Comments on Duration of Immunity and Rabies Vaccination

My question is in regards to a current patient that is 2 yr 11 months old that was an "island dog" (I think Cancun) that was rounded up, spayed and vaccinated before import to Florida. The owner was holistically minded and never had further vaccines done. I examined her in Aug 2026 and pulled blood for all titers (sent to KSU, my alma mater), but we did a rabies micro titer, not an end-point titer and the rabies titer came back as <0.5 IU/ml (the "recognized level of protection"). I will add that a recent NAVC conference talk I attended called "Rabies and Rabies Vaccination: Compliance and the “Must Know” Issues (Boehringer Ingelheim)" it was implied that in many if not most dogs, 2 Rabies vaccines are required to mount an appropriate immune response. I have seen this in a couple dogs (one was sickly)I have titered that only received 1 vaccine. So, my questions: 1. Should l only do end-point titers so I have the actual value as opposed to a Yes/No result and can thereby prove quantitatively there is a response to vaccine? 2. Now that I have made it through this course, do you feel should I repeat a vaccination (using the Tautode) for this patient and/or future patients that fall below the "recognized" level of protection? (Depending on your answer, I may recommend that we do an end-point titer with this patient to "see" her actual number, but curious on principal what your response will be. And what happens if we do that and she comes back at Zero?).

I have an 11 year old Chihuahua/Papillon mix. He received a rabies vaccine or two early in his life, but I don't vax him anymore (he is an indoor dog, only goes out under supervision) and I will forego veterinary treatment to keep him this way. I have since adopted this method for my 3 large dogs, (outdoor/indoor dogs) and have kept them away from the vets as well. In my opinion, they only way to keep your dog safe from the vax is to keep them away from the vet. I use holistic and homeopathic remedies in the unlikely event they aren't feeling well.

This was my Lab (Gabe) too. He only had one rabies shot as a youngster and was 14 when he passed quietly at home in June 2026.
He was diagnosed with LarPar about 4 years ago. Over those 4 years I learned a lot about how to help him on my own. I used herbal medicine, some remedies and a high quality CBD oil for dogs. I also eliminated kibble from his diet and went to a raw diet with all kinds of natural extras. We loved him lots and kept him comfortable and part of the family till the end. His hind end got weird. His gait changed but it didn't slow him down much. Then I started seeing him stand with his rear toes curled under. Not a good sign. His breathing got worse too. It was just a gradual decline that I couldn't stop. I knew what was going on but did not connect it to a rabies jab.
He never lost control of his eliminations until the last week of his life. He had no more strength to get up at that point. He had such a will to live. His eyes never lost their shine until the last few days when life just got real hard for him.
It is maddening to realize that one rabies shot most likely started this years ago. And now they are pushing mRNA rabies shots!
I am sad that Gabe had to go through all that and that the vets have nothing to offer other than the big needle.
I chose to keep him at home with us and basically do hospice care for him. I am glad I did. We sure miss the big guy.

I've followed Dr Will for a number of years, paid for multiple courses and joined his community for a while back when my sweet 9yr old westie Tucker was diagnosed with Lymphoma. That communtiy was invaluable for their suggestions and referrals to top specialists!

My older westie Ally turned 12 a few years ago and after reading Dr. Will's emails about the dangers of Rabies vaccines for Senior dogs, I asked my Vet to work with me with my Homeopathic vet (he said sure) and so we did a Rabies Titer and sent blood off to his normal lab. It came back that there was still sufficient vaccine in her system that she didn't need another vaccine. I had the vet write a letter to the county that becuase of various health challenges he was recommending that we skip vaccines. The county issed a tag without proablem. I called them the following year to ask how often this needs to be done (titer). Sarasota County Animal Control said FL doesn't recognize the titer so the letter from the vet alone would suffice. I paid the $10 for the annual tag and was done.

The only hitch in this system that I learned was my vet's local lab charged me $250 for the rabies titer. Dr. Will sends his to a Kentucky University (I think) lab that only charges $50. So check on price first.

I took in a rescue corgi who was six years old and needed to be spayed. Only way I could get the surgery was a wellness check and a rabies shot, as she had never had one. I figured I’d get her one and be done with it. Imagine my surprise when I received a call from the town saying I needed to register my dog. Upon further research I found out that veterinarians send rabies certificates to the state who sends them to the town you live in. I had no intention of registering the dog, because I didn’t want to be on hook every three years for the shot. Now I am. What a racket.

