I don't know what to do anymore..

ut0pia

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This is in regards to the other thread about rabies that made me seriously question what I'm going to do when it comes to shots.I really want to ask some questions and I don't want to completely hijack the other thread so I'm starting a new one. First of all, is there no cure for rabies? The example that was given about a cat who was bitten by bats- if you see that happen in your home wouldn't you take the cat to the vet ASAP and ask the vet to treat them for rabies?? I mean if a rabid bat bites a human, what do you do in that case? I'm sure there is a cure when it comes to humans being bitten so there must be one for cats.
The other issue is, if a cat bites another person and the person goes to get treatment then animal control asks for proof of a rabies shot. I'm sure you're not required by law to explain exactly what happened and which animal bit you if you go for treatment. If you were to deny telling the doctor which animal exactly bit you then what happens? I mean, I know I could easily come up with some story about how I saw a lost cat on the street that had a rabies collar on and wanted to help it find its home and it bit me....I don't care if I'm breaking the law, I'd do it! But if that's an easy way to save your cat then what's the point of the whole law of reporting all animal bites? The law makers can't be that stupid...I'm so confused.
This is seriously scaring me because I know I do not want to blame myself if I vaccinate Jake every year like the law states and then find out that he coma down with cancer. I have no idea what to do!!! Wow...this is a really hard choice to make. I know a lot of you will say to vaccinate him. But I'm scared, honestly.
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by mews2much

Each state has different laws.
You need to see what your state law is.

My state law requires rabies shot every year. That's why i'm so confused because I just dont want to do that but it seems like there are huge risks involved.
 

momofmany

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There are risks when you vaccinate and risks when you don't. The question that you have to answer for yourself, is what risk are you willing to live with?

My personal choice is to vaccinate. I live in a rural area and there are all sorts of critters that the feral cats and dogs come into contact with. It's not worth the risk for them to contract rabies. The risk of cancer from a shot is lower (IMO) than the risk of the implications of not doing rabies vaccinations.

Every cat will die of something, and you can rarely predict what that will be. I swore I would lose my respiratory damaged cat to an untreatable UTI. I lost him to CRF. I do know that I've been vaccinating a lot of cats every year for over 30 years, and have never had one contract cancer from the shots. That tells me that if a cat is predisposed to a disease, then they will most likely catch it. None of mine have been predisposed to cancer from vaccinations.
 

Willowy

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Rabies vaccines have been PROVEN to last at least 5-7 years. There's a group that's trying to make it legal for rabies vaccines to be given every 5 years instead of 1-3 years. So you don't have to worry about your cat actually getting rabies if he gets a rabies vaccine at least once every 5 years.

So you only have to worry about the legal aspect. If your cat goes outside I would recommend keeping him legal on his rabies shot, because he gets a lot more exposure to people outside your family. If he doesn't go out, the risk is minimal, so you have to weigh the risk of him biting someone against the risk of him possibly getting vaccine-related cancer.

Usually they'll let you quarantine your cat instead of putting him to sleep if there is a bite incident. But it costs a lot to do quarantine.
 

lyrajean

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

First of all, is there no cure for rabies? The example that was given about a cat who was bitten by bats- if you see that happen in your home wouldn't you take the cat to the vet ASAP and ask the vet to treat them for rabies?? I mean if a rabid bat bites a human, what do you do in that case? I'm sure there is a cure when it comes to humans being bitten so there must be one for cats.
There is no effective treatment/cure for rabies once you have the disease for human or animal. Once you show symptoms, your dead. The only effective treatment is prevention. If a human gets bit they get a series of vaccinations right away to make sure they don't get the disease from whatever bit them. But we can and most likely will communicate that we have been bitten and seek help on our own.

Of course your cat may not show signs they have been biten (cats are notoriously secretive about injuries). Or tell you 'Hey, Meowmy, I got bit by that bat/rat/racoon/whatever living in your attic last night, why don't you get me a rabies shot soon?' So we vaccinate in case they come in contact with an animal that is carrying the virus.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Momofmany

There are risks when you vaccinate and risks when you don't. The question that you have to answer for yourself, is what risk are you willing to live with?

My personal choice is to vaccinate. I live in a rural area and there are all sorts of critters that the feral cats and dogs come into contact with. It's not worth the risk for them to contract rabies. The risk of cancer from a shot is lower (IMO) than the risk of the implications of not doing rabies vaccinations.

