Istg, if I ever get rabies because some dumb ass antivaxxer refused to vaccinate their dog, I’ll probably be doing the rest of my blogging from prison because I promise you, Imma curbstomp the shit out of the owner
Fun fact: if your dog is unvaccinated and bites someone, in most states it's not only perfectly legal but SUGGESTED COURSE OF ACTION for animal control to seize your dog, euthanize it, and cut its head off for rabies testing. This process costs 300-500 USD and is the responsibility of the owner to pay.
This happened to someone on tumblr, and happens with regularity at my job, so it is not a far-flung worst case scenario.
Rabies shots cost 20 USD at your local pet store or farm supply and if your dog bites someone while vaccinated, all you have to do is quarantine for 10 days.
I also work in vet med and I thankfully have pretty reasonable clients, but I WILL pull out the decapitation factoid if I have to. The anti-vax movement leaking into the veterinary field drives me crazy but it's a whole new level of frustrating when it comes to rabies.
Rabies is legally required for pets to have after a certain age, and some states don't accept medical exemptions (some animals, just like people, are immunocompromised or have anaphylactic reactions to the vaccine). The states that don't have requirements generally require proof of prior vaccination before entering the state. I usually go to the "required by law" thing before I pull out the testing details. Rabies is a death sentence, there is no cure, once symptoms begin you're done. There's a reason it's a huge deal that we even have a vaccine, and why all of our health certificates for pet travel across state or country borders require proof of an up-to-date rabies vaccine.
And if you're worried about a reaction? Let the vet know! There are protocols in place for patients that are known to have reactions and take measures to make sure we're on top of things. We have a few patients who get a diphenhydramine dose beforehand and we keep around the clinic for anywhere from half an hour to a few hours getting their rabies vaccine to make sure they're okay, keeping them in plain sight and checking vitals regularly if it's a longer stay.
It's also surprising to me how easy it is for a dog to be considered for rabies testing. A few years back I was bitten by a dog I was intubating for a dental cleaning (pure reflex on the dog's part, he was sedated but still had a little gag reflex so his teeth came down on my finger joint). When I went to the ER for antibiotics and I told them why I was there, some cops floating around wandered towards me when they heard the words "dog bite" and started asking me questions. I had to tell them that the dog was a) not at fault and b) vaccinated. They were giving me the vibe that they would absolutely have wanted to implement the testing protocols if able. I understand why, but having it happen was a little jarring.
Please get your pet vaccinated. The alternatives are so much worse.
