quote:

Originally posted by irreverent:
Vet. ‘Course slabsides just helped you out…but in my state (and, I thought, in all) a vet HAS to administer the rabies vaccine...

Same for us, irreverent. Veterinarian only, must maintain a legal record, etc.


We give rabies at 15 weeks, then booster 12 months later, then we give it every 3 years per statute.
You cannot even legally purchase a 1 year rabies in our state. For the distemper and parvo, they're 3 year interval as well nowadays. Lepto is every year.

When I was in my 20's, I gave the dogs all their shots except rabies for legal reasons stated above. It's a good idea to space out the final first shots: Parvo and Rabies. In rare occasions, the mix of the two coupled with a puppy's growing immune system can cause an allergic reaction. The Parvo should come first, BTW.

Twenty-five years later, I'd forgotten all that. We brought our new puppy in for shots and a few hours later, she had a reaction. We had to rush her back in to the vet for a steroid shot and some Benadryl.

Anyway, the shots are important. There's a reason rabies really isn't a thing anymore. The vaccine is very effective. Parvo is still very common and the vaccine isn't as effective as we'd like it to be but it does abate it somewhat; especially for folks who rescue dogs. Find a trustworthy vet and follow their guidance.

10 years ago when ours were pups, the timeframe for “let them run and mingle at the dog park” was 4 months.
By then they had full coverage - Parvo was the biggy - and life went on.
Don’t know if the timeframe is any different today.
My dogs only reaction was being a little punky for a day but nothing else.