Rabies Shot - Necessary???

My Raggie, Simon, is due to get his final distemper shot and a Rabies shot during his next vet visit. I've read that two shots should not be administered at the same time, but I remember my vet saying something about breaking up the rabies shot (giving a portion of it and another portion later).

Still, Simon is an indoor only cat. If we ever took him out anywhere, he'd be in a carrier (or tethered by a kitty harness).

Is a rabies shot necessary? I'm reading about sarcomas forming on some cats where rabies and FeLV shots were administered; I'm very concerned.

Thank you,

Jenk

All my cats are indoor only, but,I gave them all rabies shots. You never know what could happen. Even mice can carry rabies. You could walk out the door and be attacked by a rabid animal. I would hate to have to put down one of my precious babies because I neglected to get them a shot.

Jenk-

Many states require rabies vaccinations for all cats and dogs, regardless of whether they are indoors or not. You could ask your vet if this is the case where you are. However, even with the risk of sarcomas, I believe the risk of rabies to cats is much greater.

Thank you, guys. I'll trust my vet (who's very good, by the way).

Take care,

Jenk

I've never heard of not giving rabies shots with the last distemper. My vet never said a word about it, gave both at once. Of course it wasn't a vet who gave them, just an assistant. They wouldn't let me even speak to the vet unless I paid them a $20 exam fee.

That doesn't seem quite right. I know that vet tech.'s (like nurses) are qualified to give shots. But to have to pay a fee to have the vet do it seems a bit extreme.

During Simon's last vet visit, one vet tech. clipped his nails, and two of them worked together to apply the Soft Paws nail caps. But his vet administered the distemper shot.

Take care,

Jenk

Jenk - just wanted to send a bit of reassurance along. We trap feral cats, and ferry them to the Vet to get spayed/neutered and all their shots. We also get them de-wormed if they need it. It is done all at once, including the Rabies shot.

They're sleepy and uncomfortable for a day afterwards, but we haven't seen any problems because of it. It may not be the best thing to do - but numerous trips to the Vets is also stressing!

Laurie

Many people now believe vaccines should be spread out as much as possible. I will try to find you some articles I have read. I say better safe than sorry.

As far as rabies, I don't give my cats an annual rabies. Spidey had one as a baby (not my choice, I'd never give on that early) and Poppy had 2, again, not my choice. Although it is required by law here, my vet agrees it is not necessary. They are indoor only and we don't have mice or bats and whatnot. I'd rather run the risk than fill them with chemicals. Also it has not been proven that rabies only lasts 1 year, that's just the company's info. You can run a blood titer instead annually to see if they still have the immunities.

Alicat613,

My vet only gives shots every three years (after their initial kitten shots are completed). She knows that many animals are over innoculated and that the rabies vaccine generally stays within a pet's system for approximately three years. Even if she wanted to give the shot yearly, I wouldn't allow it. Thankfully, she's a vet who knows the latest research and truly cares for animals.

Take care,

Jenk

my vet has ALWAYS given the shots at the same time and there has never been a problem...plus it's MUCH cheaper that way!

I really need a new vet. I'm not happy with the clinic I'm going to. Unfortunately it's the least expensive place in town, and we're broke! I have a coupon for a different clinic, where I'm taking Boo to get spayed. The clinic I use now is a chain, but they're franchised. I really liked the one I went to the first time, but it's 45 minutes away. ;(

Originally posted by charlottiek
my vet has ALWAYS given the shots at the same time and there has never been a problem...plus it's MUCH cheaper that way!

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Not overvaccinating is certainly not meant to be a 'money-saver'. If you are not vaccinating to save money, that's wrong. I do not overvaccinate my pets because new studies have PROVEN that the immunities last longer than 1 year. Generally you run blood titers to keep track of their immunities so you know when to revaccinate, or like stated above, some vaccines they have determined what the real 'lasting time' of the immunity is, and go by that. This type of program requires more effort, more thought, more research, more time, and more money. But I feel it is better for my pets.

I do not choose any course of action for my pets because it is cheaper. I think it's sad to pump them full of chemicals, and truthfully, I think it may not be cheaper as they now think the overchemicalization (yay I made up a new word) may be what causes many kinds of cancers and other diseases.

http://critterfixer.com/current_recommend_for_cats.htm
http://critterfixer.com/vaccines_not...ended_cats.htm

I am sorry if I have offended you, but I think that you are misunderstanding my intention. All I said is that when I take my cats to the vet for their shots, I get all of the shots they need renewed at the same time. My vet has always done it this way and there has never been a problem.

