My dog has behavior issues. Can he just get his rabies shot?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Abby. I typically recommend the bordetella vaccine, distemper-parvo combination, rabies and leptospirosis. Highly social dogs receive the influenza vaccine, but this may be unnecessary for her if she is not going to dog parks, doggy daycare, etc due to her aggression. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry Tramp bit you! No, there is no risk of rabies to you from the bite. Even though he licks the mouths of dogs who aren't vaccinated, rabies is only passed from dogs who currently have it and he will not have it given he is vaccinated. As for him going after other dogs, I see that he isn't neutered. Intact males can be aggressive toward other dogs, and when they can't reach the object of their aggression, they turn on the nearest human or animal. It's called redirected aggression and it's serious. I recommend neutering him and having him seen by a professional behavioral expert to deal with his aggression. It can and does get worse over time, and you don't want him to attack another person's pet or a child. Something like that will have serious consequences for him. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, that would be a legitimate concern. Neurological behavior changes could be due to a brain tumor but it could also be due to a disease like rabies. Since rabies is a zoonotic disease (can be transmitted from animals to people) and it is nearly 100% fatal you need to be very judicious in diagnosis. Unless you had a CT scan or an MRI of Elektra's brain showing the tumor I think it is very reasonable for your vet to request a necropsy with rabies testing. Rabies is not unheard of in this country. I am actually surprised the second vet didn't request the same thing. We get lazy in this country and take for granted that rabies is rare but do you want to be the one rare case in reference to a fatal disease? It is better to be safe than sorry in my opinion. I am really sorry you had to deal with this but I don't feel like your original vet was out of line at all. Hope this answers your question and I am sorry for your loss of Elektra. Best wishes.

I suggest making an appointment with your veterinarian for Oreo as soon as possible for her to have her rabies shot. Your veterinarian will examine her and ensure that she is fit and healthy prior to administering any vaccine.

That is a great question. Vaccinations and the benefits and risks should be discussed with your veterinarian. This is best because your veterinarian knows your pets medical history and whether all the vaccinations are still ok to do based on your pets immune system and current health. Another thing to take into account is your pets exposure to certain diseases. Most pets at least go outside to potty, so that scenario can expose your pet to certain diseases like leptospirosis (found in rainwater and the soil) and distemper (mimics rabies symptoms). And if your pet gets groomed periodically or goes to doggy daycamps or parks, then the Bordetella vaccination would be recommended to protect them from upper airway infections. Rabies however is the only legally required vaccination by law for pets to get. I hope that this information is helpful. Best of luck moving forward.

It’s pretty common for dogs to start to show signs of fear towards strangers and at the vets office around 6-12 months of age, and I doubt the muzzle had anything to do with it. Biting without giving warning signs is scary behavior and it would be best to see a behaviorist to try to work on this. He absolutely should wear a muzzle at the vets and it may be a good idea to train him to wear a basket muzzle out in public to keep strangers safe. You can purchase a muzzle and put it on at home or in the car before arriving at the vets to reduce stress, and you may want to ask your vet about a sedative before the visit. Some dogs need heavy sedation for vaccines and exams to help prevent them from becoming even more fearful at the vets office. While a Petco vaccine clinic might be an option they would also need to use a muzzle and would not be able to prescribe sedation if necessary. https://bestfriends.org/resources/muzzles-tool-keep-everyone-safe

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Roy. Rabies is vaccination that is required by law and as you mentioned his lifestyle included exposure to wildlife. I would recommend that he has this vaccine at the veterinary hospital. He can be given an injection ahead of time to keep him from suffering the allergic reaction that he did last time. This will be a safer option for him. I hope this information helps!