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When to vaccinate dogs against rabies
Dogs can get the rabies vaccine when they are three months old, and then again every year after an 11-month interval. First, when the dog is two months old and has no abnormal symptoms, the owner can take the dog to the pet hospital to get vaccines against infectious diseases, which involve three shots, each with a 21-day interval. One week after the completion of the third shot, the dog can get the rabies vaccine. Secondly, adult dogs need to get one shot of the infectious disease vaccine and one shot of the rabies vaccine every year, with a week between each shot.
- How often do dogs need to get a rabies vaccine?
Dogs need to get a rabies vaccine once a year. For example, if the dog was vaccinated on May 8th of the previous year, the next vaccination should be before May 8th of the current year, and cannot be delayed. Because the efficacy of the rabies vaccine is not permanent, it can only last for about a year at most. As time goes by, the effective substances inside the vaccine will decrease, and eventually disappear, losing the protection of the vaccine. As a result, the dog becomes more susceptible to illness. Therefore, the rabies vaccine must be given once a year.
Precautions when vaccinating dogs against rabies
Do not bathe the dog for 7 days before and after the rabies vaccine, or it may cause the dog to catch a cold and reduce its resistance, increasing the risk of infection.
Observe the dog's physical condition before the vaccination to see if there are any symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or lethargy. If so, the vaccine should not be given, and the rabies vaccine should be injected when the dog recovers to a healthy state.
Do not take the dog out to play until the vaccine is fully administered, as the antibody level in the body is not high enough to resist external viruses.
Because some dogs may have an allergic reaction to the vaccine, it is best to observe the dog at the pet hospital for 15-20 minutes after the vaccination to ensure there are no abnormalities before leaving.