Why Is A Rabies Shot Important For ALL Pets?
I don’t ACTUALLY believe your 17 year old indoor Pomeranian is going to go all Rabid like Ol’ Yeller.
Nope. Most old timers and indoor pets would not even survive the type of “wilderness encounter” that transmits Rabies. (Attacked by a rabid animal or Coyote) There’d be nothing to even clean up. (But other times they’ll just pick up a Rabid bat, kitten or squirrel).
HOWEVER, (and this is what’s common)
- A perfectly normal dog or cat takes a nip of the neighbor kid. Rabies immunization status comes to the forefront in everyone’s minds. And it goes VERY badly for you and the offending pet when there’s no rabies shot on board..
- You’re giving the cat or dog a pill and it’s hangs a tooth (even accidentally) in your finger. And it gets infected sending you to MedFirst. Human doctors have (significant) fiduciary responsibility for ascertaining the rabies status of the dog or cat. Rabies immunization status comes to the forefront in everyone’s minds. And it goes VERY badly for you and the offending pet when there’s no rabies shot on board..
- You get scratched and it gets infected, sending you to MedFirst.
If your non-vaccinated pet is accused of, or actually bites someone and is non-vaccinated for Rabies, here’s what happens:
- The pet gets quarantined at your considerable expense.
- And/or the pet’s brain may have to be sent to the GA State Diagnostic Lab for Rabies testing.
- The bitten party has to get Rabies shots in the belly at YOUR expense.
- You will probably get a citation and fine from the County.
Doc Johnson
PS: Recap: So most people think I’m actually worried about a pet getting rabies and that IS part of it. But the most common problem is the above, where a dog gets indicted for a ‘crime’ and pays the price for being illegal.