Those all sound correct to me- first time rabies shot is only good for 1 year, and then it's a booster every 3 years. So it does not matter if it's a 6m old pup, or 5 year old dog w/ no vaccine history, the first shot is only 'good' for a year, and then booster every 3 years after that, for the life of your pet. (If you follow that protocol, as Lisa said Rabies has a high reaction %)
Generally titers are not accepted for rabies, unless you find a understanding (re:shady) vet willing to lie.

 Quote: Kelly Byrd

Generally titers are not accepted for rabies, unless you find a understanding (re:shady) vet willing to lie.

Actually there are some states that are accepting rabies titers for dogs that have very bad allergic reactions to the vaccine as per documentation by the dog's vet. A letter & paperwork have to be filed with the state, but there is acceptance for this. I believe that the waiver is only good for a year & then needs to have vet paperwork refiled. At least this is the case in CT & a few other states. I think there was a thread about this here or maybe it was another site. I am sure that the paperwork is a PITA, but well worth it if you have a have a very allergy prone dog, it is a least worth looking into.

It would be nice if this will become more of the norm in the future. The downfall is that titers are not cheap & then if the levels are not high enough, you would still have to vaccinate. And many owners don't want to pay the extra $$$s for a titer & then have to poossibly pay for the vaccination anyway. I titer every few years for Parvo & Distemper & haven't revaccinated my dogs since they were vaccinated 2x (parvo & distemper only)as pups.

Thats encouraging, Anne! In WA I can't find a vet to give me a rabies titer. Granted, I don't have a dog with proven allergic reactions- I just like to err on the side of caution with vaccines.

Not sure what you are saying by won't give you a rabies titer. Do you mean take the blood to run the titer or write a letter for the titer exemption when the results are received? Most vets would not do the paperwork without due cause ie: sever allergic reaction to previous vaccination etc.

Any vet can take the blood for a rabies titer & send it to the lab. I think that they go to state or certain labs for this titer. I can't remember. My paperwork is burried so I can't get it to look at.

I am confused....If the dog was surrendered to a shelter....wasn't he given all his 'shots' including rabies to 'update' him? That is the usual protocal at most shelters. If so, he should be good for 3 years. Although some states are still only 1 year on rabies.

Anne- I cannot find a vet that will certify the titer results, and give my dog an exemption from the vaccine. I didn't word that very well- any vet would draw blood to send off for a rabies titer test... Antech is the lab that most vets use in WA to my knowledge(the office I worked at, along with others I know) and there is always HemoPet.
It's the exemption I have trouble finding someone to give me.

My DS is a rescue, yes. He's different then most though, since he came in with all his records, and I work at the rescue he was surrendered to. He's had his puppy shots. Will not receive any more from me. In WA the first rabies shot is only good for 1 year, and then every 3 years after the first vaccine. He's 1 1/2 now, and technically 'due' for his booster. All his titers are all above the required level, so he does not need any vax- except rabies due to the law around here. Just going to put it off for now, as he's already licensed. They can't make me!!!

Most vets won't sign off on the letter or paperwork required by the state without real cause. I don't know if it puts their license at risk in any way..but would guess that it would be the case if they could not demonstrate sufficient cause (medical records)if the state requested it.

The wavier may not even be acceptable in Washington at all, regardless of the reason. I don't know.

I just came from the vet this morning and he informed me that the one and three year vaccines are NOT the same!! He said that you can look at them and tell that one is much cloudier than the other; he didn't explain it very well, but I took away that they either add something to keep it in the bloodstream longer or its more concentrated or both. That really kinda hurt and he said it was a real soft spot for him too, that they are saying that it is safer but it really may not be. It was only very recently that we were able to change the law on it in AR. If whatever they called one year is really good enough for three WHY would they change the stupid formula??? They said they do give the three year if they are up to date or had the yearly given the previous year, but I'm unsure of what to do now.

The additives may be different for the discoloring, but all evidence points to it being the same. Take a look at the following, maybe email Dr Dodd at the email me questions part...

http://www.dogs4dogs.com/truth4dogs.html

partial copy/paste:
The law: Every state, although not every locality, requires rabies vaccination every three years. You can read the state law at http://www.dogsd4dogs.com/rabies-laws Check with your vet or a local shelter or animal control if you suspect your area's law requires vaccination more often. (Then get busy changing this dangerous law.)

The three-year vaccine is guaranteed by the manufacturer for 3 years, but the one year vaccine, which is usually just given as the first vaccine a puppy gets, is guaranteed for only one year -- although the vaccines are identical!

I'll keep looking around....I do believe that I read it isn't the formula that is the difference it is the ease of knowing a one year from a three year so that dogs under one get the one year as recc by manufacturer (going off label leaves the provider vulnerable to suits) and the serial numbers for the law differ.

My vet does tilter for a little over 50 for the set not bad considering other places I have looked into.

My county allows me to do it but I know the shelter staff so I am in the clear anyway. If Phoenix where to bight someone it would be for good reason though.

Thanks to leerburg I have great control over my dog.

Perhaps I can answer some of your questions. First of all, if my puppy were being vaccinated, I would choose the 3 year rabies shot for both puppyhood vaccinations (they are the same in terms of efficacy and duration of immunity) and make sure that the veterinarian issues a 3 year certificate for the booster received at 1 year.

Regarding the 1 and 3 year rabies vaccines: 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)

If a dog has had a documented adverse reaction to the rabies vaccine and your state has a medical exemption, your vet may write you a waiver if they determine it is medically warranted. The following 13 states have medical exemption clauses written into their laws: AL, CO, CT, FL, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OR, VT, VA, WI . I have heard that some places accept titers in lieu of rabies vaccination, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no state or local ordinance with such written into their laws, ordinances or regulations. The reason for that is that there has been no rabies titer standard established for dogs -- the one currently used is the standard established for humans (the 1:5 dilution formerly stated for being acceptable for humans is now reported as: 0.1 IU/ml)which is extrapolated for other mammalian species, including dogs.

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Kris L. Christine

Founder, Co-Trustee

The Rabies Challenge Fund

http://www.RabiesChallengeFund.org