Ragdoll Cat Forums

I was wondering how many here vaccinate for rabies?

I've been reading up on the rabies vaccine since our new vet is pushing for it. Our dear Sadie passed less than a week after having been given one and I still believe it accellerated her death. She was nearly 20, always indoors her entire life and had CRF for one. The vet assured me she would be fine and she was not the same following the shot. So, I'm very reluctant to have any of my kids vaccinated for rabies. The law in our little town is optional for cats. However, should the need arise to board one, virtually none of the vets in our surrounding area would accept an unvaccinated animal. I had one vet tell me if my unvaccinated kid bit one of her staff, then her head would be sent off for testing. I believe in doing no harm and am always concerned about vaccinations.

Tonight, I've been reading up on the rabies vaccine and found this:

Quote:Merial PUREVAX® Feline Rabies contains a nonadjuvanted lyophilized suspension of a recombinant vectored rabies vaccine plus a sterile water diluent. A canarypox vector has been modified, using recombinant technology, to produce expression of desired antigens capable of stimulating a protective immune response to rabies. Safety and immunogenicity of this product have been demonstrated by vaccination and challenge studies in susceptible cats.

The Merial PUREVAX® feline rabies vaccine does not contain any adjuvants. Through an extremely complex process of DNA engineering, researchers have developed this vaccine by using a live canarypox vector. There is no chance of this vaccine actually causing disease we are vaccinating for since the rabies virus DNA chains have been changed and combined with this canarypox virus. Therefore, the term that is used for this type of engineering is called recombinant vaccine engineering.

This would have to be given annually. Anyone have any thoughts? It sounds alot safer then what my Sadie was given. It says it's safe for kids over 8 weeks of age.

I personally don't like rabies, and weigh the dangers of the shot against the possibility of them getting rabies, and I'll chance them getting rabies. My vet is the city rabies enfocement officer (and rabies is law here), and he understands where I'm coming from and doesn't push me. I do have Smoke, who is outdoors, and I do vaccinate him for rabies as I feel that's the responsible thing to do for him.

I don't give the rabies either it is optional were we live.

Get rabies protection if there is rabies in the area, particularly with what you have been told about local practices about it. In some areas, cats cannot be admitted to animal hospitals without vaccination and one has to give the shot at the worst possible time, when the cat is already very sick. You also need to understand that rabid animals are aggressive. They will go out of their way to attack, and infect, your cat. Raccoons have come through screen doors to get pets and bats do get into houses.

We use Merial to avoid adjuvants, which some fear are implicated in shot site cancers. It does not have a lesser shock risk and one must give it every year, as you note. If your fear is shot reactions -and it seems it is - then Merial may not be your best choice since using it means more shots.

Based on your history, you may want to get rabies protection by getting the first shot and first annual booster. You can then decide after three years if you want to delay the booster a year or two. When the cat gets into the later teens, you may want to stop it. However, having no immunization protection where it is needed is a mistake. (Keep in mind that delays in boostering mean that the cat will not be considered vaccinated part of the time and you will have the risks of that even if the cat does have some meaningful protection against rabies.)

Hi Diane,

I don't have Teddy vaccinated for rabies, but my brother's Raggie girl is vaccinated because they take her outside on a harness and leash. Apparently she jumped a bit when she got the rabies vaccine (as opposed to when Teddy got his boosters and didn't seem to notice). The good news is that Olivia didn't have a reaction to the rabies vaccine and was fine afterwards.

So...I think it really depends on if you plan to take your girls outside.

Coral

No. it does not depend on whether the cat goes out. It does not even depend on the escape risk. Rabid animals can get IN. Have you ever read how much fun cats have in trying to catch bats that get in.

It also depends on how unvaccinated cats are treated. A sick cat can easily get hurt in an exam and bite the vet or a tech. Ask your vet and the vet techs how often they have been bitten by docile cats that never bite. If he then needs to be quarantined or worse, then not getting the vaccine will be greatly regretted. The major vet hospitals in our area require patients be vaccinated. We were glad when we needed cancer treatment that we could get it because he already had been vaccinated.

(We once were in an exam with our Siamese and the vet asked if he bit. As we said, "He never bites" and it was still hanging over our heads as if in a bubble, the cat wheeled around and bit the vet and drew blood. Do not assume your cat who has never come close, will not bite.)

It is law here in NJ so I do vaccinate. I waited until George was 6 months old before getting the rabies as was suggested by his breeder. I will do the same for Duncan. There have been wild animals that have tested positive for rabies in NJ.