Rabies

[skyhightree1]

I am rethinking my vaccination program and wondered what does everyone else do?

 

[dun]

I am rethinking my vaccination program and wondered what does everyone else do?

Dog and cats are all we vaccinate for rabies

 

[Aaron]

Because we are so wet here and have creek bottom land, I would vaccinate cattle for anthrax before rabies. Last case of rabies close to here was 3 miles down the road 20 years ago, and that only was in dogs and cats.

 

[tom4018]

Do they even have a rabies vaccine for cattle? Did a quick search on Valley Vet with no luck.

 

[Deepsouth]

Never hear about it around here. Last time I heard about must have been 25 years ago. Parvo keeps the animal populations in control around here.

 

[skyhightree1]

Yea its crazy I never thought I would need a vaccine for cattle but the days have changed and now I need it.

Tom

http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml

 

[Aaron]

Do they even have a rabies vaccine for cattle? Did a quick search on Valley Vet with no luck.

Yes, IMRAB by Merial. But a lot of states have restrictions on purchasing it. Probably need a vet prescription.

 

[boondocks]

Yea its crazy I never thought I would need a vaccine for cattle but the days have changed and now I need it.

Tom

http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml

We vaccinate our herd for rabies as our vet strongly advised it. We have a good bit of rabies around in the local raccoon population. The local paper usually carries stories a few times a year of a rabid animal found in the area. I saw a porcupine on the driveway during daylight hours a couple weeks ago and wondered.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I used to vaccinate both cattle and horses. Depending on where I lived, some areas were bad for it in the skunk population. In CA it can only be given by a vet. You can not purchase the vaccine at all on your own.

 

[Lucky_P]

We vaccinate the wife's horses; not the cattle. Don't know that I could justify it.

Principal reason for vaccinating domestic animals against rabies is to place them as a barrier between wildlife and the human population. It's not really to 'protect' the animal - but you're free to look at it with that perspective, if you want...

Risk is very low here; may be different elsewhere.
Part of my day job is performing Rabies testing - we see positive cases in skunks & bats, but not all that frequently - they are the wildlife reservoir in this part of the country - raccoon/fox/coyote may be important wildlife reservoirs in other parts of the country, but we don't see those strains here. We rarely diagnose it in a domestic animals - haven't seen a rabid cow in nearly 15 years, probably 5+ yrs since we diagnosed rabies in a dog; had a rabid horse in 2013(one of 4 cases out of SE MO), have not had a rabid cat in this state in over 10 years.
Incidence of rabies in domestic animals is very low in the US...is that a testament to the efficacy of the vaccines? I dunno. I still get lots of canine/feline submissions for testing that are unvaccinated animals...but they're not rabid.

 

[boondocks]

We vaccinate the wife's horses; not the cattle. Don't know that I could justify it.

Principal reason for vaccinating domestic animals against rabies is to place them as a barrier between wildlife and the human population. It's not really to 'protect' the animal - but you're free to look at it with that perspective, if you want...

Risk is very low here; may be different elsewhere.
Part of my day job is performing Rabies testing - we see positive cases in skunks & bats, but not all that frequently - they are the wildlife reservoir in this part of the country - raccoon/fox/coyote may be important wildlife reservoirs in other parts of the country, but we don't see those strains here. We rarely diagnose it in a domestic animals - haven't seen a rabid cow in nearly 15 years, probably 5+ yrs since we diagnosed rabies in a dog; had a rabid horse in 2013(one of 4 cases out of SE MO), have not had a rabid cat in this state in over 10 years.
Incidence of rabies in domestic animals is very low in the US...is that a testament to the efficacy of the vaccines? I dunno. I still get lots of canine/feline submissions for testing that are unvaccinated animals...but they're not rabid.

