Rabies Vaccines

It is such a confusing time in this world for many reasons, but certainly when it comes to vaccines!  

We get a lot of questions about vaccinations, and this post will be related to rabies vaccine only.  This is one where veterinarians have very little say in!  And to me, this is okay!  We are medical health professionals, animal advocates and public health sentinels and we take all of these jobs very seriously.  

Rabies still exists and kills people and animals.  We have worked hard to eradicate it, and still haven’t yet.  When we stop vaccinating for rabies, that leaves more pets and people open to sickness and death.  It is also the law that we must vaccinate all animal that are healthy enough to receive it.  

We choose the vaccines we feel are the safest (I go with Dr. Jean Dodd’s of Hemopet’s recommendations), with the least frequent vaccination schedule, which means a vaccine in puppyhood, a booster nine to twelve months after and then every three years.  In Massachusetts, if the first booster is late, we must vaccinate again within the next year.  This is not a choice; we have it is something we must follow for our veterinary license to be upheld.

If a pet is unwell (they have autoimmune disease, cancer or are in hospice care) this vaccine can be waived with a letter by us.  This is not something we take lightly at Sleepy Dog as we have to be assured that our pet, and the people and animals around us are safe.  

We are happy to discuss this in more detail for your pet and  know that we have come to these conclusions with years of research and people and animal safety in mind!

For the website and to be added to our new client paperwork:

At Sleepy Dog, we aim to vaccinate to extent that is safest for your pet.  We offer titers for feline and canine distemper vaccines after they have received their initial series and require rabies as instructed by our Massachusetts state laws unless your pet is exempt due to:  autoimmune, cancer or hospice status.  This ensures the highest level of safety for your pet, your family and our team members.