Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - ShouldI I be worried about rabies vaccine?

Wylie is do for her rabies vaccine this month. She had her spleen removed a week and a half ago and her PCV was up to 37 hopefully more tomorrow when she gets checked. When I tak to my vet tomorrow I want to see about at least pushing it out to next month, I am worried about putting vaccine in her at this time. Does this vaccine last longer, like they say its due in May, its strong enough to go a couple of more months? She is also due for her heartworm she is on heartguard and past due a month, he didnt seemed concerned because it still calast longer the what the reommended dosage is, luckily our heavy mosquito infestation is done for the year but they are still out there. Laurie

Laurie CA

Laurie, There is a good chance your County will accept a waiver from your Vet (if he is willing to write one) that Wylie should never have another rabies shot. If not contact Dr. Dodds. She is doing research right now in a study called Rabies challenge. She is attempting to prove that healthy dogs do not need to be vaccinated as often as our laws dictate and also is a strong voice about AIHA dogs not being vaccinated again. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Laurie -- Penny is right. I'd see about having the vet work with you to get a waiver so that Wylie can avoid a rabies shot. I remember there have been several folks on the forum who have had success with this. You might also want to check out the report of the 2006 American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Guidelines, which resulted from special reviews by the Canine Vaccine Task Force. These guidelines provide information on all major canine vaccinations and key points are that duration of immunity is much longer than thought and that some vaccines are unnecessary. You and your vet can share this with your local health officials. You can find it at www.aahanet.org. Good luck and best wishes to you and to Wylie. Glad to know she is doing well.

Brenda VA

Laurie, Right after Molson was diagnosed with IMHA, the vet stated he would no longer receive any vaccinations. I asked about the rabies, because it is required by law, and she stated that because of his medical condition he would no longer be required to receive them. I thought it interesting that as soon as the dog's immune system was compromised we would discontinue the vaccinations but there is very little discussion regarding how the vaccinations can in themselves compromise the dog's immune system. Ann Marie

Ann Marie FL

Our vet was the first to say that Cody will NEVER be vaccinated again. It's a huge assault to their already fragile immune system. Please research, talk to other vets, and read before doing this. He wrote a letter last year to the city and we were able to re-register him without the shot with no hassle. Also, he did titers for the pravo / distemper and it showed he had adequate immunity. He said even if he didn't he would not vaccinate, but he would need to lead a pretty cloistered life. BTW, Cody has been off all meds for over a year and his blood work continues be in the normal range.

Betty Dallas

My vet has told me repeatedly that Matilda should NEVER EVER be vaccinated again, for the rest of her life. He feels that the risk is just too much, so he has taken care of getting the proper waiver for the rabies vaccine. I would talk to your vet about getting a waiver. Good luck with Wylie. jeanne

jeanne texas

I need help here though what if she is back up to say 40 or above and he says oh she is normal so no problem, I see this happening and he may really push this since Wylie was attacked by a coyote 3 years ago and we have raccons that come into our yard at night. THanks for all of your info, when I dropped Wylie off for her surgery we were discussing vaccines in general and he said no ifs ands or buts, he does not do surgery if a dog is not up to date on rabies. I will look up that site and also print all of this when I go in to discuss it Laurie

Laurielee CA

Laurie, You can reassure yourself by having Wylie's rabies titer measured. Hemopet.org, Dr. Dodds organization, will perform this and she will interpret the results personally. The forms and instructions for the blood draw and how to mail it are available at Hemopet's web site. The test is actually performed at Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab: http://www.vet.ksu.edu/depts/dmp/service/rabies/index.htm This titer, however, does not hold water for any state or local government. Each jurisdiction has slightly different laws regarding rabies. You should check carefully what your town's laws are. In NYS, where we are, known exposure to a wild animal by a dog not currently vaccinated requires up to 6 months of complete isolation from humans, and a forced rabies vaccination at the end of that period of time. The max is immediate euthanization in order to test the brain. A known bite to a human requires quarantine for a time and at a place determined by local officials and possible destruction of the dog in order to test the brain. Also, in NYS, dogs that are not vaccinated for rabies are not allowed to move about the community. Waivers are sometimes given, but my vet says she has only been allowed to do this on a few occasions for dogs in her care dying of cancer. NYS clearly does not want dogs in the community that are unvaccinated. Legally, many of these issues can be devastating to a family if there is a "perceived" bite. The loss of the dog is the most important, with no control over the outcome. But lawsuits can follow that could bankrupt a family. Rabies laws are in place to protect people, not dogs, and municipalities that have rabies in the wild population are particularly prone to having very strict laws. That said, the vector for most rabies is from wild animals. Rabies from dogs is nearly non-existent in this country thanks to the very strong rabies vaccination laws. We have had a number of local incidents in suburban Rochester where a wild animal attacked someone in their yard or home. Without the ability to test the animal, the medical community has no choice but to begin the vaccination series on the human immediately. Recently a dog bit a young boy in a pet store. The owner left with the dog before exchanging any information and the local news showed the family begging for the owner to come forward so they wouldn't have to vaccinate the young child. The owner never did go to authorities, probably understanding what would happen to their dog. I have had many conversations about this with experts, my vet and my family trying to decide what to do. There is no easy answer, but it is important that you make an informed decision rather than react emotionally. Patrice

