3-year Rabies Vaccine

[maxcat08]

Hello....I'd like to get my 3 cats the 3-year rabies vaccine just so they don't have to go through getting that shot every year. Is there an increased risk of cancer to the cat with this shot? Also, my Vet is charging 3 times the price for this shot - presumably because he'll miss getting the yearly amount with the 1-year shot.

What do you think? Is is fair to charge 3X the cost? It amounts to $60 per cat....... Do you think the cancer risk is greater?

Thanks for any information about this.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
In nearly every case, it's the adjuvants which have been linked to vaccine-related sarcoma in cats. Purevax Feline Rabies Vaccine is a three-year, non-adjuvanted vaccine - the only one on the market as far as I'm aware. Assuming it's what your veterinarian is proposing - as opposed to an adjuvanted vaccine - it's safer than the old-school one-year vaccines. If he or she is proposing anything else, run away.

Caveat: this is not to be construed as medical advice in any fashion. There are more than enough immunological studies outlined online to allow one to clearly see the differences in adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted rabies vaccines as they relate to vaccine-induced sarcoma in cats.
.

 

[maxcat08]

Thank you for your reply. I wasn't speaking to the Vet, but to the front staff and really didn't feel that she knew what she was talking about. She did talk about Purevax 1-yr vaccine, but she may not have know what she was talking about. She also kept talking about the dog rabies vaccine.....when I was talking about the cat vaccine.

I have talked to the Vet about the 3-yr vaccine on prior visits but there was always an excuse as to why they didn't have any to give...so this is why I went in ahead of the cats' appointment....now they will order it. If there's still an excuse...I won't have them get the injection.

Thank you again.

 

[furrypurry]

A lot of vets won't carry the 3-year vac because it is so much more expensive for them to purchase.

 

[maxcat08]

That's too bad. My Vet is charging 3 times the price, but the cats won't have to get the shot for another 3 years. I'm not saving money, the cats are saving potential problems. My Vet is ordering it for me. Maybe the price will come down if it becomes more popular.

 

[Neo_23]

I would go with the 1-year purevax if you can't get the 3-year purevax. The most important thing is that it's non-adjuvanted vaccine, and the only company that offers that right now for rabies shots is purevax.

Also, there is research to show that even the 1-year purevax lasts longer than 3 years. You can find a vet that does titter testing next year and check the level of the vaccine in his blood before you decide whether to get a booster.

 

[maxcat08]

I know that the 1-yr lasts longer than 1 year....but no one wants to believe it. They insist that the cat gets a shot every year regardless if the vaccine is still active. Petsmart wouldn't give my long-hair cat a matt shave because the vaccine was 2 weeks over the year. The Vets office wouldn't back me up in stating that it was still good. So I Have to go with the 3-year shot. This cat never goes out, or wants to go out. It's maddening that he even need a rabies shot.

 

[Neo_23]

I know that the 1-yr lasts longer than 1 year....but no one wants to believe it. They insist that the cat gets a shot every year regardless if the vaccine is still active. Petsmart wouldn't give my long-hair cat a matt shave because the vaccine was 2 weeks over the year. The Vets office wouldn't back me up in stating that it was still good. So I Have to go with the 3-year shot. This cat never goes out, or wants to go out. It's maddening that he even need a rabies shot.

Depending on where you live, you might try finding a vet that will do a blood test? Usually holistic or integrative vets are more likely to do this.

 

[ailish]

I was going to not vaccinate for rabies this year, but then I realized no one would touch my cat. A titre saying she has immunity will not cut it. So I got the 3 year, which my vet had no problem. They charged half again as much as the 1 year, which I didn't think was bad. So if vets are giving people a hard time about the 3 year, maybe try a different vet. It does have to be an issue.

 

[azshua]

I just wanted to say that I'm so thankful for this thread. I have avoided having my cats vaccinated for rabies as much as possible because of the risk of cancer. After reading some of the replies on this thread, I called the vet clinic I go to and asked what rabies vaccine they use. They use the Purevax! I feel so much more at ease now that I know that this one is safer than others. Unfortunately my county won't accept the three year vaccine, which is ridiculous. The vet clinic does offer them, but it won't do me any good. Can't say I'm surprised that my county is the one who won't accept it, though.