Every cat will die of something, and you can rarely predict what that will be. I swore I would lose my respiratory damaged cat to an untreatable UTI. I lost him to CRF. I do know that I've been vaccinating a lot of cats every year for over 30 years, and have never had one contract cancer from the shots. That tells me that if a cat is predisposed to a disease, then they will most likely catch it. None of mine have been predisposed to cancer from vaccinations.
I agree with the above

I have a VERY holistic minded vet who when I asked about rabies and my Zoey , told me to give her the shot because if I did not and at some pt she came in contact with a bat ( the only animal in the area known to have rabies) I would never forgive myself and she would get a panic call from me ... She was right and Zoey was vaccinated , now she said no need for the 3 in1 as Zoey had her baby and booster
 

farleyv

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for 30 years. No problems with rabies vaccinations. There is a risk in everything you do. I could accidently inject my diabetic cat into a vein and possibly kill him. He gets his shots every day. You can go too far and ignore the risks of not giving the rabies vaccine. It is a killer of animals and people. There is no debate on rabies. ALWAYS fatal. Any vet that would give the option of vaccination or not is not a vet I would want taking care of my animals. Again, we are not talking URI or even FIV. Please be a responsible owner and protect your animals, yourself and the public and vaccinate against rabies.
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

My state law requires rabies shot every year. That's why i'm so confused because I just dont want to do that but it seems like there are huge risks involved.
Look for the Merial Purvax Rabies shot. It's an annual, non-adjuvanted rabies shot. It's supposed to be less likely to cause a reaction. It's the only rabies shot I allow my cats to get.
 

skimble

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

My state law requires rabies shot every year. That's why i'm so confused because I just dont want to do that but it seems like there are huge risks involved.
According to the news Alabama changed their rabies law to every three years a couple of weeks ago.

I just got a newsletter from www.littlebigcat.com and they CLAIM all 50 states now have the 3 year rabies law.

It may help to check with the GA state health department to verify your state laws.
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by Willowy

Rabies vaccines have been PROVEN to last at least 5-7 years. There's a group that's trying to make it legal for rabies vaccines to be given every 5 years instead of 1-3 years. So you don't have to worry about your cat actually getting rabies if he gets a rabies vaccine at least once every 5 years.

So you only have to worry about the legal aspect. If your cat goes outside I would recommend keeping him legal on his rabies shot, because he gets a lot more exposure to people outside your family. If he doesn't go out, the risk is minimal, so you have to weigh the risk of him biting someone against the risk of him possibly getting vaccine-related cancer.

Usually they'll let you quarantine your cat instead of putting him to sleep if there is a bite incident. But it costs a lot to do quarantine.
I am aware it's been proven that rabies vaccine is not needed more than once every 5 years. That's pretty much what I want to do, vaccinate every 5 years...I am only worried about the legal aspect. I don't mind giving a shot every 5 years because I know to better be safe than sorry. What I have a problem with is giving a shot every year KNOWING FOR SURE that it's completely unnecessary. So yea I only worry about the legal aspect I just hope they change that law....

Originally Posted by farleyv

for 30 years. No problems with rabies vaccinations. There is a risk in everything you do. I could accidently inject my diabetic cat into a vein and possibly kill him. He gets his shots every day. You can go too far and ignore the risks of not giving the rabies vaccine. It is a killer of animals and people. There is no debate on rabies. ALWAYS fatal. Any vet that would give the option of vaccination or not is not a vet I would want taking care of my animals. Again, we are not talking URI or even FIV. Please be a responsible owner and protect your animals, yourself and the public and vaccinate against rabies.
See the above and the quote from Willowy. I am being completely safe in vaccinating every 5 or so years that's not what i'm worried about, I'm worried about my cat accidentally biting someone and then having troubles with animal control. I was asking about whether there is a cure for rabies because if my cat gets bitten by a wild animal, say a bat goes in and bites him, I'd be freaking out and worrying no matter what because no vaccine is ever 100% guaranteed effective.

Originally Posted by littleraven7726

Look for the Merial Purvax Rabies shot. It's an annual, non-adjuvanted rabies shot. It's supposed to be less likely to cause a reaction. It's the only rabies shot I allow my cats to get.
Thanks I will look into that and talk to my vet about it!!

Originally Posted by Skimble

According to the news Alabama changed their rabies law to every three years a couple of weeks ago.

I just got a newsletter from www.littlebigcat.com and they CLAIM all 50 states now have the 3 year rabies law.

It may help to check with the GA state health department to verify your state laws.
I will check but my vet actually told me the law in GA is to give the shot every year. Maybe he doesn't know though so I will definitely check.
 

darlili

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There's risk in life - but I live in metro chicagoland, and we have rabies. I will not take the chance of my indoor cat being bitten by a sick animal (and, yes, rabid bats have been reported getting inside homes in Chicago) and dying of rabies, or, even if my cat happens to bite someone, having my cat quarantined to check for rabies. I do the annual non-adjuvanted shot; my vet is not keen on the 3 year shots, medically speaking, but that's a judgment call for the vet and you, I think.

And, yeah, a vet who advocates breaking the law in this case probably isn't really high on my list....

And, no, your cat gets bitten by a rabid animal, there's really no effective treatment...the human shots are extremely painful over a long course of treatment, from what I understand.
 

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

I am aware it's been proven that rabies vaccine is not needed more than once every 5 years. That's pretty much what I want to do, vaccinate every 5 years...I am only worried about the legal aspect. I don't mind giving a shot every 5 years because I know to better be safe than sorry. What I have a problem with is giving a shot every year KNOWING FOR SURE that it's completely unnecessary. So yea I only worry about the legal aspect I just hope they change that law....



