Do dogs need to get the rabies vaccine every year?

Due to the immunological characteristics of the rabies vaccine, dogs generally need to get the vaccine annually. After receiving the rabies vaccine, protective antibodies are produced, which decrease over time and eventually lose their protective effect. However, it is not recommended to vaccinate dogs with rabies who are older or have a weak physical condition.

The components of the rabies vaccine are killed rabies virus particles, which stimulate the body to produce immune antibodies against the rabies virus. The immune antibodies produced by the rabies vaccine decrease over time and lose their protective ability. Therefore, it is necessary to stimulate the body again by getting re-vaccinated to produce sufficient immune antibodies. Therefore, dogs generally need to get the rabies vaccine annually. However, in special cases, such as when dogs are over eight years old or have a very weak physical condition, it is not recommended to vaccinate them with rabies. Because the rabies vaccine has a relatively large stimulus on the dog's body, if the dog's physical condition is poor, getting the rabies vaccine may easily lead to strong adverse reactions.

The age for a dog's first rabies vaccination is three months old, and it cannot be提前接种，because advance vaccination will increase the likelihood of adverse reactions. After receiving the rabies vaccine, the injection site may experience symptoms such as pain and itching. Avoid letting the dog scratch the injection site to prevent interference with the absorption of the vaccine or the formation of a bump at the injection site. A dog may experience acute allergic reactions after receiving the rabies vaccine, which usually occur within 30 minutes of vaccination, and sometimes within 24 hours. Clinical manifestations include facial swelling, rash, and tearfulness. It is recommended to bring the dog to a pet hospital for desensitization treatment promptly, or the health of the dog may be threatened if not handled in time.