Rabies Vaccine for puppies- when to vaccinate...

[skittledoo]

I went to the vet today because Itztli has been coughing and hacking pretty badly since last night. It's my fault. I have been using a fan the past couple nights that apparently hasn't been used in 2 years and I failed to think to clean it out before using it. It ended up blowing dust at both myself and Itztli's crate so we're both sick from it. I ended up getting some antibiotics.

That said, when I was at the vet clinic they started pushing me to set up my appointment to do the rabies vaccine. The vet tech even went as far as to almost come across threatening when I tried to explain to her why I'm wanting to wait until he is 6 months old to do rabies vaccine instead of doing it at 16 weeks which is what is required in the state of VA. I understand she is doing her job, but she definitely was rude about it. I should have just kept my mouth shut.

I'm choosing to wait until Itztli is 6 months old for a few reasons. I'm on a couple xolo boards and there's been a few threads regarding vaccine reactions in this breed. My breeder lost one of her other Xolos to a reaction to rabies vaccine and Itztli's mom had a bad vaccine reaction to another vaccine a while back. It's not uncommon. That said, she and I talked about her recommendation with vaccines and she recommends doing as limited vaccines as possible and recommended I wait until 6 months old to vaccinate for rabies if I can especially since he is a bit small in comparison to majority of his siblings. I'm planning to titer after his initial vaccines. We are not going to be doing lepto, lymes, influenza vaccine, etc...

How common is it for people to wait until 6 months old or older to vaccinate for rabies for the first time? The law here does say by 16 weeks apparently (I need to look it up myself to verify), but I really do NOT want to vaccinate him that young for rabies especially when this breed tends to have a lot of dogs with vaccine sensitivities and even vaccine related deaths. Is there any way to get an extension waiver for dogs that might be more susceptible to having adverse reactions?

 

[Southpaw]

I'm probably not the best person to give advice because I always just do what I want (ie, 2 of my dogs are not UTD on rabies) but I'd just wait until 6 mos plain and simple.

 

[*blackrose]

What is the theory behind waiting until 6 months? My dogs have all been done at 16 weeks and I've never had an issue...?

 

[Greenmagick]

Law here is 16 weeks....I do it around 9 months and would like to push back even further but I start getting paranoid about getting "caught". Luckily my trainer is a friend and was fine with delayed vaccines

 

[BostonBanker]

I did Gusto just after six months, I think. I was spreading out vaccines anyway, so waited on rabies until last. Then just didn't call for the appointment until I was ready.

 

[Lyzelle]

Quinn was done at six months ish. Maybe nearly 7 months. Same reasons, limited vaccinations here too. Everyone - her breeder, trainer, my mentor, and everyone we encountered was fine with it. I really think we only ended up getting it so she could go to dog events in town, that require and check rabies. Otherwise we might have waited until nine months or a year.

Ask your vet (s) for a waiver. Or show them a breeder owner contract that promises vaccination at a later date. Vets love legal stuff, IME, and are more likely to work with you then.

 

[release the hounds]

I wait a year

 

[JacksonsMom]

I think Jackson was almost 7 months by the time I got around to it. He had a really bad reaction to the lepto shot at 12 weeks old and it kind of scared me so then I kept putting off the rest of his vaccines too. I did take him back for the dhp (minus lepto), I think, around 15 weeks, but he didn't get his rabies vax until either right before or right after he was neutered, I can't remember now... I think when I took him in to get neutered they asked for it and I didn't have it and they said 'no problem, we can give it to him when he gets neutered' but I told them no way! I didn't want him to have some sort of reaction while under anesthesia or something, so I believe we ended up coming back a week later.


Anyway that was a lot of rambling for nothing. lol. I get that it's the law. So I understand why vets offices are going to be reluctant to skip it. I think I just somehow avoided it. lol

 

[yv0nne]

Know few Vizslas have dropped dead from the rabies shot when given at 16wks& with other shots given at the same time. I waited until almost 7 months.. I just remember telling the vet I had no plans of skipping it but I wasn't going to be doing anything on her timeframe because she was my dog& I had done my research. Basically, they just had to let me wait because what other choice do they have?