Our English Chocolate Labrador was born in 2008. Within his first year of life and getting all the vaccines the vet pushed on us, including many additional ones that boarding required, he started having all the symptoms listed in this article related to laryngeal paralysis and the resulting hind quarter weakness and lameness. We had years of overheating, choking/coughing, back end weakness, collapsing after short stints of walking/running, etc. In 2017, we switched to an all raw diet which greatly improved his energy and cleared up all his hot spots but the back end lameness and choking/coughing continued. His last vaccine was May of 2019 and it was the three-year Rabies. He quickly deteriorated after this last vaccine and I kept asking our vet and chiropractor why he was getting worse and worse with back leg lameness. His last year of life he was losing his bowel function -- he would be lying down and poop would just poor out of him, then shortly after that he would try to make it to the door to pee but could not hold it. He looked so upset with himself. The last few weeks of life, he completely lost all use of his back legs and sadly we had to euthanize him in September 2023. We did have him tested for DM in September 2022 and the test came back as "Normal". If this was caused by vaccines, would the DM test show as "Positive" for DM? I swear this is what he had as he had all the symptoms. All his other bloodwork was normal in September 2022. You mention in the article that other diseases can cause these symptoms. What else could it be? I am convinced this is what our precious Joshua David had even though his DM test was "Normal".

I'm so glad I found this community! I'm seeking advice or insight for my 6 year old husky. She received her last rabies in 2020 when I had to fly with her (before I was conscious of the dangers of over immunization) and I currently would like to fly with her again from California to Washington. Unfortunately they require "up to date rabies". Is there any way I can get around this and still fly with her? My dog is above the law in this case and I will not jeopardize her health for an unnecessary rabies vaccine. Is there a vet who can help with this paperwork so we can fly together? She is a very healthy dog, raw diet, plenty of exercise, no dog parks or boarding facilities for her, and no off leash in the wilderness either. What can I do? I'm so sad about this ???? I appreciate any insight

The easiest way we found around rabies shots is, we took the last certificate and my husband is good on the computer. He made a duplicate and reset the vaccination date to the current year. It still has the vets signature. If there was any good thing to come out of Covid, it was that no one was going in to work. Many agencies lost workers and no county official has ever sent me anything, saying my dog needed shots. If they did, I would say the dog had died. I will never get these shots again. I do, however, have my vet titer 2 times a year. That way he is checked for rabies and heartworm. All because of you Dr. Will. Thank you!

Hi, My horse almost died from the rabies vaccine. However, my vet is still recommending he needs yearly vaccine for rabies. I cannot fathom giving him another. I live in Baja, and two horses recently died from rabies. They were unvaccinated. So it is scary to me. Do you have any research or suggestions? Thank you.

The bottom line issue I am facing is the fact that whether you have a titer result showing immunity or you have an exemption certificate from your vet for whatever health condition… the officials in the state won’t care if/when your dog bites someone for any reason and you can’t prove the Rabies vac is “up to date” in their minds. So, unless I’m mistaken about this… your dog is taken and becomes history.

I’m extremely upset about this as I’m needing to make this decision very soon.

So do I follow the law and possibly cause all sorts of health issues for her so I can keep her and avoid traumatically losing her if an unfortunate bite occurs or do I not, and always have that concern?
Sometimes dog bites happen unexpectedly, especially if you’ve rescued one that fought for every bit of nourishment, comfort, and safety she ever got, and some breeds are hard wired to herd which could make them prone to instinctively nip. Not saying that’s an acceptable behavior that shouldn’t be worked out, just saying these are situations that can up the probability for disaster, and we have both set of challenges against us in our dog making this really difficult.

I guess what I’m saying is I get why people are bring crafty about this to protect their pets but we leave them vulnerable to execution should there be a bite. This is tough stuff!