See the above and the quote from Willowy. I am being completely safe in vaccinating every 5 or so years that's not what i'm worried about, I'm worried about my cat accidentally biting someone and then having troubles with animal control. I was asking about whether there is a cure for rabies because if my cat gets bitten by a wild animal, say a bat goes in and bites him, I'd be freaking out and worrying no matter what because no vaccine is ever 100% guaranteed effective.


Thanks I will look into that and talk to my vet about it!!



I will check but my vet actually told me the law in GA is to give the shot every year. Maybe he doesn't know though so I will definitely check.
According to this document from the Georgia Health dept, it depends on the vaccine used. See pages 7 and 58.
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by katachtig

According to this document from the Georgia Health dept, it depends on the vaccine used. See pages 7 and 58.
Thanks! I think this pretty much sums it up and it's just like you said:

Currently Vaccinated Against Rabies - An animal is “currently vaccinated” and is
considered immunized against rabies if a vaccination certificate documents that
the animal received a USDA-approved primary rabies vaccine from a licensed
veterinarian at least 28 days previously and that booster vaccinations have been
administered on an annual or triennial schedule, in accordance with the
Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (see pages 50-60) or as
described on the individual vaccine label.
So, I guess I can do a 3 year, but the purevax is 1 year right? And it's supposed to be safer? Hopefully after 3 years when it's time for another shot they will change that law lol

Wow I was reading through the entire thing and I came across something quite scary:
Quarantine (for animal-human encounters)—the 10-day period of
confinement for a domestic animal (dog, cat, or ferret only) which has
bitten a person, no matter if the animal is currently vaccinated or not.
Quarantine conditions should prevent direct contact with other animals or
persons. The quarantine shall be conducted under the authority of the
designated local rabies control agency in which the place, manner, and
46
provisions of the quarantine are specified. For example, quarantine may
take place in a kennel in a veterinary hospital, animal control facility,
commercial boarding establishment or a pen at home, depending on local
requirements. At the first sign of illness or behavioral change in the animal,
the local rabies control agency should be notified and the animal should be
evaluated by a veterinarian. If clinical signs are suggestive of rabies, the
animal should be immediately euthanized and tested for rabies
SO they put cats in quarantine after biting someone even if the cat is vaccinated.
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

So, I guess I can do a 3 year, but the purevax is 1 year right? And it's supposed to be safer? Hopefully after 3 years when it's time for another shot they will change that law lol
Yes it's a one year shot. My vet said they are still working on getting it approved for 3-year use.
 

pookie-poo

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I took Cleo and Lola to the vet yesterday. Cleo needed CRF bloodwork done, and Lola has another UTI.

Dr. Sue recommended that I have the girls vaccinated for rabies, even though they're indoor only (Cleo goes outside on a leash occasionally.) There has been a huge increase in the number of rabid bats in Midland county. I know that they are in my neighborhood, because I set in the sun porch and watch them fly around my back yard at night all summer! She also told me that if a rabid bat was found in my house or yard, and I couldn't prove that my cats had been vaccinated....they would be taken from me and be destroyed....I guess this is a Michigan Department of Health law.

Cleo hasn't had a rabies vaccination since she was 6 months old (she just turned 9 on Wednesday.) She had a reaction at the injection site with her first rabies vaccine, and Dr. Sue said that since she's CRF, I didn't need to re vaccinate. Lola and Maggie haven't had rabies vaccinations since their baby shots. Lola and Cleo both got it yesterday and Maggie will be getting hers when I take Lola back for her UTI recheck.

Dr. Sue said that they use the newer canarypox virus-vectored recombinant feline rabies vaccine (PureVax Feline Rabies Vaccine, Merial Ltd), which doesn't contain adjuvents. Although it is too soon to know (the vaccine is too new, not enough data), she thinks that it is probably less likely to cause VAS than the rabies vaccines that contain adjuvents.

Here's a couple of good links about vaccines and about vaccine related sarcomas:
http://maxshouse.com/vaccine_protocols.htm
http://www.acerlux.com/vasarticle.html

Here's the extremely long winded Michigan laws about rabies vaccination, euthanization, quarantine, etc. Cleo would die if she had to be quarantined for 6 months (because I'd absolutely refuse euthanization!), with no one able to do her fluids and give her pills.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MD...ol_34636_7.pdf

I know that the choice is ultimately up to the pet owner. I decided to go ahead and vaccinate because I see bats in my neighborhood nightly.
Good luck! I know you'll do what is right for you and your kitties.
 

mnjulz

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I have 2 cats in MN and have never given them any shots period. 1 had an fip scare when she was 20 weeks old. My vet recommended against all shots then and recommends against them now. The other one has a very very fast heart beat (1 beat a second) and my vet has also recommended against all shots for her. They are both indoors so I take my chances. I guess its a crap shoot either way.
 
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ut0pia

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Thanks guys. I'm probably going to do the purevax and then just hope they either approve it for 3 years or that the law changes.
 
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