Comments on Duration of Immunity and Rabies Vaccination

My town ACO used to work at the shelter where I volunteer and I see her all the time. Since there isn't much else for her to do, she goes through the dog licenses and rabies certificates to make sure they are updated. I can't avoid seeing her without my dog either. I had gotten away w saying a prior senior dog had died in another town and didn't license him, but that was quite a few years ago, an option no longer available to me. The guy across the street paid some hefty fines when she was going door to door and found his unlicensed, unvaccinated dog. Suggestions welcome.

I actually own a daycare and training center. We do not require vaccination and try to educate all who enter. We are usually ignored and the Vet is the expert which is heartbreaking. I do not vaccinate my dogs and I do not get them registered with the county. The county does not know I have dogs unless the Vet sends them a rabies record. I am very careful that my dogs never wander off and keep my fingers crossed that I stay under the radar.

This is exactly what happened to my 11 yr old Malamute. One day his howl that we loved so much turned soft and raspy and it got harder to get his back end up to walk. Then came the day he didn't get up at all. After a lot of coaxing and pulling I got him outside and his back end was like a drunken sailor wobbling back and forth. Later that day he wouldn't get up at all. I agonized all night and decided it was time to let him go. He had diabetes and cataracts for about 2yrs and I thought he had suffered enough. By the next morning he was 150lbs of "I'm not going anywhere" and we had all we could do to load him in our truck.
My question is does DM present shortly after the rabies shot or can it take a few years to slowly progress down to this. I had not given him a rabies shot or any shots after he was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 yrs.
A few years earlier our Siberian Husky ended up with bone cancer in his rear leg joint 6 months after he had rabies shot. I can't tell you how bad I feel that it was my getting this shot that caused so much pain.
I now have Aussies and they've had the puppy shots and that will be it for them. Thanks to the knowledge I have now I'm done with shots.

I take my dogs to Canada once, sometimes twice a year. Rabies vacc is required, and you have to bring the paperwork in case you are asked for it at the border.
I have documentation from past years--when I didn't know better and got my dogs vaccinated. I scan the document into Photoshop, and change the date to the current year.

I went through this exact thing with my lab, Chuck, my ❤ dog. He was diagnosed in August 2012 with LP then DM 2 months later. Acupuncture and water therapy gave me 8 months I don't think I would have had. When he could no longer move his back end without help, I let him go. He was 13. My heart is still broken. I would love to know how to get around vaccinating my lab mix who is now 3, but has had 2 rabies vaccinations (maybe more as the shelter vaccinated him when he came in w a 1 year then last year w a 3 yr at my vet). MA does not recognize titres and I never want to give him any vaccinations again, but how do I get around it? My vet won't "lie" and say he is too medically compromised to get the vaccine which is the only "out" I know. Any advice is appreciated. I never want to go through that again.

A number of years back, we had a foxhound who had some issues pop up: I was on my computer, heard a dog drinking out of the dog bowl. I turned around & no one was at the bowl. I looked behind me & Emma had urinated on the floor & was drinking it. Also, she started doing something with her paws, dragging them. I can't recall if it was front or back, it's been too many years.
My vet at the time thought she had a brain tumor or canine cognitive dysfunction (she previously started wandering during the night & getting caught in strange places, such as between pieces of furniture). I now wonder if it was possibly due to the rabies vaccine but we'll never know.

Could you give a bit more background on DM? I thought it was a recessive gene mutation that can be passed from the parents. I have tested my dogs via a cheek swab. Is the science such that the rabies vaccine may cause mutation in that gene? Are there other causes for DM than that gene? Do we call something DM when it "looks" like DM or does the gene mutation have to be present for that diagnosis? I am opposed to giving the rabies vaccine but I'm not seeing the link made here just yet. Is there any more science to support this? I only know what I read about DM, I'm not a scientist, so I'm happy to expand my horizons. Was the lab ever tested for being at risk or a carrier of that gene mutation? Thanks so much!

I have two Maltese. One now has epilepsy from the rabies vaccine, so he is exempt from re-vaccination; what a horrible price to pay. My other is probably just flying under the radar in my state. I refuse to revaccinate him out of fear, so I am not sure what I will do if "the day" comes.

With my older dogs who did get the vaccine, I had to say I did not own them anymore. So far, I havent heard from county in a while.... I do have 4 rabies tags (2 for the dogs and 2 I am supposed to keep on my keychain they said).... This way I have a tag for anyone who may need one to "look" current...
Getting a puppy soon and plan to not vaccinate at all. It DOES make me a nervous with a puppy who will only be 3 lbs at 12 weeks and perhaps 7 lbs mature weight. Their immune system seems to small and frail compared to say a 25 lb Lab Puppy...
PS. Why is ReelRaw (formerly SAD dog sushi) no longer on your resource page? I buy from them monthly.. Are they no longer good?