# Vets and others opinions please...



## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

I would have him titered, he will probably still be fine. I sure wouldn't risk it with everything else going so well.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I don't know about the titers and such, but if Hurley is just eating the critters and not being bitten I don't think he is in danger of getting anything more than parasites.

"possums, rabbits, field mice and moles" don't generally (if ever) get rabies so it isn't likely for Hurley to get Rabies even if bitten by one of those. 

Waht does your vet say?


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Just curious, why do you allow him to eat all those critters, if he has so many problems? Does he run lose to be able to catch them? I don't get it. 
I don't mean to be harsh, but I just don't understand letting a dog eat wild critters or any critters for that matter, which are not in dog food.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

cgriffin said:


> Just curious, why do you allow him to eat all those critters, if he has so many problems? Does he run lose to be able to catch them? I don't get it.
> I don't mean to be harsh, but I just don't understand letting a dog eat wild critters or any critters for that matter, which are not in dog food.


 
I take it you are not familiar with the breed...They have a really strong prey drive, we have a large fenced yard. If a critter comes in, it isn't getting out. We can't take them away from him - he swallowed a whole rabbit once while we were trying to get it. We won't risk that again, I had to follow him around for a week to make sure fur and bone were being eliminated ok :yuck:!


Coppers-mom, my Vet is willing to write a waiver for him...he says he is less concerned with rabies than he is with other diseases even knowing his critter eating.


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## Nomes (Nov 7, 2011)

well, normally the small animals don't get rabies that often...so if he's eating them *shiver* it would make sense to get the vacs that protect against the diseases and not the rabies...your probability for getting parvo, bordatella, etc, is much higher that rabies, so it would seem to make sense to risk those...that's what *I* would do. I hope he does ok! hopefully the whole vaccine thing is all over for him!


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I remember Hurley swallowing the rabbit!
I hope he continues to do well.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I would ask if you can titre for rabies vaccination, I know you can for the others.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

First of all, there is not uniform agreement on what you can consider to be a protective titer. I am rabies vaccinated and believe you me, if I knowingly handle a rabid animal, I will be boostered. Because of where I live and the wild animals... If I vaccinated for nothing else, it would be rabies.

It sounds like your dog has his health issues. But is it anecdote that his vaccines have harmed him? I see a dog that is at least ten years old that I have not vaccinated since he was 1 1/2 years old. With his last puppy shots, he reacted. Knowing that, one year later, even pre treating him, he had a severe reaction. He collapsed and went into shock. I believe that his next set of vaccines would be fatal anaphylaxis. He has not had any vaccines since. I do write a waiver for licensing and his owner and I have gone over the risks. The state of Maine now has paper for all to sign if a rabies vaccine is not given. There has to be evidence that the vaccine will harm the dog, not just that that the owner has decided it is harmful.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

In general, the modified live vaccines(MLV) tend to confer longer immunity than the killed/bacterin vaccines. The MLV include distemper, parvovirus, etc. The killed/bacterin vaccines include bordatella, Lyme, lepto, and rabies. In general, the killed vaccines are the most reactive, because they tend to be less pure and the dogs react to those things.


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

Giving it to him could set him back again...but he does eat lots of critters - mostly possums said:


> Possums, except in a lab, do not get rabies. Their body temp is 94 and the rabies virus needs a warmer body to survive and grow.
> 
> As far as eating the animals, no problem. Dogs are carnivores and eating meat bones and hide will not hurt him. The only time you do not feed bones is when they have been cooked. They become brittle and will splinter and can cause a problem in the stomach, by poking thru the stomach wall and then you need surgery. Btw, I have been feeding my dogs nothing but raw meat and bones for the last 13 years.
> 
> ...


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

I vaccinate for rabies... I don't vaccinate for anything else but I do vaccinate for rabies

even my seizure boy who is on a pile of meds (pheno, keppra, potassium bromide, gabapentin and rimadyl for pain of arthritis) gets a vaccine for rabies... you want to read the information for the waiver because in this state NH they will allow you to register a dog wihtout the vaccine if they have the waiver BUT if anything happens he is treated as an unvaccinated dog and the state takes action as if he just wasn't vaccinated. 

My dogs do come in contact with critters and as such they are vaccinated


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