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3-Year Rabies Vaccine

post #1 of 26
11/1/10 at 4:21pm
Thread Starter 
I hope this hasn't been asked too many times before....

Does anyone know if the 3-Year Rabies Vaccine is available in Canada. My two cats are ready for their rabies shot, and I would love to get the 3-year one. Currently they have the every year shot. I really wish that they didn't need it at all, but if they ever escaped.....perish the thought!!!

Thank you!!
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post #2 of 26
11/1/10 at 4:31pm
It would be better to ask for Purevax. . .it is only approved for 1 year but it doesn't have a lot of the harmful stuff that's in the regular rabies vaccine. They're working on 3-year approval but it takes a long time to get through the requirements.

Except for Purevax, every rabies vaccine is approved for 3-year use in cats (in places that recognize 3-year rabies vaccines anyway--local laws vary). At least that's true of every rabies vaccine brand available in the U.S. (that I know of) It's just a matter of how often your vet wants to give the vaccine. You can ask if 3-year duration is legal in your province, and if so, if your vet would be willing to sign off on it.
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post #3 of 26
11/1/10 at 4:46pm
3 year rabies is the exact same vaccine as 1 year. They only difference is where the staff/doctor writes in the "due" date.
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post #4 of 26
11/1/10 at 5:17pm
My cat Bugsy had a terrible reaction to it - it was the first and only time I gave it to him... from now on, Only Purevax; he has never had a reaction to the Purevax vaccine.
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post #5 of 26
11/1/10 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
3 year rabies is the exact same vaccine as 1 year. They only difference is where the staff/doctor writes in the "due" date.
Yep, thanks, that's what I was trying to say. . .the only brands of rabies vaccine I know of (besides Merial's PureVax) are Merial's ImRab3 and Fort Dodge's RabVac3. For both of them, the 3 is in the name for a reason. . .

Although I used to think that giving the cats one regular rabies vaccine in their lifetime would be OK, lately I've been having trouble with the vaccine. It seems like more than half of the vaccinated cats have developed a vaccine-site lump after their shots. This means they're predisposed to cancer later in life if re-vaccinated, and I don't like it. I think from now on I'll make my vet order PureVax.
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post #6 of 26
11/1/10 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all very much for your answers. I'm still not clear though.

Willowy...are you saying that you feel that just one vaccine shot is good for the life of the cat? Or do you mean, using the same vaccine year after year?


Actually, I just went and got the files for my cats. In there, it says that they received the Purevax-1 year rabies shot. So that's good news. They received the 'good' one. Just too bad that it's only good for one year.

They have the 3-year FVRCP shot. They won't get that for another 2 yrs.

I am very afraid of all these shots. Two of my cats died at a young age of cancer.....and they had all their shots at whatever intervals that the Vet recommended...and I always wonder if it was the shots that gave them cancer.
My only cat that lived to a decent age also died of cancer, but at least she was nearly 14 yrs old.
Honestly, if I could absolutely guarantee that they couldn't get outside....I would never give them any shots beyond their kitten shots.

I'm glad to see that they are at least receiving a good form of a Rabies shot.

Thank you for your very helpful answers!!!! It's much appreciated
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post #7 of 26
11/1/10 at 9:17pm
many studies are showing that even a 1 yr shot may last up to 5-7 yrs... But if you get a one yr please get the booster yearly till such time as they move the time on the shots, if required by law in your area...
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post #8 of 26
11/1/10 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by maxiecat03 View Post
Willowy...are you saying that you feel that just one vaccine shot is good for the life of the cat? Or do you mean, using the same vaccine year after year?
After looking into immunology and the way vaccines work, I am convinced that vaccines confer lifetime immunity (or at least 10 years), if they confer any immunity at all (not all cats/dogs/people/etc. respond properly to vaccines). So yes, I vaccinate my cats once, usually around the same time they're spayed/neutered, and that's it. Legally, I can't recommend that anybody else follow this vaccine schedule, it's a choice everybody needs to make for themselves.

But the only reason to re-vaccinate for rabies is legal, there's almost no chance of an animal (and what small chance remains would also exist if the cat were re-vaccinated yearly) that has been vaccinated at least once past the age of 6 months contracting rabies, even if exposed. The legal issue is a risk I choose to take. I don't have a lot of visitors and I think the risk is worth it. Even with the limited vaccinating I do, I've had nothing but trouble with vaccines.
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post #9 of 26
11/1/10 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you Sharky and Willowy for your answers. I don't legally have to have my cats vaccinated with the Rabies shot. If I want to take them out of the country then that's a different matter.

