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Fact Sheet

How Offen Should Dogs Get Rabies Shots?

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By Heather Broeker
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

Anyone who's ever seen "Old Yeller" knows that dogs need to get rabies shots. Rabies has several properties that make it a dangerous issue for dog owners. Rabies actually has over 20 different strains, each of which has been tracked and overcome with vaccination. Does that mean that your poor dog needs 20 different shots? No. It does mean that your dog is going to need one rabies vaccination per year. Here is a list of reason explaining how often your dog should get a rabies shot and why.

    Variations

  1. With the once-a-year plan, your dog can be vaccinated against the most recent strains of rabies. This is like making sure that your computer updates as often as it can in order to be protected from new viruses.
  2. General Health

  3. By giving your dog a rabies shot once per year, you are also ensure that your dog is going to the vet once per year. This is an advantage for your dog's longevity, which is the goal.
  4. Effectiveness

  5. A rabies vaccine is typically good for three years. However, that might not be true in your dog's case. Many of the vaccines used in bulk, such as rabies shots, can be unreliable for the long-term. Think of engine oil. In most cases, engine oil is good for 3,000 miles, but it may be a good idea to change it earlier than that. Therefore, because a dog cannot be over-vaccinated for rabies (due to the many different strains which occur every year), it is best to stick to once per year.
  6. Registration

  7. Even though your dog is a living animal, it is treated the same as an automobile in many states and counties. Yearly registration is required for most animals in most counties. By including a rabies shot as part of the registration, you ensure that the dog is legal and safe from rabies.
  8. Self-Protection

  9. Rabies can be transfered to humans. Children and adults alike need to be protected from the potential of a rabies infection. Because of this, make sure to give your dog a yearly rabies shot, for your dog and for your family.

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