Precautions for a Dog’s Rabies Vaccination

1 Rabies Vaccine for Dogs: What to Know

1. What is the rabies vaccine?

Rabies is a viral infection spread through saliva from an infected animal to others. Without prevention it is fatal. The vaccine works by introducing the viral antigen into the blood to trigger an immune response. Owners must vaccinate dogs against rabies on schedule as required by law.

2. Signs of rabies

Rabies has an incubation period — it spreads in the dog for about six weeks before clear signs appear. Over time the dog grows anxious, tense, and apathetic, with fever; then drooling, trouble swallowing, slack facial muscles, and breathing difficulty, and it may die from suffocation or respiratory failure. Timely vaccination is the most effective way to keep a dog from catching the virus.

3. Precautions

1) Do not bathe the dog for a week after the shot — a chill would weaken the vaccine’s effect. Avoid outings too, since the dog’s immunity is low then and it could pick up other viruses.

2) If the dog is already infected, the vaccine is useless — so vaccinate while the dog is healthy.

3) If a healthy dog is bitten by a wild animal, take it to the vet at once; if rabies shows up during quarantine, the dog is essentially facing death.

4) If a healthy, vaccinated dog accidentally bites you and the skin has no break or bleeding, just wash the area well with plenty of soapy water — usually no big deal.

Rabies is a very deadly virus, so get the dog vaccinated in time; once infected it is too late to regret it. For other questions, you can consult an online vet.