We do live in the city, they are indoor cats, and no other animals come into the house.

I had them vaccinated with Rabies when they were both over 1 year old. I felt that their other vaccinations were enough of an insult to their immune systems. Now, they are over 2 years old.

I just feel that there's too much 'preventative' care suggested...now the Vet is recommending parasite prevention and heartworm prevention...more chemicals into their bodies. Where are they going to get these afflictions?? So far, I've been able to fend off the additional care.

Perhaps my Vet will agree to the Rabies shot every other year. They go this weekend for their annual visit.

Thank you again for your input!!!
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post #10 of 26
11/2/10 at 4:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
3 year rabies is the exact same vaccine as 1 year. They only difference is where the staff/doctor writes in the "due" date.
No. The PUREVAX vaccine is a one year vaccine and is not the same as the other vaccines.

The purevax vaccine does not contain an adjuvant. The adjuvant is what boosts the vaccine to last 3 years, and it is also what is thought may be the cause of VAS (vaccine associate sarcoma)

PureVax, though an annual vaccine, is much safer than the three year vaccine. I won't allow any other rabies vaccine to be used on my cats.
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post #11 of 26
11/2/10 at 7:27am
My vets use the Meriel Purevax vaccine--as others have said it is a non-adjuvenated (sp.?) vaccine that is labeled for yearly vaccination. My vet has told me that it is much safer to vaccinate yearly with this non-adjuvevated(?) vaccine than every 3 years with the other type. But he has also told me that it is also good for at least 3 years of protection, but has not been approved for that yet.

I opted out of the rabies for this reason last year, but it is required by law to have your pets vaccinated yearly for rabies where I live. This year he was vaccinated, because I thought I might have to board him when we went on vacation and I knew that they would require it.
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post #12 of 26
11/2/10 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 
Thank you, Otto, and Kody's Mom, for setting me straight on the PureVax rabies vaccine. It sounds like a good one, and I'm glad that my Vet uses it. I want the safest vaccines possible for my cats.

I'll try to see if she'll let it pass this year. It's not required by law...although it's recommended. But if the PureVax offers up to 3 years worth of protection, then why insult their immunes systems every year...esp for inside cats.

Thank you, everybody, for all your helpful knowledge...little by little, I'm trying to do the best for my sweet darlings.... I want them around on my 75th birthday....they'll be 19 yrs......keeping my fingers crossed
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post #13 of 26
11/2/10 at 10:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
No.
Yes
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post #14 of 26
11/2/10 at 1:15pm
The thing that got me thinking about vaccines was learning that there is absolutely no scientific reason for giving them annually (or every 3 years). It's just something they pulled out of the air.

When the rabies vaccine was first introduced, it was a once-for-life vaccine, and never given to young animals, as it was considered to be quite dangerous. Distemper vaccine was given to puppies, and it saved a lot of lives, but they never thought to give it to adult dogs when it first came out. Humans don't get annual vaccines for anything, except the flu shot, but that's because it's a different strain every year. Most of never get more than our baby vaccines, except possibly a tetanus booster. And humans live a lot longer than cats.

Vaccines work by "training" the immune system to fight off that particular disease. There's no reason to believe that the body suddenly "forgets" how to fight that disease after a year, or 3 years, or 7 or 10 or however many years. In most cases the body remembers that training forever.

The only reason PureVax is only a one-year vaccine is because they haven't gotten approval for 3-year labeling yet. That takes a lot of time and money. Not because it "doesn't last as long". Adjuvants do stimulate a stronger immune response, but if the vaccine works at all it will work as long as any vaccine. Vaccines don't "wear off", they aren't medications with a half-life.
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post #15 of 26
11/2/10 at 2:18pm
Thread Starter 
I totally agree with you Willowy. Why don't Vets understand that logic? It's true...humans get their first 3 shots, then that's about it until we're an adult....then there are a few shots here and there....tetnus being one of them. Kids these days do get more vacs...eg. mumps...that I never got. And now they have a vac for shingles (the aftereffect for chicken pox).

