Waco, TX Passes 3 Year Rabies Ordinance

[Kris L. Christine 2]

WACO, TX city council unanimously approves 3 year rabies ordinance on 2nd reading 12/7/10:

http://www.waco-texas.com/pdf/agendas/2010-12-07%20Action.pdf "Ordinance #2010-696; amending sections 5-61 (a) in Chapter 5, Animals, of the Code of Ordinances, to change the rabies vaccinations requirement from annual to every three (3) years... Second Reading. Approved 5-0"

 

The ordinance should be in effect 10 days after it is published. For more information, call the City Manager's office at (254)-750-5640.

 

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[Steve S 0]

WACO, TX city council unanimously approves 3 year rabies ordinance on 2nd reading 12/7/10:

http://www.waco-texas.com/pdf/agendas/2010-12-07%20Action.pdf "Ordinance #2010-696; amending sections 5-61 (a) in Chapter 5, Animals, of the Code of Ordinances, to change the rabies vaccinations requirement from annual to every three (3) years... Second Reading. Approved 5-0"

 

The ordinance should be in effect 10 days after it is published. For more information, call the City Manager's office at (254)-750-5640.

 

PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST

 

Kris, I couldn't pull-up the link, but in your opinion why is this a good thing? I'm from Texas about 35 miles from Waco, and I've run some sort of dog most of my life. I didn't realize rabies was that big of a deal in Central Texas.

[Kris L. Christine 2]

 

Kris, I couldn't pull-up the link, but in your opinion why is this a good thing? I'm from Texas about 35 miles from Waco, and I've run some sort of dog most of my life. I didn't realize rabies was that big of a deal in Central Texas.

 

Steve, this is a good thing because dogs do not need to be vaccinated against rabies any more often than once every 3 years. In terms of efficacy and duration of immunity, veterinary research scientists say that the 3 and 1 year vaccines are the same (see below). Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of all the veterinary vaccines and has the most adverse effects associated with it (including fibrosarcomas at injection sites, auto immune hemolytic anemia, etc.....), dogs should not be vaccinated any any more often than is necessary to maintain immunity against rabies.

 

According to Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, "There is no benefit from annual rabies vaccination and most one year rabies products are similar or identical to the 3-year products with regard to duration of immunity and effectiveness. However, if they are 1 year rabies vaccines, they must be legally given annually!" from What Everyone Needs to Know about Canine Vaccines

http://www.puliclub.org/CHF/AKC2007Conf/What%20Everyone%20Needs%20to%20Know%20About%20Canine%20Vaccines.htm

 

In an April 1, 2008 DVM360 article entitled, Canine Vaccine Update (Proceedings) http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/Medicine/Canine-vaccine-update-Proceedings/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/562405 by Dr. Craig Datz states that, "..some brands of rabies vaccine are identical whether labeled as 1- or 3-year..."

 

If you click on this link http://www.calmanimalcare.com/vaccine.htm , you will be taken to the Calm Animal Care website, which has posted Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital. In their protocol, it states: "Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product."

 

2006 Canine & Feline Vaccination Guidelines, A Forum on Issues and Controversies by Dr. Richard B. Ford, DVM, Professor of Medicine, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine http://www.hcvma.org/notes/SpeakerNotesRichardFord.pdf Table 2 on Page 4 states: Vaccine Type: Rabies, 1-year: Minimum Duration of Immunity: 3 Years (must be administered annually)

Edited December 25, 2010 by Kris L. Christine