dogs are given at even earlier ages. For example, porcine vaccines can be administered two to three weeks after the last normal rabies vaccination. If there was none previously, the veterinarian may consider a rabies vaccination for cats, which is usually given at eight weeks of age. Owners should check with the local animal control office to find out what kind of regimen is recommended for a specific breed and age. There are several things to look for in adverse reactions to these or other types of equine vaccines.