Patrice NYS

Titers is certainly a good option. We will be doing rabie titers on my Maddie a non AIHA dog, this October because she currently has a number of health issues and my vet feels this is the best option for her. My vet has had many situations in which our city has accepted rabies titers instead of the vaccination. We were able to get a rabies wavier, with no titers, for our Meisha for several years. My vet merely wrote a rabies waiver letter to our city, which we were able to use for a number of years with no problem.

Joanne MN

My Sofie received a rabies vaccination during her recovery period of AIHA. Although it was recommended not to give her a vaccination, I travel alot to dog shows, she travels with me. Getting a wavier might work in some places, but when you start crossing state lines, a wavier from a local vet will not work. Plus, most states require rabies, and they can and will quarantine your dog if it is not vaccinated if you cross into another state. I weighed the pros and cons about vaccinating her, and it was a hard choice. But in the end, I trusted my vet and a few specialists he talked to who said the risk of vaccinated her outweighed the risks of having a non vaccinated dog with so many outbreaks of rabies. We live in a rabies area, and since I travel to so many states that also have rabies problems,it was the best thing to do. Plus, if she nipped someone, or even if some idiot decided she had bit them,even perceived as stated above, without a rabies vaccination, she would be destroyed and her brain sent off for rabies. A wavier would not help in this situation. Sofie had no problem at all with the rabies. Remember it is killed, not live or modified live, so that does help with putting a "live" vaccine into their system. Just my personal opinion.

Joanne Wyoming

Joanne, You have brought up some good points I had not even thought about. Traveling anywhere is very difficult and the dog will be seized. I believe in Hawaii, a dog will remain in quarantine for 6 months, even with a valid shot? Need to check that, but I remember a friend traveled to Hawaii and it was extremely stressful. Anecdotally, I have overheard that some vets will do things in the privacy of their office that they could not or would not admit to such as turning the needle away in another direction when administering the shot or injecting only the smallest portion of the content. Obviously, these actions could result in loss of license so I wouldn't advise anyone to ask directly for something like this from their vet. My vet said to me simply, "outside is the problem." A very old and sick dog barely able to go out to the yard doesn't need a booster shot. An active dog that walks around the neighborhood, travels, perhaps walks in the woods, visits with people etc is not a dog that a vet wishes to request a waiver for. But in either case, it is the municipality that determines who gets a waiver in order to renew a dog license. Patrice

Patrice ny

I still firmly believe in a rabies shot. A dog or cat does not have to be outside for long in the country where rabies might exist. Remember, more and more dogs/puppies are being brought into the country for adoption and have been bringing rabies into the states. People don't realize where they come from and get bit, then they find out the puppy was infected with rabies and the shots begin. I know its a risk, but a dog/puppy can bite when least expected. My granddaughter and myself just went through an experience: her 8 month old puppy developed what we later found to be a brain tumor. He attacked and drew blood with her twice, and bit me once. He was euthanized, but because he had had a rabies shot, we were able to bury him, not have to have his head cut off and sent off for rabies. An unvaccinated dog/puppy that bites a person is in trouble, and if it is not a family member it bites, and being sick and stressed like our dogs are that are going through AIHA and its treatments,the person can insist the dog be destroyed and its head sent off for rabies testing. In some states, its mandatory for the testing if the dog is unvaccinated, not allowing quarantine. Plus, have you ever known anyone who has to go through the rabies shots?? Its not a nice thing, and is painful. I feel rabies is one shot all animals must have. I will never vaccinate Sofie again for anything other than rabies.But there is a reason rabies vaccination is mandatory and there are reasons for laws to make you give the vaccination, rabies is not a pleasent way to die, for our pets or humans.

Joanne Wyoming

Hi Laurielee and Wylie, Kent has got a waiver so that he never gets vaccinated again, for anything. He will be 11 in July, and he is 1.5 years into this disease. I do understand the importance of vaccinations, but want to point out that no dog who has had recent surgery or is not healthy should be vaccinated - the manufacturers say this themselves. I think it would be prudent for you vet to wait awhile before vaccinating Wylie as he just had surgery. Its a tough call, and i would get a second opinion, or a third, from another vet, and i would contact Dr. Dodds. Good luck, Christine and Kent

Christine FL

This thread was discussed between 18/05/2008 and 19/05/2008

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