I have 6 dogs. 2 are rescues, a Great Dane and a Pit Bull (both puppy mill rescues). 2 Labradoodles and 2 Yorkies. 4 of them had multiple skin/allergy issues, so I had them tested. 3 are allergic to beef as a primary allergy and one to pork. In addition, multiple environmental and grain allergies, to a lesser extent. When getting rabies shots, 2 had neurologic issues, and were "high" like on LSD. erratic and would stare off into space/non responsive. One had a similar response from Interceptor Plus and had to go to emergency care where they kept her overnight to flush the system. That is 3 dogs out of 6. Not a good percentage. I am holistically based, and will never give them any vaccines or medications again from a standard vet. I found a holistic vet who worked with us on curing stage 4 heartworms when we got the Pit, without the Vet shots. She is very healthy now (she had everything parasite and skin disease you can imagine). We do live in the country, so rabies are always a threat. But, we have trained our dogs very well and they do not chase deer or other animals. We have an invisible fence on 14 of 20 acres for them too. Bats are not an issue here. Our dogs all stay inside at night. I do give all of my dogs "Bug-Off" garlic chews for animals. It is by weight. The Yorkies love them, and the others open their mouth and let me insert them one at a time to swallow, with the promise of cheese, each morning. This keep the fleas ticks and flying insects off of them. We have had no issues and the only ticks I have found on their fur were all dead. This may not be the answer for everyone, but this is what works for us.

Our 7.5 year old Golden Retriever's last rabies vaccine was at age 4, before I knew the dangers of the rabies vaccine. I received a license renewal form from the city. To be approved and re-licensed, I needed to show proof of her spay and her last rabies vaccine. (Her last rabies vaccine had legally "expired" the previous month, so I sent nothing regarding the rabies vaccine. I simply mailed the proof of spay with the $6 check.) I received a phone call from the city explaining that they could not renew her license until they had proof of a recent rabies vaccine. I explained how I had had her titers taken and they showed that she was immune to rabies. They acted surprised and said I was the first person to explain that. I asked if that's all that would occur... that I couldn't license her. They said, "Yes." That was the end of the call. A month or so later, I received an email requesting proof of a current rabies vaccine. I never responded. That's the end of the story... so far.

FYI to those thinking the purchase of a vial of rabies vaccine and tag will deter your vet, think again. I did that. I live in PA and FL and have a vet in both states. I figured that telling them that it was administered in the other state would suffice. Well, it did not and they wouldn't leave me alone until I produced a certificate signed by a licensed vet that my dog had been vaccinated. Obviously, I don't have one and am wondering how to handle this going forward. Choosing a new vet will produce the same results.

My dog has had his puppy shots and rabies booster twice. He is 8 years old and healthy so far. Like the others here, I don't wish to push the envelope on this.

My husband had a husky many years ago. The dog never went for vaccinations. I don’t know if he had any as a puppy. He ate garbage food like Gravy Train, Gaine’s Burgers, and lots of table food. He lived to be 16.5. I believe it was because of lack of vaccinations.

I got a puppy and had the initial puppy shots due. Since then I have become much more savvy due to Dr. Will and vets like him. Here is something you can do to help your dogs, even if they have been vaccinated at any time. Adored Beast makes a product called Anti-Vaccinosis. It will remove the harmful properties from vaccine from your animal, while retaining the good benefits. It is not for pregnant or lactating animals. I have used it safely on my dog. His 1 year rabies/shots come due in April. I will NOT be giving any shots, only tittering. Thanks to someone else on here, I was able to get the printout form for a Rabies Certificate. I will be ordering some vials from Valley Vet and discarding them, but keeping the labels and the certificate and rabies tag. I will also use a homeopathic vet if my regular vet fights me in any way. I am a certified veterinary assistant, so I know well the risks of transferring rabies, but until the laws are changed, I will find a way to go around them. I also signed the legislation to change the rabies laws with all of my legislators. It comes under review this year. I would encourage everyone to write to their legislators and ask they review the laws and at the very least, vaccinate by weight. Every dog now is given the same amount whether they be a St. Bernard or a Chihuahua. Thank you Dr. Will for helping all animal lovers and animals!

After receiving Nexgard tick med., my dog ended up with autoimmune disease. We almost lost her and it was a long struggle to get her health back. I have been trying to research and learn all I can to keep her healthy, one being her rabies vaccine was due recently, and I refused it. I had to sign a paper stating I was responsible for my dog, she must be kept leashed. If anything were to happen,, she could be taken from me and quarantined. I have found a number of articles, saying the rabies vaccine does last longer than we are told,, but because of state laws, pets must be vaccinated again and again. It just doesnt make any sense to subject a pet to unneeded vaccines.

