Rabies
Posted: January 20, 2008 Filed under: Lotsa Lhasa Info 1 CommentIn the past two days I’ve received emails from two different people about Rabies vaccinations. Katy has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, along with very strong opinions. Click Katy and Ken’s Critter Advocacy in the left hand column for resources. Katy, to follow the latest on the research funded by the Rabies Challenge Fund, where would one go?
Here’s my response to which is safer, the one year or three year vaccination:
I’m a minimalist when it comes to vaccinating and, with current research being done into the Rabies vaccinations…whew! Your question is loaded. Unless you’re willing to break your state’s laws however, you will need to vaccinate her. Which is safer? Hummm…. The yearly shot is a killed virus. The 3 year shot is a modified live virus. Both contain ‘other things’ as preservatives. Killed is suppose to be less harmful than modified live…but it’s given more often which probably ups the chances of a reaction to ‘other things’.
When I have to vaccinate for Rabies (health certificate, shipping) I select the 3 year shot. That’s not to say it doesn’t make me nervous!
This is a good article to start with, especially if you’re new to alternative thinking regarding vaccination.
Kunza at FleetFire Timbers 
I have no good advice. There are no good choices.
I’m scared to death of both vaccines, for the reasons you stated. The Rabies Challenge Fund website usually is up to date on the latest, but the trials will last 5-7 years, after which it will take years to convince the Vet Medicine Machine to back new regs, and more years to convince each state to change their archaic laws.
It will be several generations in dog lives, and probably our grandkids who finally have the chance to have real dogs again. That’s the sad truth. But we have to start somewhere, or it will never happen at all. And the vets aren’t going to change a thing, unless we all start screaming, cuz we’re sick to death of killing our dogs with unneccessary vaccinations.
I’ve been advised by my holistic, anti-vaccination vet to “keep my mouth shut” publically in order to protect my own dogs, but to continue to educate “one-on-one”, which is what our site at http://www.zeketheapso.us is attempting to do. Educate yourself and then ask lots of questions of your vet and don’t let them (no matter how “nice” they are and how much you like them), “buffalo” you into believing that your dog really needs more than one adult rabies shot ever. If our vets start hearing their “customers” question their practices, maybe they’ll clean up their acts and start healing animals again instead of just using them to make money.
Pushed my button on this one!
God bless our critters, one and all!
Katy