We now have three confirmed cases of rabies in Bladen County. Our county and the surrounding counties have been working diligently to keep rabies at bay and we had been doing pretty well. This year seems unusually high for rabies cases.

Last Thursday in a nearby town, a bobcat came into a family's backyard. Their two dogs kept the animal at bay and would not let it get close to the house by barking and nipping at it. Of course the bobcat fought back and the dogs sustained some injuries though minor.  Animal control was called out since the bobcat had been acting odd and earlier in the year another bobcat had been killed and tested and it had rabies.

The bobcat was sent for tests and the results came back positibe for rabies. Here is the sad part. BOTH dogs had to be put down. One dog had never gotten a rabies vac and the other dog's rabies vac had expired. Had the owner taken advantage of the multitude of rabies vac clinics one of our vets in the county hosts every year, the dogs would not have had to die. If they were up to date on rabies vac, they would have only needed a booster.

The other option is to have a dog that has come in contact with a rabid animal be quarantined for SIX months at a vet facility away from anyone and all animals.

Our county vet that does the rabies clinics will probably not be able to do them anymore due to his age and health. I don't know if the county has plans to keep them going or not. Due to the dilligence of Dr. Midyette and countless volunteers, hundreds of animals get their rabies shots and at convenient locations for the people esp. hunters. When I was a teen, I did rabies clinic with Dr. Midyette and we saw nearly 1000 dogs that year. We were at 10 or so locations around the county. It meant getting up before day, driving out to the remotest of spots sometimes and then setting up the table or me just sitting inside the truck with the paper work while Dr. Midyette stood beside his truck in the cold or rain etc and gave shot after shot.

Anyway, just wanted to share and remind folks to check their rabies vac records. Aka will get his first 3 year shot this year. I have to check Taffy's records but she got her rabies vac right after she was rescued so is good to go.

Both of my dogs wear their rabies vac tags all the time with their id tags.

So sad!

And I am totally against annual innoculations (distemper, etc) BUT since it is regulated by LAW, never will I go slack on the Rabies vac.

On my island we had a rash of rabies-positive Raccoons AND Otters. One day  a few years ago a woman was walking her 11 yr old Golden and they were attacked by a rabid coon.

Dog's shots were only 6 mo out of date....the County insisted on the dog's euthanasia.

Made me sick. They COULD have done a titer test to ascertain the dog's rabies immunity or islolated him for a few weeks.

The owner didnt have the $$$$ to fight it.

SO....Yogi's rabies shots will aways be up to date...sigh.

There is NO excuse for a dog not having it's rabies shots. Not to mention the others that it should have! Parvo/distemper etc....       GET  your dog  vaccinated!               

That is so sad. These dogs risked their lives for their owners and the owners could not be bothered with taking proper care of them. Some people should not be allowed to have pets.

I am from the school of no vaxing.  The dogs have what they need (like the PP said, have titers run and you will know what you need and don't) and what Susanna has to have, she gets SLOWLY.  Why do we need a vaccination for ear infections, chicken pox....general childhood diseases that do us no long-term harm?  Polio?  OK, fine...but seriously?  Even if they didn't have the vax, what are their chances of getting it?  Vaccinations certainly have their place and have eridicated many deadly diseases, but many of them (especially with the kids) are uncalled for.  And why jam 9 vaxes into 1?  IF your child happens to have a reaction, you don't know which one its from.  Good luck getting monovalent vaxes, though.  If you can get your hands on them, you can't afford them.

I've researched vaccinations long and hard for the past 5 years.  Its hard to find unbiased info on them, but I have found the ingredients of vaccinations and frankly, I don't want them in my kid OR my dogs.  Gag.    But we do have the vaxes we need around here.  Parvo, rabies....things of that sort.

And hey, just because you've been vaxed doesn't mean you're immune.  I've been vaxed for HepB at least 5 times (used to work at a hospital) and with every titer they ran, I came back as not immune!!    Go figure.

Am replying to my own post to fix something that's bothering me....

Eridicated?  Apparently the school of no vaxing is also the school of no spelling, LOL. 

Eradicated.  Jeez, I feel better now. 

The following site has some good (informative) links regarding Vaccinosis and common dangers of over-vaccinating...

www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

Not a matter of anyone offending....I agree...vacs when babes or unknowns...am just hoping we ALL do our research , and even more, on this subject..over vaccinating.

I am very sensitive about it because my Lab that died from Adrenal Cancer fit the Vaccinosis symptoms....so I am riddled with guilt.

AND...until I got Yogi I was TOTALLY an ignoramus...about good NATURAL diet vs store-commercial crap...about vaccines, etc.

Sheesh..I thought Iams and Eukanuba, and, ugh, Pedigree, was "GOOD FOOD"...as I said...ignorant.

When I got him (Yogi) I was bound and determined to avoid the same mistakes I made with my past dogs...so I started in on online research...something I didn't have at first with my Labs...the internet is such an incredible resource!

Heck...I don't trust regular people Doctors...why would I put his life in the hands of one Vet!?

I think I have been educating his Vet...they are so out of touch after they get out of Vet school!

I have never, personally,encountered a Holistic Vet...but have the utmost respect for them and wish they were more predominant!

I have to rely on the online Vets for opinions, experiences, ideas....

so my research is never-ending.

Yogi is not due for his annuals until Oct-Nov...so the situation shall be interesting..I will have to be blunt about what is allowed by me, and not. I hate that Rabies is by Law required every year...but because he could be euthanized if not up to date on that shot, I will not even consider challenging it.

There are groups who ARE challenging that annual vac...and from all I have read, I agree with them.

Lest we not forget..the Pharm Corpse run this country, financially, in so many ways...we are all victims, as are our children and pets, by their greed. Their so-called "research" is often bogus...all about the $$$$. Scary.

OK..off my soap box!

All I gotta say is read, read, research! Can't hurt!And empowering.

This is an interesting read...especially the parts about "dogs...companions or just property".

In England pets are catagorized as "Sentient Beings"...in US, "property".

www.vaclib.org/legal/PetsDying.htm

Cheryl- I could be wrong but isn't it the law here in NC to have your pets rabies vaccine current?  For some reason I am thinking that it is. 

Either way this really is a very sad story...

Or maybe it's just county by county basis? 

We are stuck because of LAWS (encouraged by Pharm Corps) to keep Rabies up to date...even tho there ARE 5 yr vacs already available.

There are sooooo many alful stories about Rabies Vacs Reactions in Dogs..yet the Pharm Corps backpeddle and state it's not the Vacs causing the issues...yeah. Right.

One day, because more and more Holistic Vets are entering the mainstream., we will  see this extremity dissipate and the laws will relax...

5-7 yr Rabies Vacs will be the norm.

Just know that if your dog had the full series...Parvo, distemper, etc ...the dog has immune antibodies...innoculating EVERY year is sheer idiocy and compromises your dogs' health...and for Humans? The very same.Common sense.

Ever hear of  annual measles/chicken pox/ etc for humans? (aka MAMMALS?)

Just sayin....

Sonic had a terrible reaction to his last distemper vac. in January.  Our vet said no more distemper vacs. for him.