rabies shot

[admin]

I would think the vet would suggest a particular shot if needed as apposed to just giving it, being its mandatory in your area you do run risk of problems with the town including taking your animal and a fine, but you need to check with your local authorities of course first. I am sure it differs in every other area, also the vet may not see the animal if the pet is not rabies vaccinated for fear of being infected if bitten at the pets visit, i guess this would be the vets call that you see.

 

[foreversphynxlove]

Yes, living in KY is much easier with regards to having a pet.... however, I am afraid here - it is just simply not an option to say 'we don't want this shot' (rabies). The whole New England has it as 'mandatory'. The ver gave a shot to our sick dog, who was only 2 days behind on his rabies vaccination and he died a few days later.

As I understood from online resources for our state, the pet has to have a severe allergic reaction to qualify for a waiver. Other sources say that even 'waivers" are not allowed here.

Admin, thank's - I found a few resources but they are very unclear about what would happen if I just don't do it. They speculate as to what will happen if the cat bites someone (quarantine, fine, etc.) but nothing else. For the dogs it is clear, they need to be registered with City Hall and have a valid tag. With cats it is grey area.

Found 1 vet in the whole state who does check the blood to see whether the cat needs a shot or not, however they state that this offers no legal protection. Should give them a call and check ahead as my little one needs a permanent doctor. His immune system is weak and I don't want the doctor to threaten me if I say 'no' to this shot.

 

[DoctorSpock]

It says on every website for the vaccine Rabies to give it ONLY to HEALTHY animals! Your vet should have known better and I would personally change vets! ! ! ! No if ands or buts!

 

[muddpuddles01]

It's required in my state that animals have the vaccine yearly, but they have to be healthy!

 

[Nofuratu]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to the forum but not so new to Sphynx. Have 2 boys, one is 1.5 years old and the other is 3, 5 years old and I love them to death I have a couple of questions that I couldn't find answers to anywhere online and was hoping someone would know here or have any ideas:

1. I live in the Northeast where Rabies shots are mandatory every year. I already vaccinated my older one for the last couple of years but want to stop now (as he is sick for a very long time after the shot). My concern is - are vets checking the expired cat tags? Are they going to chase you down and/or report you to anyone? What are the legal complications?
2. What happens once I need to bring my cat to the vet for some concern or an annual check up - are they just gonna give him the shot without my permission or if I refuse report me to authorities?
3. Bottom line if I don't wanna give the Rabies shots = I never can safely bring my kitties to the vet? It is just like a catch 22......any ideas?

I would have to say that you dont have to worry about vet staff hunting you down or reporting you.

I have only worked in 5 clinics but the opinion has always been that is not our job to enforce laws! We are medical staff, not law enforcement. The only time a vet would bother getting involved with the law is in severe animal abuse cases, and even then most are not reported.

Something we would run into quite often is when we euthanise an animal, people would want to take their pet home for burial. in our area this was illegal. We would always inform the client that it went against the bylaw but it was up to them what they decided to do. If they walked out with their deceased pet and decided to bury it, it was none of our business!

Same goes for vaccines. We feel obligated to tell people the law about rabies, but it is not up to us to enforce the law. We just fix sick animals and try to help people.

There are such things as reportable diseases like leptospirosis.....where if an animal has it we have to call the health department.
Just like animal bites are reportable for human medical staff.
When I was bitten by a cat and ended up in the hospital they reported my cat bite and I had the health department call me and chew me out when I told them the cat was euthanised (because of advanced cancer, not because it bit me).
There is a law in our area about not euthanising an animal within a certain amout of time if it bites someone, due to rabies concerns. however no one in our clinic was going to make this poor 19 yr old cat suffer 15 more days with cancer just because it bit me (and gave me blood poisoning...LOL). So we dont always follow the law, let alone enforce it.

 

[foreversphynxlove]

Nofuratu - thank you for your input! You were lucky to have worked at such clinics.
I wish everyone had the same attitude. I really do think it depends on specific veterinarian though. For exapmple one can just accept the fact and respect our decision not to vaccinate while the other (and sadly more of them here) would say something like they are unable to treat an animal because he/she is not current on rabies, I just hear these storeis all over. Also, here where I live, they are required to report dogs if they are not current on their rabies shot and if the owner refuses it. About cats - grey area.
I found a vet here (within 1 hour drive) who does titers and practices naturopathic approach to medicine in conjunction with conventional medicine. Even though she states on her web that titers are not legal protection, from her site and her publications I understood that she will never push the this rabies shot on the indoor only kitties. Will try her soon. The only unfortunate thing is she is super expensive Will keep you posted on this.