It's interesting how regional it is. It's def a big problem here. Our friend's dog was in an outdoor kennel/run at his house and was attacked by a rabid skunk last fall. He has health problems so when we got there to help, the two animals had torn each other up and were barely hanging on. Both had to be put down then very carefully buried. The skunk of course had sprayed. What a mess. Poor retriever had put up a good fight.

This year there was a rabid horse and a rabid fox already reported by early April and a man in the next county bitten by a rabid cat. Haven't kept up since then but I'm sure there are more. So, we are always aware and vacc for it here.

 

[Lucky_P]

Check out some of the blog posts about rabies here:
http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/articl ... es/rabies/
Some strike me as funny - but, as a veterinarian & pathologist, most people probably think my sense of humor is warped...

 

[Vicky the vet]

Ivan Tovell was once a client of mine, and later acquired a Belgian. His then vet recommended rabies vaccination as it's a standard vaccine here, but Ivan said " over his dead body" would that horse get vaccinated.

The police had to shoot the horse which was standing over his deceased and mauled body not terribly long afterward.... Yup rabies. Yes you can read about it online, I'll spare the gory details.

If you are in an area where it is, it's ruddy cheap protection. Cattle, horses, pigs are all species I've dealt with having rabies. My family is worth more than the cost of vaccine. My purebred cattle are too. Jmo
V

 

[Koffi Babone]

Yea its crazy I never thought I would need a vaccine for cattle but the days have changed and now I need it.

Tom

http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml

Did that calf come back positive???

 

[JW IN VA]

I am rethinking my vaccination program and wondered what does everyone else do?

Dog and cats are all we vaccinate for rabies

 

[B&M Farms]

Why can I buy every vaccine I need to give my animals except rabies? Just wondered why I have to carry my dogs to the vet once a year for a rabies vaccine when I am able to purchase their distemper, hepatitis and parvo? I'm not complaining just wondered if there was a reason.

 

[skyhightree1]

Yea its crazy I never thought I would need a vaccine for cattle but the days have changed and now I need it.

Tom

http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml

Did that calf come back positive???

:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

 

[Koffi Babone]

Yea its crazy I never thought I would need a vaccine for cattle but the days have changed and now I need it.

Tom

http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml

Did that calf come back positive???

:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

Oh my.... I am really glad you were wearing gloves....

You should perhaps talk to your family physician and see if it is worth having you or anybody else that will examine mouths having the vaccine too...

Stay safe

 

[Lucky_P]

"Why can I buy every vaccine I need to give my animals except rabies? Just wondered why I have to carry my dogs to the vet once a year for a rabies vaccine when I am able to purchase their distemper, hepatitis and parvo? I'm not complaining just wondered if there was a reason."

B&M,
It's because it's a human public health issue. Rabies can - and does, on occasion - infect humans. And, as stated earlier, from that public health standpoint, the reason we vaccinate domestic animals is not so much to 'protect' them, but to put them out there as a 'barrier' between wildlife and the human population.

Sure, you can buy DHLP vaccines at the local farm store, or online, and give them to your pet. But if they've been mishandled before you get 'em, or you ride them around on the dashboard of the truck for a week or two before you give them, or you accidentally push the needle all the way through the skin and squirt it out on the ground, nobody's gonna die.
Public health regulations in most states require that Rabies vaccination be administered by or under the supervision of a veterinarian, with the idea that as a trained health professional, they will make certain that the vaccine has been properly stored/handled and will be administered correctly - thus protecting the public.
In some states, you can buy and administer Rabies vaccine - but it will not be regarded as an 'official' vaccination; if that animal bites someone, it will be regarded by the public health folks as an unvaccinated animal, and be subject to whatever requirements for quarantine/testing they mandate for unvaccinated critters.

 

[Nesikep]

Check out some of the blog posts about rabies here:
http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/articl ... es/rabies/
Some strike me as funny - but, as a veterinarian & pathologist, most people probably think my sense of humor is warped...

I certainly find a lot of humor in there as well.. but then again, even without being a vet or pathologist, people think my sense of humor is warped too..