What I meant by "cheaper" is that if you took your cat to the vet on separate occasions for different immunizations that are safe to get at the same time, you pay for unnecessary multiple office visits.

Please do not make accusitory remarks that I would ever do anything unhealthy or wrong to my babies just because it is cheaper!


charlottiek, Ninikitty, Lila

There is nothing wrong with choosing what you think is best for your pet, as long as it's within reason. Vaccines are one of those things that is a personal choice. I think the best way to feel you are making the right decision is to do research on all the pro's and con's of vaccination and make an educated decision on your own.
There are resons for doing them seperate, such as if you have a pet that has a reaction to a particular vaccine. They will do them seperate to figure out which vaccine it was.
If you have an outdoor cat, you should think about the viruses they are going to be exposed to VS an indoor only cat.
If you have multiple cats, or work with strays, the chances of simple upper respitory problems is greater and it may be wise to consider annual vaccination for this.
With Rabies, it's mandated by state law. I am lucky and live in a state that only requires it every 3 years. Although the chances of an indoor cat being exposed to rabies is small, I have seen cases where a bat comes into the house, or a small animal. It creates a problem if they aren't current on rabies.
I think doing a titer is a great option if your vet understands and is willing to see your pet without the vaccine if the titer is good. Most good vets will only require the rabies with a titer on the rest of the vaccines.

Originally posted by charlottiek
I am sorry if I have offended you, but I think that you are misunderstanding my intention. All I said is that when I take my cats to the vet for their shots, I get all of the shots they need renewed at the same time. My vet has always done it this way and there has never been a problem.

What I meant by "cheaper" is that if you took your cat to the vet on separate occasions for different immunizations that are safe to get at the same time, you pay for unnecessary multiple office visits.

Please do not make accusitory remarks that I would ever do anything unhealthy or wrong to my babies just because it is cheaper!


charlottiek, Ninikitty, Lila

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I have no idea where or when I made any accusatory remarks. I don't think you do anything bad to your pets, but I think that you should read the links I posted. Nothing bad may have happened to your cats but they might get sick later in life because of this. The vaccine companies never tested their longevity, they just give an arbitrary time. I don't think that's right. So now good vets and animal scientists are looking into how often pets really need all these things, which of them are actually effective, and which are not. I'm glad the veterinary community is doing so.

For example, the FeLV vaccine for cats...why is it often given annually?? All cats over 1 year of age, regardless of vaccinations, are immune to FeLV for life, so why are we paying for and giving an annual vaccination? Why are dogs vaccinated for Corona virus when the virus has not even proven effective? Why annual rabies when rabies have shown effective for 3 years? All this especially when it has been shown that these vaccinations cause health problems, including fatal cancers, in our pets?

I do not believe having the vaccines at separate times calls for 'unnecessary' office visits. To me there is no such thing. One can also give the vaccines at home if you are comfortable doing so and can get the appropriate vaccines, and are familiar with reaction symptoms.

I understood what you meant by cheaper, but still to me that is not a factor. Of course at some point, money is always an issue (well for most of us who aren't Bill Gates), but you have to weigh the 'savngs' versus the health benefits, especially in the long run. Yes, there are many pets who don't have health problems from the high level of vaccines generally prescribed, just as some people's pets live a long life on Purina, but I'd rather not take the chance. If anything ever happened to any of my pets that I felt I could have done something to prevent, I would be devastated.

But aside from all that, I have not found it to be more expensive, with more vet visits. For an adult cat who had all it's kitten shots, only a non-adjuvenated Rabies every 3 years is required. There are no other diseases among cats that have proven vaccines effective in adulthood. Most of the vaccines create a lifelong immunity, or are ineffective, or the cat develops an age developed immunity.

yea, I read the articals and they are very informative. Thank's for posting them. I have never heard of getting rabies shots every year. do vets actually do that? My vet sends a card in the mail when it is time for the shots and i know it's not every year.

Should I ask them to take a blood sample to do the test you are talking about when I take them to the vet- just to see if they really need it?

I think if it was a yearly thing I would have been more concerned about whether or not they really need it.



charlottiek, Ninikitty, Lila

Oh that's right, I think Texas went to every 3 years for rabies. Some places it is every year, I think it is here but I don't pay much attention to the laws on that. I seriously doubt they are going to come over and get my indoor kitties!

The blood titer I mentioned is somewhat disputed. You can use it where you need proof of immunity such as at a class or kennel but a lot of vets disagree whether or not it shows actual immunity. I just think with cats do the rabies every 3 years, rhino/calci every 3 years if they might have exposure, and that's it, if the cat is over 1 year and had all it's kitten shots. You can ask your vet.