[jebartle]

Leesburg Animal Shelter charges $15.00 for rabie shots ($10 for shot, $5 for tag), at 28123 County Road 561, Taveres, Fla. 32778, phone 352-343-9688, on Tuesdays 10:30 to 2:00....Wonder why so many Vets charge $58 for office call which is mandatory, and $20 for rabie shots? I know they are making a living but it seems like a "killing".

[Skybo]

Originally Posted by jebartle

Leesburg Animal Shelter charges $15.00 for rabie shots ($10 for shot, $5 for tag), at 28123 County Road 561, Taveres, Fla. 32778, phone 352-343-9688, on Tuesdays 10:30 to 2:00....Wonder why so many Vets charge $58 for office call which is mandatory, and $20 for rabie shots? I know they are making a living but it seems like a "killing".

A couple of things to take into consideration:

1) Vaccinations should only be given to healthy pets. That warning is included on all of the vaccine manufacturers literature, which is why a wellness check is advisable prior to a vaccination. Most people take their pets in for annual check-ups anyway. A yearly blood test for heartworms is required in order to get HW medication. So, I don’t see the office visit charge as an “added” expense if you schedule the vaccination to coincide with the normal annual visit. $58 for an exam sounds very high for this area. My Vet charges $35.

2) Most importantly to me...I would only have vaccinations (especially rabies) done in a Vet’s office. Allergic reactions to vaccinations are possible and sometimes they can be immediate and life-threatening. Several years ago one of my dogs went into anaphylactic shock after receiving his rabies vaccination. The Vet staff went into crises mode and had his leg shaved, an IV inserted and were administering fluids and drugs within a moments time. If we hadn’t had immediate access to that level of care, he would have died. It’s not necessarily a frequent occurrence, but it’s not rare either. Just something to think about.

[Skybo]

As an interesting side-topic for those who aren’t aware. Over-immunization of our pets and the health risks associated with immunizations has been a topic among progressive Vets, kennel-clubs, dog groups and breeders for many years. Without boring you with too much detail, the primary concern is that immunity provided by vaccinations, including rabies, lasts for years and a pet shouldn’t be getting re-vaccinated as often as the current protocols indicate.

There is currently a 7 year live-study being conducted to determine the true duration of immunity provided by rabies vaccinations. They are in year 5 of the study and hope to provide proof that the rabies vaccine is good for at least 7 years. This is (to my knowledge) the first live study ever conducted to determine immunity duration for any vaccination. The one or three year “boosters” have always been based on vaccine manufacturer’s recommendations without any factual analysis to back that up. So this study is a great thing.

I’m including a link below. This link is for the Rabies Challenge Fund, which is the fund-raising component for the study. It’s not my intent to try to direct anyone to this site for the purposes of soliciting donations. It’s just the best place to get information about the study and other associated information about rabies vaccinations. You will find many informative links to articles and changes to the laws in different states.

Duration of Immunity Study for Rabies Vaccine - Rabies Challenge Fund

[jebartle]

A Vet gives the rabie shots at the Animal Shelter....

Originally Posted by Skybo

A couple of things to take into consideration:

1) Vaccinations should only be given to healthy pets. That warning is included on all of the vaccine manufacturers literature, which is why a wellness check is advisable prior to a vaccination. Most people take their pets in for annual check-ups anyway. A yearly blood test for heartworms is required in order to get HW medication. So, I don’t see the office visit charge as an “added” expense if you schedule the vaccination to coincide with the normal annual visit. $58 for an exam sounds very high for this area. My Vet charges $35.

2) Most importantly to me...I would only have vaccinations (especially rabies) done in a Vet’s office. Allergic reactions to vaccinations are possible and sometimes they can be immediate and life-threatening. Several years ago one of my dogs went into anaphylactic shock after receiving his rabies vaccination. The Vet staff went into crises mode and had his leg shaved, an IV inserted and were administering fluids and drugs within a moments time. If we hadn’t had immediate access to that level of care, he would have died. It’s not necessarily a frequent occurrence, but it’s not rare either. Just something to think about.

[Skybo]

Originally Posted by jebartle

A Vet gives the rabie shots at the Animal Shelter....

I realize that. In most states it is state law that a licensed Vet give rabies vaccinations. My point was that I believe a health examination prior to a rabies vaccination and the availability of emergency drugs and care immediately after a rabies vaccination is important. If all of that is available and provided at the shelter for that price, then it is indeed a good deal.

[GeoGeo]

For those who want to get vaccinations for their pets but don't want the expense of an exam and vet fees, there is a service that travels to different locations that gives vaccinations. The man is a licensed vet. It is called PetVax. You could check on-line to see when and where they are going to be in our area. I used them for one of our dogs and was completely satisfied.