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Rabies Vaccine Issues

What You Must Learn About the Rabies Vaccine for Dogs

A year ago, Tierce got the rabies shot that immediately preceded his first allergic reaction.  Now he is still in his cone (much better now, thanks to the Atopica) and recovering much more slowly than the last attack.  We’re not taking him off medication again.

The above link has some interesting information about the rabies vaccine.  I’m generally not a fan of red/black/white websites with a lot of exclamation marks, but I think that this one has a lot of useful information.  As always, consult with your vet before taking any steps for or against vaccination.

I am not planning to ever go beyond the puppy shots and maybe a booster shot for my next dogs.  I’m not planning on blindly giving my dog medication I don’t know about either.

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Tierce the Shiba ambassador to veterinary clinics everywhere

Vet and staff: Oh, no, another Shiba!

Tierce: Doo-de-doody-doo… hey, cheese!

Me: Yeah, the vet’s office is a WONDERFUL place, isn’t it?

Staff: He’s friendly?!

Vet: I don’t have to muzzle him?!

Tierce: I get to eat hamburger!

Me: What kind of Shibas have come in here before?

Vet and Staff: Neurotic fear-biters.

Me: Oookaaay…..

Vet: Okay, now I’m going to check him out.

Tierce: What are you doing?

Vet: Listening to your heart.

Tierce: Oh. Mmm… this is the expensive stuff from the top fridge shelf, isn’t it?

Me: Yes. Don’t tell Mischa; he’d flip.

Tierce: Don’t worry, I won’t. Yum.

Vet: Aaaaand… check your temperature…

Tierce: Hey! That’s a private area!

Me: Cheese!

Tierce: Yay!

Vet: Okay, can we check your teeth?

Me: Okay, Tierce, we’re going to check your teeth!

Tierce: Do I get cheese?

Me: Absolutely; just show the nice doctor your pearly whites.

Vet: Looks really good, except for the hamburger stuck between them.

Tierce: I’m working on it, okay?

Vet: Time for a shot… can you hold him?

Tierce: What’s she doin-

Me: Cheese!

Tierce: Yay!

Vet: Just a little pinch…

Tierce: What’s that?

Me: Cheese!

Tierce: Yay!

Vet: Okay, he’s good to go. This really is the friendliest, best behaved Shiba I’ve ever seen.

Me: Me too. It’s the magic of animal food products.

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Update

Just an update so all of you people know that we’ve not disappeared. Tierce is definitely worse; he has a huge bare spot on his head now. We’ve been in contact with both Shassi’s breeder and Tierce’s for advice. His breeder is going to call her vet (we’ve been going through a very interesting time with vets of late) for an appointment; we are probably looking at Demodectic Mange as a result of the rabies vaccination on July 7th. However, again due to the aforemention interesting experience at the vet’s, we have had no confirmation of that.

Okay, well… here goes. I was discussing the possibility with my mother and aunt of them taking Tierce into the vet’s about 10 days ago. I work all week, and it’s really hard to get any kind of vet on the weekends – they’re so booked up. My aunt asked me if I would like her to make a call. I said yes.

She called me several hours later to let me know that she had up and taken Tierce to the vet. This was the same vet who gave him the 3 year, sub-dermal shot on July 7th. I was not happy. Not only did she not bother to ask me if there was any information I could give her (such as I wanted a mite scrape done and that Tierce had stepped on some glass and torn a toe pad right off – yes, it’s been a wonderful last two weeks).

I was so not pleased. For those of you who are parents, imagine someone just randomly deciding to take your child to a walk-in clinic for a rash without bothering to check with you first – y’know, to see if the kid is allergic to something or just got the rash by something you already knew about.

The vet also had no idea why Tierce was limping and suggested that if it didn’t fix itself, that they bring him back for x-rays.

So, $85 later, I was given all the information that Shassi’s breeder had already given me and was no closer to an idea of why Tierce is trying to scratch his skin off. I also apparently have a vet who either can’t see an obvious wound or can’t be bothered to find it. Guess which way I’m voting. Not heading back to her again. The other vets who work there are competent, but are against feeding raw, etc. I don’t want to spend my time arguing with them.

To my aunt’s credit, she apologized. But we’re still trying to fix my poor little puppy and I can’t wait for an appointment at his breeder’s vet.

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Itchery, part II

Tierce has been to the vet, who took samples diagnosed him with a mild yeast infection on his chest. Her advice was to shampoo him with Nizoral (anti-dandruff, anti-fungal shampoo) every other day. That, coupled with changing his food to Go! Natural Grain Free, might do the trick. In a few weeks.

Oh, yeah… while we were down at the beach the day before yesterday, Tierce stepped on a piece of glass and sliced a chunk off one of his toe pads. Now he’s hopping around like Pogo-dog (his hurt foot doesn’t stop him from running around) and still trying to scratch his eyes.

This has just been the best week ever.