Can my dog get an expired rabies shot while she's nursing puppies?

It does not immediately "wear off" but it depends on how good her immune system is as to whether or not her body responded appropriately to the previous vaccine. There are no vaccine risks to nursing cats, so vaccination is recommended now. Kittens can receive their first subcutaneous vaccines at 4-6 weeks of age and there is no risk to the babies when nursing moms are vaccinated.

It's great that you're being conscientious about her vaccines! From an immunologic perspective, nothing significant is changing in Lola's immune system between now and Saturday, so getting the booster done then will be fine. From a legal perspective, the rabies vaccine expires exactly 1 year from the initial booster, so she will be considered "unvaccinated" for a couple days. I wouldn't be too worried about you boostering her a couple days late - but to be on the safe side, just limit her exposure to strangers or other dogs for those few days until she's vaccinated again, to avoid the rare chance of someone getting bitten and inquiring about her rabies status. Hope this helps.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about your husband! I hope you are doing better. Blueboy will be fine! He can get his rabies and restart his distemper combo series. He'll likely get 2 of them 3 weeks apart. Once he finishes those vaccines he'll be protected for the next year. I hope this helps and I wish you well!

You are correct, the first rabies vaccine is only good for one year. After that, depending on where you live, the next rabies vaccine could be good for three years. Some cities/states still require the rabies vaccine to be given every year though so you need to check what the law is in your area. Your vet will know. All, that being said, with her rabies vaccine being overdue - you need to update it as soon as possible and it may only be marked good for one year because you are overdue. Again, you must check with your vet regarding your local laws. Regardless, you need to get her rabies vaccine booster as soon as you can. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes!

No, Princess should not be dangerous to anyone if she bites or licks them - it's very normal for puppies to do this :) Rabies is extremely rare in pet dogs, and would be virtually unheard-of in a puppy this age - it can only be transmitted through the bite of an infected wild animal, so it's unlikely that she would have had any possibility of exposure at the age of two months. Dogs can get their rabies vaccine anytime after 12 weeks of age. So she isn't quite old enough yet, but your veterinarian can vaccinate her in another month or so. I do not recommend giving 5 in 1 vaccines on your own, because in my experience, vaccines purchased over the counter and given by owners are often not effective. It's much better to have your veterinarian give the vaccine, to make sure it's guaranteed to work.

I would not be worried about this at all unless the mother died from rabies. The chances of her having rabies is extremely, extremely, extremely low. They cannot be born with rabies but they can get it from the mother's milk but the mother must be infected for this to happen. Did the mother have rabies? My suggestion is to keep her away from other animals that have not be vaccinated against rabies (including wild animals) until she is old enough to get her own vaccination. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, and thanks for your question. The ultimate decision will need to be made by your primary vet - but I would absolutely keep them both current on their rabies vaccinations, even if they have chronic health concerns. The rabies virus is 100% fatal, and can be spread to people, so it's just not worth the risk of letting their vaccine status lapse. In many states the law requires a current rabies vaccine. The rabies vaccine is very safe, so it is very rare that I will stop keeping a patient of mine current on the vaccine. Hope this helps! I can tell you're trying to make the best decisions for your dogs!