Rabies, Why Vaccinate your pet?
by Dr. Faith Hughes, D.V.M.

When was the last time you heard of a case of rabies in a pet in Wakulla County?  I've been here since 1992 and haven't seen one yet.  So you ask yourself, "Why do
I need to vaccinate my pet?"

One reason is so that that we can continue to live in a society that isn't plagued by rabies.  Talk to your elderly friends and relatives, they may remember the days when many domestic animals contracted rabies.  Back then it was called hydrophobia or mad dog.  Signs of rabies are a change in personality, laryngeal paralysis which causes change in voice and inability to swallow (drooling and
foaming at mouth), some dogs are aggressive and have hallucinations (mad dog), some dogs progress to the weak and paralytic stage (dumb rabies).

Don't think people aren't exposed to rabies anymore?  Go to www.cdc.gov/rabies to get specifics, but the bottom line is that more than 30 people in the United States contracted rabies from 1995-2006.  This is a big improvement from an average of 100 cases/year that was seen a century ago.  Of the U.S. citizens bitten by rabid dogs, most came into contact with the rabid dog while traveling in foreign countries (Mexico, Ghana, Nepal, Haiti, El Salvador).  Thousands of people die from rabies each year in Africa and Asia.  If we don't continue to vaccinate our dogs and cats, we will begin to see rabies cases at high numbers again.  We will start experiencing the statistics of a third world country.  Think about how the polio vaccine of last century has almost eradicated polio from the world.  It could be the same with rabies.
 
Did you know that, by law, all dogs and cats over 3 months of age are required to have a current rabies vaccine?  If your pet doesn't have proof of current vaccination, animal control authorities can issue a fine to you or impound your pet at the animal shelter.  If your unvaccinated pet bites a person, it may be quarantined at the shelter for 10 days to watch for signs of rabies.  If rabies signs develop, if will probably be euthanized and
tested for rabies.  You may be looking at legal consequences.  Also, by law, a rabies vaccine must be given by a licensed veterinarian.  If you give your own rabies vaccine that was purchased from a pet catalog or a feed store, your pet is considere "unvaccinated" in the eyes of the law.
 
So, what happens if your unvaccinated pet has signs of rabies and it has bitten someone?  Just a simple blood test to find out, right?  No.  There is only one way to test an animal for rabies...send it's brain to a lab for a direct fluorescent antibody test. That means euthanizing the pet and removing it's head.  This is a disgusting and
emotional situtation for everyone involved (pet, pet owner, animal control officer, veterinarian, health department).  Believe me, I've had to remove the head of several
beloved pets and I don't enjoy it at all.  It's like being in a horror movie.
 
A simple rabies vaccine (costs less than $20) given once yearly (3 year vaccines are available) can save everyone a lot of problems.  The vaccine has minimal pain involved, has few side effects, is safe, is 100% protective, and will give you peace of mind.
 

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