Hi

I am after some advice please. I had one of my girls vaccinated for rabies in March.Her blood was taken 3 weeks later but somewhere between the vets and the lab, the blood got lost. She had her blood taken again last month and today we have heard she has failed.
Does anyone know the success rate of 2nd vaccs after a failure. I'm just trying to decide if it is worth trying again, bearing in mind her mom also failed. Would the delay from the vac to the 2nd blood test have made any difference?

Mel.x

Think a few of my breed have failed the first one, never heard of them failing after the second one though.

My vet is always belt and braces. He takes two lots of blood at the same time, sends one off and stores the other. So if anything happens to the first lot, he has more blood taken on the exact same day to fall back on.

Hi Mel,

Never had any of mine fail (4 in all ) , so not much of a help I'm afraid.
Again like Perro I know someone (not my breed, Frenchie) who failed first, but not second.

Debx

Edit to answer would delay between vac and second blood test made any difference?
No if it had taken it would have taken from the off as it were.

We had 2 pups done once at just over 3 months. Both failed and were revaccinated. Second time was okay.
Vets comments were that sometimes it can be affected by the fact that their Mum was a vaccinated dog so may have affected their antibody levels.
I did suggest that maybe the vaccine was at fault. Vet spoke to Manufacturer who although not admitting fault lay there , was prepared to not charge for the 2nd vaccine.

Thank you all. I have done some research and it looks like some dogs just need 2 vaccines to reach the required level of antibodies so we are going back tuesday to try again. Fingers crossed this works, if not then at least i've given it the best chance.

mel.x

I had one fail out of four vaccinated. My Vet told me that there can sometimes be an underlying reason like an infection. She passed after the second one. Sadly in our case it was something more sinister in the end.

The dogs that I know who failed didn't have parents who were vaccinated for rabies so that's definitely not the reason why most fail!

I had one of mine fail (she was conceived in Finland, so her Mum was Rabies vaccinated). 

I waited on taking the blood so she would comply with Norwegian and Swedish requirements of at least 120 days passing since the Rabies vaccination.

I am about to do her half sister, who is nearly 15 months, and think I will have two vaccinations and have the blood taken 120 days after the second.

Oh well, must tell my Vet she doesn't know what she is talking about!

Oh well, must tell my Vet she doesn't know what she is talking about!   Who's that to as my comment wasn't in reply to yours re. infection etc?

>Would the delay from the vac to the 2nd blood test have made any difference?

The blood sample needs to be taken a minimum of 3 weeks after the injection - but it can be taken any time after that. 4 weeks, 5 weeks, 6 months - if it had 'taken' in the first place it the blood would still be showing immunity. After all, the rabies vaccination is supposed to last for three years, not a matter of weeks!

so that's definitely not the reason why most fail!

In that case I apologise but you can see why it looked like a reply to me.

No as you've only printed out half of my message the full message was:

The dogs that I know who failed didn't have parents who were vaccinated for rabies so that's definitely not the reason why most fail!

This is not to Perrodeagua but just posted to the end...

I'm bringing in a another puppy next year. My first import had her jab at 4 months and bloods a month after and passed the titre first time meaning she could have come to UK at 11months old.
Now I have been asked if I would like the next puppy jabbed earlier than the 4 months(which is the standard age in the country of origin).

I know most manufactures state 3 months as age to jab, but some say from 3 weeks onwards...
Would anybody know if there seems to be larger possibility of failing if jabbed younger(due the maternal antibodies)?
What age have people got their puppies vaccinated and what was the outcome(pass/fail)?
We were thinking of maybe Rabies vaccinating at 10 weeks but if she will be more likely to fail, I see no point in rushing it and then having to wait and possibly give extra vaccinations anyway...

Many people say imported puppy will be minimum 9-10 months when entering UK, which according to my calculations would mean they would have had their jabs at 3 months or earlier (3months+1 month wait before bloodtest and then 6 months=10 months minimum)? Or am I calculating it all wrong some how?

Hi Noora,

My youngest  boy, 14 weeks at vaccination passed the titre 12.45
My youngest girl, 12 weeks at vaccination passed 2.32
My oldest girl 8 weeks at vaccination passed 12.5 titre

All passed first time, HTH :)

Dx

Thank you very much for your relpy.
I think we will go for little earlier vaccination so I can have her home that little bit sooner :)...
More experiences from others are welcome :) we still have few weeks before I need to decide.

Durr just realised my oldest girl was actually 14 weeks when vaccinated.

>I think we will go for little earlier vaccination so I can have her home that little bit sooner

DEFRA say that the pup must be a minimum of 3 months (not 12 weeks) old when the rabies vax is given.

Thanks Jeangenie!
I did think that was the rule when organising my girl to come over (2 years ago) but I can't find it anymore!
We were discussing rabies vaccination and I said I think they need to be 3 months old but then when going to defra pages I can't see it anymore, only that you need to follow the manufacturers data sheet?

As when we were vaccinationg my girl we actually had to move the vaccination as she was going to be few days less than 3 months and we then opted to follow the normal vaccinating schedule and do the rabies at 4 months.
This is why I remembered it clearly but can't see the rule anymore and then when starting to count it seemed puppies were indeed vaccinated younger than 3 months if they come to UK before 10 months old...
I have now checked few times and can't see the 3 month rule, I must have a blind spot or somehow keep missing the page it is on!

It doesn't seem to be on the website, but it's specifically mentioned in the Defra leaflets we have at work.

No wonder people are confused!
Could it be the leaflets are older and maybe the rules have slightly changed?
I see an email to Defra coming...

I think it used to depend on whether the pups mother was Rabies vaccinated.

Years ago I was sending a pup abroad and it could not as now travel for a month after the Rabies shot, she had hers at 8 weeks because there would be no conflict with maternal antibodies as Mum was not vaccinated. 

The assumption with the 3 month protocol is that the pups mother would be regularly Rabies vaccinated as is required in many countries.

Pups that I have had vaccinated since for Rabies have been 3 months plus.

Take a look here Noora, hopefully this with help clarify things:http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/procedures/support-info/vacci.htm

And here dated the 4th November 2009: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/factsheet/factsheet1-091110.pdf

Note point 3; Your pet must be vaccinated in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturing laboratory.

Thanks again, those details are only what I can find too, did not think to see the date on top which shows the docs are very recent.
All I could find was the details in the fact sheets, and no mentioning about the puppy needing to be 3 months old.
I'm sure it used to be in as I mentioned before we had to move our girls jab as she was few days under 3 months when we were planning to get her vaccinated, this is only 2 years ago.

The fact sheets of Nobivac and Rabisin state that the puppies can be vaccinated from 3&4 weeks onwards...
One stating if vaccinating before 3 months, re- vaccination will be needed when puppy is over 3 months old.

I rang Defra this afternoon and they confirmed that it's 3 calendar months.

Thanks Jeangenie.
I have spoken to DEFRA too...

Intrestringly if you look at this older DEFRA fact sheet (dated Oct 2005) the 3 month age is clearly stated on page 3:
http://www.shipyourpet.com/pdf/factsheet7.pdf
Where as the current version of the same sheet (dated Jan 2007)from DEFRA web page has got the 3 month rule removed and the point it has even been put in red....
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/factsheet/euvetfactsheet2.pdf

All the rest of the fact sheets/ info on DEFRA web page also refer to manufacturer data, makes you wonder if the person answering the phone is up to date on their training :) :) :)

We are waiting for the 3 month point so can not fail on that, what ever the rule is!