Content
- how the dog gets rabies
- Rabies Vaccine in Dogs
- How long does the rabies vaccine last: annual, 2 years or 3 years
- Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
- Price of canine rabies vaccine
Contrary to what many people think, rabies is not completely eradicated in Brazil. The disease, also called rabies, is transmitted by a virus of the genus Lyssavirus and it is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmissible to humans by wild animals, and even dogs and cats.
Isolated cases of rabies in humans have increased in recent months and can be fatal if not discovered in time and proper precautions are not taken. In animals, rabies is not curable, and is fatal in 100% of cases. Because of this, the method of prevention through the rabies vaccine is extremely important.
Here at PeritoAnimal you will find a Complete Guide, with everything you need to know about Rabies Vaccine.
how the dog gets rabies
Rabies is a disease caused by the virus of the genus Lyssavirus and extremely fatal, that is, there is no treatment. The virus only affects mammals, whether they are dogs, cats, bats, raccoons, ferrets, foxes and opossums. As dogs and cats are domestic animals, they are considered accidental hosts, just like humans. Because of this, the virus is unlikely to be eradicated from nature, as they are found among wild animals such as those mentioned above, and as the number of abandonments, and stray dogs and cats only increases, the more difficult it becomes to completely eradicate the virus from urban areas, especially areas that are more isolated or remote from major hospitals and infectious disease centers, as they are places where these stray dogs and cats end up having contact with infected wild animals. Birds, lizards and other reptiles, and fish do not transmit rabies.
O virus is highly contagious, and can be transmitted through blood contact, and mainly through saliva or secretions, that is, through bites and even scratches, from infected animals. After contagion, may take up to 2 months before symptoms appear., as the virus can remain incubated until it starts to replicate, starting the symptoms.
The disease has different stages and can manifest in different ways, which can lead to some different symptoms. You canine rabies symptoms are:
- Furious rabies: the most common and the animal dies in about 4 to 7 days. Symptoms are aggressiveness and agitation, drooling with foam and seizures.
- Mud rabies: received this name because of the characteristics that the dog presents, as the animal is isolated, does not want to eat or drink, looks for dark and remote places, and may also suffer from paralysis.
- Intestinal rabies: despite being rare, the animal dies within 3 days, and does not present characteristic symptoms of rabies, but frequent vomiting and colic, which can be confused with other diseases until the true cause is found.
It is always important to be aware of the onset of symptoms to prevent an animal from infecting other animals and humans. However, unfortunately there is no cure.
To learn more about Canine Rabies, see this PeritoAnimal article.
Rabies Vaccine in Dogs
As the disease is fatal and has no cure, the vaccine is the only way of prevention safe and effective against the rabies virus. The rabies vaccination must be done in dogs, and cats as well, not before the puppy is 3 months old, because before that their immune system is not ready to receive the immunization, and therefore, the vaccine will not have the desired effect, ie , the animal is exposed, and it is as if it had not received it.
To find out more about the vaccine protocol and more information about which vaccines and when to vaccinate your pet, see PeritoAnimal's Dog Vaccination Calendar here.
It is important to keep in mind that only healthy animals should receive any vaccine at all, so your trusted veterinarian will examine your puppy before giving any vaccine.
How long does the rabies vaccine last: annual, 2 years or 3 years
From 3 months of life onwards, in most vaccines the revaccination is annual, and the animal is immune from 21 days after application.
However, rabies immunization protocols can vary from laboratory to laboratory, as they depend on how they are produced and the technology involved in their manufacture.
Depending on the laboratory, some recommend annual vaccinations against rabies and after 21 days of application the animal is completely immunized against the virus. Others already have the 2 year duration, with a first vaccination being carried out when the dog or cat is a puppy after 3 months, and the revaccination is done every two years. Others, such as Nobivac Rabies, from MSD Animal, have the 3-year duration, therefore, the recommended revaccination protocol is every three years.
As there are other variations in rabies vaccine protocols, depending on the laboratory and the vaccine chosen, always consult your veterinarian for the dates you must return for revaccination, and have your pet's vaccine portfolio as a guide.
Rabies Vaccine Side Effects
For your pet to receive the vaccine immunization, it must undergo a veterinary consultation before, as only 100% healthy animals can be vaccinated. Pregnant females also cannot get the rabies vaccine, and animals that have been recently dewormed cannot either. Ideally, the deworming protocol has been carried out for at least 1 month prior to the application of the vaccine.
Some scientific research has shown that one of the vaccines that causes the most side effects in dogs and cats is the rabies vaccine. Although not common, the manifestation of these Rabies Vaccine Side Effects may include:
- Swelling, pain and nodules at the application site.
- Flu symptoms such as fever, lack of appetite and apathy.
These are normal side effects and should go away in a few days. In cases of nodules and pain at the application site, a compress with a hot water bottle should be applied.
More serious side effects are not normal and if the animal has difficulty breathing with coughing, choking or shortness of breath, skin allergies with redness and itchiness and allergic reactions such as swelling of the face, immediately see a veterinarian as your dog may be having an anaphylactic reaction, that is, an allergic reaction in which the body reacts against itself by attacking its own red blood cells. Despite being an extremely rare condition, see a veterinarian immediately.
Research also shows that younger dogs, neutered dogs and older dogs after 7 years of age are more susceptible to the side effects of the rabies vaccine, but they ensure that the vaccine is safe for our animals.
Price of canine rabies vaccine
There is no difference in quality between the imported vaccine and the national vaccine, specialists guarantee that the effectiveness is the same, as what will determine the effectiveness of a vaccine is the way in which it is stored and applied. However, to supply the market today, most of the rabies vaccines found in Brazil come from the United States, which could end up impacting the cost.
What is the price of canine rabies vaccine? Currently, the application of a rabies vaccine in small and medium-sized clinics in large cities is priced around 40 to 50 reais, and usually includes consultation and application by a veterinarian.
In order to eradicate canine rabies in Brazil, the governments of the main capitals and large cities establish free rabies vaccination campaigns, where guardians can take their dogs and cats to be immunized against rabies at no cost. However, as the vaccine is administered by veterinary nurses and the number of animals to receive the vaccine is usually large, there is no time to carry out a thorough evaluation in order to verify that the animal is 100% healthy before receiving the vaccine. Therefore, it is up to the tutor to observe the animal, and not vaccinate it if it is noticed that it is sick, as well as vaccinating puppies before 3 months and pregnant females should not be vaccinated.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.