My Vet charges $26 for a rabies shot for each cat. Then a wellness check, and they are thorough, is another $66, plus the taxes. They want to do a stool sample check for parasites...another $40.....then the speech on teeth cleaning starts....those are last year's prices...not to complain too much, but these are two young, healthy always, indoor cats.
Yet, when Phoebe developed a cold last year....I spent $300 for the vet check, the blood work, the further blood work.....to be told that all she had was a cold.....yet she died 3 days later. The Vet said...it must have been an undiagnosed tumour. I don't begrudge the money to find out what's wrong...but to make them ill from overdosing on vaccines that they don't really need....boggles my mind. The Vets just don't seem to understand my concern.

I'm glad that there are people like you, and the others, who can give me the strength to try to fend off the unneeded vaccines every year. I'm agreeable to every other year, or every 3 years, ideally once only....although I'd like to ask the Vet....what makes you think that the cat needs a vaccine every year? I wonder if there's an antibody test that could show what is roaming around in their blood.

I guess the discussion can go on forever, can't it??? Thanks for listening, and all your insight!!
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post #16 of 26
11/2/10 at 2:51pm
Antibody test is called Titers... check to see if these are legal in your area/// In mine they are but they actually cost more than the Vax... I am lucky my vet says kitten series then booster ... then a cat by cat basis ..
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post #17 of 26
11/2/10 at 7:17pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Sharky. You are fortunate that your Vet is more reasonable than most.

Joyce
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post #18 of 26
11/2/10 at 7:31pm
The thing about titers is that the antibodies will only be present if the cat was recently exposed to the disease. So they aren't 100% accurate. . .an indoor cat who is never exposed to diseases will show no/low antibodies, and an outdoor cat who is frequently exposed to the diseases will show high antibodies, while in reality both cats are equally protected. So I'm not sold on the value of titering, especially for indoor cats. Plus they usually cost around $70 so it's hard to justify the cost.
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post #19 of 26
11/2/10 at 7:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
The thing about titers is that the antibodies will only be present if the cat was recently exposed to the disease. So they aren't 100% accurate. . .an indoor cat who is never exposed to diseases will show no/low antibodies, and an outdoor cat who is frequently exposed to the diseases will show high antibodies, while in reality both cats are equally protected. So I'm not sold on the value of titering, especially for indoor cats. Plus they usually cost around $70 so it's hard to justify the cost.
This is very true... There are three parts in rabies immunity and the titers only show one... but while I wont do it in an area that is strict on vax you may think about it
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post #20 of 26
11/2/10 at 7:45pm
I prefer my indoor cats be protected against rabies. And currently that means a Purevax rabies vaccine annually. So that's what they get. They get check ups twice a year so cost is not the issue.

None of my cats past or present have ever had any serious problems or had their lives shortened because I kept them up to date on their vaccines. And rabies is everywhere. (with the exception of such fortunate places as the UK)

As for the distemper vaccine. Well. We had a member here just lost a kitten to panleukopenia. And there's someone in another forum whose kitten was in a life or death battle from the same disease. He lived, but it was touch and go. That kitten was bought from a breeder. Seems the breeder "forgot" to have some cats vaccinated.

So yeah, I make sure my cats are protected.

$40 for a fecal? You're being ripped off there. It costs $13.50 at my vet.
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post #21 of 26
11/2/10 at 8:05pm
I'm not saying that vaccines aren't important. . .they are very important, especially for kittens (and puppies). And for lasting immunity, they do need to have one vaccine after 6 months, so that maternal antibodies don't interfere with the immune response. But frequent re-vaccination of adult animals is not important. Their immunity does not get stronger with repeated vaccination.

An adult cat vaccinated against rabies once IS protected from rabies for at least 7-10 years, probably for life. For legal protection, yes, the rabies vaccine has to be given according to the requirements of the municipality. So I would never advise anyone to go against the legal requirements of their area, especially if they have a lot of visitors to their home, increasing the chances of an "incident". I just think people should know that repeated vaccination is not necessary, and puts a strain on the immune system. Which causes problems in some cats.