I’m not sure of what I’m more shocked about, the fact that animals get seriously hurt because of vaccines, or the fact that their owners lie about their pets being vaccinated and put people at serious risk for the disease.

For all of you who lie to your vets about being current on your pets vaccine: you do realize that you could find yourselves being charged with murder in the rare event of your pet infecting a vet or technician with the virus, right? Just because you “think” your dogs or cats won’t ever get into contact with a rabid animal doesn’t mean that it won’t. What if your pet escapes one day? How can you be sure s/he didn’t get exposed? What if your dog is in his/her fenced in backyard one day and a rabid bat falls out of the tree or literally out of the sky into your backyard? More than likely your dog will go check it out or perhaps even eat it. If he gets bit in the process, guess what: your dog just got exposed to rabies. You just don’t know it yet. Two months later he starts showing symptoms, you take him to the vet, lie about him being current on the vaccine. He bites one of the technicians. Ten days later your dog is dead. And two month after that, the technician dies of rabies. If the authorities can trace the case back to you, guess what: you’re going to jail for the rest of your life!!

I understand that sometimes animals, just like humans, can have bad reactions to vaccines or even die from it, but these cases are far and few between. If, let’s say, more than 25% of all vaccinated pets would end up with severe reactions or even die after vaccination, I could understand rebelling against this vaccination out of fear that your pet would be one of the 25% percent. However, injury or death caused by vaccines is in the single digits.

Also, by law, if your dog or cat escapes your house/yard and bites or scratches someone and you cannot provide proof of your pet being vaccinated against rabies, they will immediately euthanize the animal and send its head off for testing to find out if the bitten/scratched person will need to be treated for rabies. If you can provide proper documentation, your dog will have to be quarantined for 10 days. If it doesn’t show signs of rabies in these 10 days. He can go back home.

So I understand both sides: one side is terrified of hurting their pets through vaccines, the other side is terrified of a disease that kills within 10 days of onset of clinical signs.

I just think I’d rather take the small chance of my dog having a bad reaction to a rabies vaccine than risking her getting into contact with a rabid animal and dying a horrible death. Unfortunately, they do not offer post exposure treatment to animals as they do for humans.

Because my almost 5 year old mini Aussie has some skin allergies (which I have since been able to resolve - hallelujah!) my holistic vet gave me a signed form saying that the rabies vaccine could cause severe allergic reactions, even death. I'm not sure how it will hold up if ever needed, but we carry it with us when traveling. She has only had the 1st puppy shots - breeder did it before I could take her home. She also just had and Ovary Sparing Spay and is doing great!!! Gets to keep her hormones, and Hubby doesn't have to freak out at the sight of blood! hahah. I do keep my deceased dogs rabies tags from years ago to dangle on her collar if I think I may be around anyone that cares. Also, proof of vaccinations were required for dog school but when I brought in article after article written by you and many other wonderful veterinarians about the dangers of over vaccination - the waived it for me!!! And many of the trainers wanted to know more! Be bold, keep speaking out! People love their pets, and many of them just don't know any different from what they are being told!

My daughter's puppy bit someone recently. She had taken him for a rabies vaccine (luckily?) but has to quarantine him at home for ten days. In light of this event I would be concerned to not have rabies vaccine for a dog who is enjoying an active social life out in public for walks, going camping, playing at the park, etc.
Is the thimerosal-free rabies vaccine safer? Do the 1-year or 3-year vaccine carry different risks? Can a smaller dose be "effective"? If so, what dose?

My large mixed breed has had many of the same symptoms as the dog written about in this article.
They started being noticeable in 2017, and a little more so early in 2018.
When we started using TRS, I gave him some too. It seemed to help the symptoms a little, for a few months. When we added a certain CBD oil to our TRS, I added it to my dog's, too. That combination helped for about a half-year, then he had a couple of instances where he struggled to get up. We added MSM that day, and it helped tremendously. When a collagen with HA helped my worst hip joint, I added it to the protocol for my dog. So far, he is still doing so well, I'm not worrying about having to put him down. He's almost 10+1/2, and well over a hundred pounds, and I know that there's a sad day coming, but it's not today.
I'm so discouraged about veterinarians being so complicit in the vaccine scams, and causing the same health issues that humans are.
They take normal symptoms of toxicity, call it a virus, and wa-la !, they just happen to have a vaccine for it. They are full of neurotoxins and other contaminants, and should be outlawed.