What following this "law" is costing you
A bunch of money
Before you know it, you’ve not only paid for a lot of shots you didn’t need, but you’re now back at the vets with a costly illness to fix. That often happens about a month after a round of shots, by the way. Check your vet records or bills to verify that.
Because this new illness is a "chronic" illness (meaning it lasts and lasts), you’re looking at a long term expense for drugs or treatments. Ouch.
Priced Apoquel lately?
Or it’s follow up drug when Apoquel fails to cure The Itch, called Cytopoint?
Yep, both high end costly drugs that never actually cure the maddening allergic itch that often follows vaccination.
And if that unnecessary rabies shot brings you autoimmune disease, you’ll max out every credit card you own going through the heroics in the E.R. and still have a 50% chance of losing your loved one.
Respect
If you’ve studied any of this for some time, you may well know more about rabies and duration of immunity than Dr. WhiteCoat does. He’s still making up stories like, "we’ve got to protect our staff from rabies, so we can’t see your pet unless he’s current on his rabies shots."
Seriously?
If the shots are delayed, say a month, my dog gets rabies and endangers your staff??
It’s quite likely you know more than animal control officials who see their roles as saving the world from unvaccinated dogs and the scourge of rabies.
Have they recently moved here from the Congo and the reality of rabies here in the West hasn’t sunk in yet?
And you damn sure know more about this than any groomer, kennel owner, or apartment manager!
It’s time you got the respect you deserve here and are seen for the knowledgeable resource you truly are.
Happiness
I know you are likely a "love ’em no matter what" sort of person. Animals naturally bring that out in us. And you may place rescue and fostering among those activities that bring you happiness in life.
But I can’t tell you how many stories of loss and heartbreak I read most every day when a happy pet owner had a tragic experience after another unnecessary rabies shot was given.
It slowly dawned on them, often about a month later, that their once happy, bouncy, well balanced pet is now dragging in some way.
Changed. And not for the better.
And it’s not looking like that change is going to leave…
- Frantically chewing her feet or suffocating while chewing her itchy red groin
- Wildly shaking her head and crying when you touch her ears
- Edgy, irritable, even snappy behavior
- Rattling, noisy breathing or worse, rear leg paralysis
- Seizures beginning close on the heels of that last rabies shot
Nothing about this is happy. It’s a situation of a damaged innocent, who’s now suffering, and you suffer along with her, as you seek to help a disease that refuses to give up.
It’s high time for solutions
I applaud you for taking an interest in rabies and the seemingly insurmountable laws you live under. Being well informed can only help you keep your loved ones safe.
If you’re hoping to change these rabies laws as a way out of this danger, you go. Bravo to all who are working in that direction and Godspeed.
But, in the meantime, you need a plan in place to help you prevent the damage that’s entirely possible when that very next rabies shot comes "due."