 

[sphynxlvr1]

I'm another one that was against repeated shots. When I got Cleo I took her in to get her spayed (part of my contract) and she was given her shots again at that time. That was the only time we did it in her life until she had to have teeth removed at 12. The vet would not remove her teeth without shot being up to date.

 

[Joleen]

In my opinion if your cat is strictly an indoor cat and will not go outside for example on walks with you like a lot of us do then shots are unnecessary. If you are like me where you take your kitty places and he meets and plays with many other cats and dogs then its better to keep it safe and get the shot. My kitty got the first one when he was 6 months old because we were to get on a plane and it was required by law so we got it the next shot was a year after that and the vet said he will be good with that one for the next 2-3 years until he needs a new one. We also have kittens at the house now and I am glad everyone is up to date on shots because all the grown up kitties go outside to play on a regular basis and kittens should not be exposed to anything until they build their immune system so it is defiantly up to you if you have a lifestyle that doesn't require him to get it don't get it and he will be fine.

 

[NeyaBenz]

This is an old thread, I know. But wanted to add to this thread that you should always check your states laws & bylaws on vaccinations and make up your mind from there.

In my state, rabies shot is required at intervals recommended by manufacturer of the vaccine. This is no circumventing this in MA as no animal out of date or never vaccinated can be seen by a vet, animal hospital, or boarding facility. It is highly enforced here, a vet will not even see your animal if you wont agree to show proof of vaccination and/or have it given its required booster. Dogs are required to wear rabies shot tags with dates on them too.

I dont believe in over vaccination, neither does my vet (he will only do core FVRCP & Rabies). I do think getting the rabies shot is a good idea, given risks of rabies to humans in the event something happened and mortality rate (%99.999+ to %100) Yes, our sphynx's are indoor babies, but *anything* can happen.

 

[jadeelora]

I only vaccinate for the upper respiratory virus. The rabies vaccine is a joke. These are indoor animals and the Sphynx has a very delicate immune system. My first boy I got years ago came to me fully vaccinated and went on to develop eartip vasculitis caused by rabies vaccine.

 

[Sundance]

When you vaccinate your cat against rabies, you are mostly protecting your cat against the LAW, not against getting rabies.

All cats bite, if provoked enough -- if a child hurts the cat out of ignorance, or if your cat is badly injured and someone is trying to treat it, or there is a sudden burst of thunder overhead, or if one of your furries objects to being dematted (which is the reason I got bit yesterday). In most US states: when someone goes to a doctor for a cat bite, the doctor is required to report it. If there is no proof that the cat is vaccinated, the cat could be quarantined for 2 weeks until it (amazingly enough) does not develop rabies. In extreme situations, your cat can actually be euthanized so it can be tested for rabies -- for example, your cat bites a really bitchy person, your cat has NEVER been vaccinated, and that person pushes things to the limit of the law. My vet had to euthanize a cat in that situation a while back.

As long as your cat has been vaccinated at least two or three times in its lifetime and you can prove that, the worst (!!!) that can happen to your cat is to be quarantined in a cage at some vet's office for a couple of weeks. I personally don't think most naked kitties are likely to do well in that scenario.

For my last cat bite requiring antibiotics, which happened when one of mine objected to getting in her carrier to go to the vet, I had to fill out a form at the urgent care place and call my vet to get the date of my cat's most recent vaccination. Since her rabies vaccination was current, it wasn't an issue. I know that cat is a biter, so yup, she always has a current vaccination.

I hate that vaccination -- but I do it anyway. At a minimum my cats get it when they are young for say 3 or 4 years. See bmckee's advice above, use the 1-year vaccine only (it's safer). If your cat has a reaction to the rabies vaccine, then don't do it again. Instead order the rabies antibody test which is ridiculously expensive and takes a long time, but then you will have proof that your cat has antibodies and can't get rabies and give it to a person. Which is good enough evidence in most states (check the law in your particular state).

Get your cats vaccinated for rabies! Protect your cat from the law.