Friday, March 25, 2011

Just Wow

I received the letters from my vet with the boys’ rabies titer results to submit to the town for licensing. I considered not registering Bug (the Town already knows about Ike [census info]), but I think it is too much of a risk with all of the off-leash dogs we have encountered. There is also a lot more wildlife in Wrentham than Canton. I want my dogs to be legally protected if something happened and to have my vet be willing to go to bat for me.

Since both boys have been struggling with Lyme the vet thinks it is in their best interest not to receive a rabies vaccination this year and their titer levels more than support that decision.

Bug’s rabies titer is GREATER than 15IU/ml which is more than 30 times the acceptable level of .05IU/ml!! Holy cow!! THIRTY TIMES the acceptable level. Hence the title of this blog post, just wow.

Ike rabies titer is 5.4IU/ml which is 10 times the acceptable level of 0.5IU/ml.

The duration of these vaccines is truly amazing. The results are all the more reason to support The Rabies Challenge Fund and titer our dogs (in my mind). I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a vet as progressive as mine, but she is my third vet! I definitely feel like I pay more to have a holistic minded vet, but it is worth it to me.

7 comments:

Blue said...

Wow, I can't believe that Bug's titer is that high! Definitely good reason to support the Rabies Challenge Fund.

Kathy Mocharnuk said...

The rabis vaccine laws are just crazy, and to think no one has really done a study to find out the true facts, wouldnt it be nice to have laws based on some actual facts. I love Dr. Dodds. Good luck iwth the town, hope it goes well.

K-Koira said...

I have been trying to reduce the number of vaccines my dogs get as well, but titers are not, to my knowledge accepted when you cross country borders in place of the vaccine. I'm just not willing to take the risk of having my dog confiscated from me when we travel.

Jules said...

Good point. I am not sure if they are accepted when you cross country borders. Quite likely not, but for my dogs it is a non-issue. I don't live that close to Canada and am not currently competing in any venues that would bring me there.

Sara said...

Wonderful news!

I'd love for Oreo to skip his rabbies vac. this year. I had his distemper/parvo titer done and his numbers were thru the roof. I don't think he'll ever need another one of those. Unfortunately, the state requires the rabies every 3 years.....for now.

Jules said...

Sara, MA does too, unfortunately. You should talk to your vet and see if they would be willing to write a letter for you to the town (check first to see if your town will accept it), assuming his titer came back high.

There are risks, of course. If your dog is bitten by a wild animal there could be quarantine, and it might have to be with AC and not at home.

Each individual has to weigh the risks for them and their dog.

I think you could argue that because Oreo is skittish (this isn't the word I want to use but it is the only one I can think of at the moment) and you are working with a behaviorist, you do not want him vaccinated for fear it would negatively impact his behavior. The Rabies vaccine is recognized as causing adverse reactions both physically and behaviorally.

That was my original argument when I approached my vet at the end of 2009/beginning of 2010. Ike is reactive and I was really afraid of what vaccinating him again for rabies, if it wasn't necessary, would do. Then this year (and actually last year too) they have both had a tough year in terms of Lyme – so not in perfect health.

I will vaccinate them again when/if their titer drops; or if I am travelling out of the country. And I will use the homeopathic nosode - Lyssin.

I do hope the laws continued to be revised though. I think vaccines have a place and are needed, but I think we are over vaccinating our dogs and seeing the effects in immune related diseases and cancer.

Natasha said...

30 times?! That's insane!

I also believe that vaccines are way, way overused. Mika hasn't been vaccinated since (I believe) 2006, and Wall-e received his last vaccine last year. And since my dogs are reactive and fearful, respectively, I definitely don't want to risk anything by messing with their bodies through vaccines.