Info on rabies vaccine

muttigreemom

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Ok, so I went in yesterday to get Peewee his shots and he accidentally got an extra shot.

Don't panic, he's fine
He went in to get his FeLK and Distemper, and the tech accidentally gave him Distemper and Rabies... then realized what he did, apologized up and down, and then gave him FeLK too. (It truly was an accident.. and Peewee was getting his rabies in another month anyway.. so I'm not worried.)

Anyway, when I went to pay I asked if it was a 1 year or a 3 year rabies, knowing that Karma had automatically gotten a 3 year from the last vet. But I've also heard some vets do a 1 year for the first shot and then a 3 year for every shot thereafter.

Her answer surprised me. She said they automatically give 1 year rabies unless you specifically request a 3 year. So now I'm trying to figure out what the difference is. Is it a money thing? Like do you think they give out the 1 year just so you have to pay them to come back every year? Or is there some real difference with the vaccine that I should know about before I start requesting 3 year rabies?

Thanks!
 

naturestee

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My kitten Lily just got her rabies shot from the shelter on Thursday (they like to do the kitten vacs themselves to make sure they get done). The vet said she needed to get a booster in a year and then only every three years after that. I don't have time to sift through that thread, but from my other reading I'm guessing that many vets give 1 year vaccines to kittens because their immune systems are still developing. Because of that, the vaccine might not be as effective over time. A booster when they're adults ensures that they actually will be immune.

Although you might want to write a note in your kitten's health records to remind you to request the 3 year vaccine when she gets her next rabies shot.
 

jaycee

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message #26 is incorrect information, as admitted by the poster of that statement. there is no difference between the one year and three year vaccines if your vet uses the one made by fort dodge. please read the rest of that other thread to find out the difference of the one coasters vet uses. but either way, its the same dose.
 

jaycee

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i just found out that Meria is also a manufacturer of rabies vac that there is zero difference between the one year and three year.

its just a matter of how long they (the state) think you should wait between the first and subsequent boosters.
 

les0304

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Merial does have a feline only rabies vaccine, but it is only approved for annual use. It is a lot safer for cats because it is a non-adjuvented vaccine that cuts down the risk of the cat developing VAS. The 3 year vaccines do have an adjuvent in them which is the big difference b/t the vaccines.

The 3 year rabies vaccines are given a first time, boostered in 1 year and then given every 3 years (it is the same vaccine though).
 

les0304

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It depends on the actual vaccine that the vet is using. My point was that most rabies vaccines are given every three years after the first annual RV, however, the PureVax by Merial is only approved for 1 year by the manufacturer, therefore the state will only recognize it for 1 year since it has not not been approved for 3 years yet.

http://us.merial.com/pdf/labels/purevaxfelinerabies.pdf

Here's the package insert. Notice it says that it needs to be boostered annually. It all depends on the actual vaccine that your vet uses.
 
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