The problems associated with repeat vaccination aren't always easily identifiable as vaccine reactions. For instance, my mom's old cat was fully vaccinated yearly until she was 8. She had irritable bowel disease her entire life. After we stopped vaccinating her, it started getting better, by the time she was 12 it was gone entirely. She's 21 now and is fine. Also, my first dog--that vet did an every-other-year vaccine schedule. In the years the dog was vaccinated, she would be far more aggressive with other dogs. In the off years, she was much less aggressive. It took me a while to link her aggression to the vaccines, but it was unmistakeable once I figured it out.
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post #22 of 26
11/3/10 at 1:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
$40 for a fecal? You're being ripped off there. It costs $13.50 at my vet.
I know...that's why I say that I forgot to get a sample. I suppose I could take a sample in any time for testing....if I suspected something.
I have two cats...so if the first test did show parasites, I imagine that they'd ask me to bring in a sample from each...for further testing to see who had the parasites.
Offhand, what are the chances of either cat getting parasites? They are both indoor cats. We don't wear out outdoor shoes in the house. I frequently vacuum and wash the tiled floors. They eat only canned or dry food.

Thanks!
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post #23 of 26
11/3/10 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
I'm not saying that vaccines aren't important. . .they are very important, especially for kittens (and puppies). And for lasting immunity, they do need to have one vaccine after 6 months, so that maternal antibodies don't interfere with the immune response. But frequent re-vaccination of adult animals is not important. Their immunity does not get stronger with repeated vaccination.

An adult cat vaccinated against rabies once IS protected from rabies for at least 7-10 years, probably for life. For legal protection, yes, the rabies vaccine has to be given according to the requirements of the municipality. So I would never advise anyone to go against the legal requirements of their area, especially if they have a lot of visitors to their home, increasing the chances of an "incident". I just think people should know that repeated vaccination is not necessary, and puts a strain on the immune system. Which causes problems in some cats.
Willowy...why can't the Vets admit this? Why do they insist upon a vax every year? I'm hoping that my Vet will not give me a hassle about letting it go so my cats don't get vax every year. And certainly, not in the same year as their other vax.
One time I tried to protest (with another cat), they told me that they knew about a bat who flew into someone's house, bit the cat, and the cat died of rabies. Not sure if the cat had been vax or not.....but that's what they say to scare people. What the heck are the chances??? My cats would be under the bed...LOL...

I'll see what happens at their Vet visit next week. Wish me luck!!!
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post #24 of 26
11/3/10 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by maxiecat03 View Post
I know...that's why I say that I forgot to get a sample. I suppose I could take a sample in any time for testing....if I suspected something.
I have two cats...so if the first test did show parasites, I imagine that they'd ask me to bring in a sample from each...for further testing to see who had the parasites.
Offhand, what are the chances of either cat getting parasites? They are both indoor cats. We don't wear out outdoor shoes in the house. I frequently vacuum and wash the tiled floors. They eat only canned or dry food.

Thanks!
Depends on the parasite... for the old basic roundworm my vet says no they cant unless they are cleaning each others rears or eating poop...

Zoey got out for less than 3 minutes and got a tapeworm... Fleas bring tapeworms and they can come in on your clothes... I do one fecal a yr per kitty
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post #25 of 26
11/3/10 at 2:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
The thing about titers is that the antibodies will only be present if the cat was recently exposed to the disease. So they aren't 100% accurate. . .an indoor cat who is never exposed to diseases will show no/low antibodies, and an outdoor cat who is frequently exposed to the diseases will show high antibodies, while in reality both cats are equally protected. So I'm not sold on the value of titering, especially for indoor cats. Plus they usually cost around $70 so it's hard to justify the cost.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
This is very true... There are three parts in rabies immunity and the titers only show one... but while I wont do it in an area that is strict on vax you may think about it
Titers here are legal for cats over five years old, and my vet says it generally works. For a cat like Bugsy who gets tremendous vaccine reactions, and with some, even if very small risk of cancer involved with vaccination, I do think it is worth it, and I am doing it for all my cats once they hit that age...
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post #26 of 26
11/3/10 at 3:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
Titers here are legal for cats over five years old, and my vet says it generally works. For a cat like Bugsy who gets tremendous vaccine reactions, and with some, even if very small risk of cancer involved with vaccination, I do think it is worth it, and I am doing it for all my cats once they hit that age...
Titers are great if they can legally get you out of vaccinating your cats. I'm all for that. If someone is relying on it to tell them if their cat is protected, it's unnecessary. Although if it makes a cat owner feel better and isn't a financial hardship. . .more power to them.
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