Stephen Johnson
Holistic Vet via email:
I talked to the owner of the clinic I am associated with, and she shared with me that the legal ramifications preclude us seeing any pet that is not properly immunized against Rabies, due to legal responsibilities if anyone were to get bitten or scratched while the pet is in the clinic. This *does* sometimes happen, so its not just a theoretical or overly cautious stance to take. Legally the clinic may be held liable for injuries such as bites or scratches (and Rabies exposure) sustained by anyone while we are seeing the pet. This would include people and pets in the waiting room, the owner of the pet, and any of our staff that by law have to restrain or handle the pet. In the event an unvaccinated pet bites or scratches a person (or another pet), they can be held in quarantine, or the person bitten can even insist that the animal be euthanized and tested for Rabies if it is not vaccinated. Since Botin has no history of vaccinations he would fall into that category. Because of that, the clinic is not able to do *just* titer testing of any kind in an unvaccinated pet. Much of this legal responsibility also applies to you as the owner in situations that don’t involve a vet visit as well, which is why we have to recommend that you consider having him vaccinated, at least for Rabies.
My response:
OK, thanks for letting me know.
I think you are aware that there are legal ramifications if you vaccinate an unhealthy dog? As I read more about the symptoms of adverse reactions to the rabies vaccine that correspond to behavior I see in my dog, I am more convinced that I need proper medical care for my dog, not just meeting legal requirements that are not based on science.