 

[xpaeanx]

I basically do what BB said. I tell the vet I want to do one vax at a time with Rabies being the last. Then I just don't schedule the appt until I'm ready. Which usually is beacuse I want to do something that requires proof between 6 months to a year.

I've actually also started using those vaccine clinics a lot because I can just go in for the one thing I want without any hassle and can keep the vaccines spaced out without paying any extra or needing to schedule in advance. And then I bring the forms in and update the vet records during the annual. I'm sure they hate that because they loose money on administering the vaccines, but it makes my life a ton easier so I don't care.

 

[DJEtzel]

I vaccinate for rabies around 4-5 mos, but know plenty of people who wait. I just wouldn't schedule it. They can't make you.

Is it common to breed dogs with such profound vaccine sensitivities?

 

[skittledoo]

I vaccinate for rabies around 4-5 mos, but know plenty of people who wait. I just wouldn't schedule it. They can't make you.

Is it common to breed dogs with such profound vaccine sensitivities?

Not in a lot of breeds I'm sure, but I know that vaccine sensitivities are not uncommon at all in a some of the more primitive breeds and I know plenty that are bred. I don't know that this breed would exist anymore if they avoided breeding any dog that had vaccine sensitivities, but I do know it's something that is a goal towards trying to eventually not be an issue anymore. His dad has no sensitivities at all that are known. His mom had issues with lepto vaccine, but hasn't had issues with any other vaccines as of yet. A lot of xolo people choose to do a limited vaccine schedule though and avoid a lot of unnecessary vaccines.

 

[release the hounds]

adverse reactions to rabies are known and well documented and it's not breed or even species specific.

 

[Romy]

adverse reactions to rabies are known and well documented and it's not breed or even species specific.

No kidding. Every time they did a round of them on me I'd puke, hurt, get chills, etc. Pretty much felt like having the flu. Still a million times better than rabies, but bleah.

Skittle you might look into the different manufacturers of vaccines and see if there are any that have fewer reports of adverse reactions, and go with that when he's at an age where you're comfortable with it. Fort Dodge is notorious for rabies vaccine reactions and even total failures in a couple of cases. I don't know if they have done anything radically different with their formulation lately.

I have heard good things about Boehringer Vetmedica vaccines overall, in terms of them not having so many adverse reports.

 

[sassafras]

I don't really care what people do as long as they understand the legal implications (and depending on where they live, the potential public health implications), and I think it's a good idea to separate them out, but it's never made sense to me that waiting until 6 or 9 or 12 months somehow reduces the risk of a reaction vs 16 weeks. Unless they're growing up in a bubble, a puppy's immune system is being assaulted every single day by a variety of organisms... there's no reason to think it can't "handle" a vaccine at 4 mos vs 6 mos. Either an individual is going to react or not IME, regardless of age.

And yes, reactions can happen in any breed, but if it's happening in your breed/lines so often that it's noteworthy and of specific concern, then there is a genetic component, period.

 

[DJEtzel]

I don't really care what people do as long as they understand the legal implications (and depending on where they live, the potential public health implications), and I think it's a good idea to separate them out, but it's never made sense to me that waiting until 6 or 9 or 12 months somehow reduces the risk of a reaction vs 16 weeks. Unless they're growing up in a bubble, a puppy's immune system is being assaulted every single day by a variety of organisms... there's no reason to think it can't "handle" a vaccine at 4 mos vs 6 mos. Either an individual is going to react or not IME, regardless of age.

And yes, reactions can happen in any breed, but if it's happening in your breed/lines so often that it's noteworthy and of specific concern, then there is a genetic component, period.

Could it be argued that an older dog, weighing more, more developed immune system, etc. would have a better chance of recovering from a severe reaction?

 

[elegy]

I did both my pups at 12 weeks. No problems.