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How often can dogs get the rabies vaccination shot?
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goofy0115 posted:
Hi everyone.

My dog had his most recent vaccination shot 22 days ago.
For travelling purposes, my vet said that I would have to have my dog get another rabies vaccination done so that my dog would have a level of antibodies that fulfills the requirements to travel.

How often can a dog get a rabies vaccination shot after he has already gotten one already recently?

My dog is an 8 year old labrador retriever.
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Violets_are_Blue responded:
You personally need to check with the states/countries you are travelling to in order to get the best information. While vaccines are considered safe, I would not be willing to subject my pets to another rabies vaccination just a month after they had already received one unless it was absolutely necessary. By necessary, I mean they won't be let in to whether I'm going without it. This is especially for any animal that has received several initial vaccines prior to this.

The only way I see this being required may be for international travel but some countries accept a rabies titer test if the pet has been vaccinated before in the wake of some vaccines being highly recommended to be given only every three years. While the test is more expensive than another rabies vaccination, it would be a safer alternative in case of dogs being sensitive to vaccinations. This is why I feel you should personally contact wherever you're travelling to (the department of agriculture or department of tourism should know) so you can be the most informed and make the decision best for your pet.

Now, I do know most states, countries, and airlines require a health certificate to be completed by a veterinarian so many days out (very dependent on the place so double check this as well). Some airlines may be happy with one for the month of travel, others want it done no more than 10 days before travel.


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