How often should pets be vaccinated?

Pet owners who fear frequent vaccinations could harm their pets should consult with their veterinarians about alternatives rather than forgoing the state's annual rabies vaccination requirement for dogs and cats, a state officials said.

Despite the belief by some veterinarians that over-vaccinating can cause health problems in dogs and cats, Dr. Mark Russell said the risk of rabies outweighs the chance that other complications might occur.

"The reason to vaccinate is still there," said Russell, a Huntsville veterinarian and the president of the state's Veterinary Medical Association.

Colbert County Animal Control Director Tommy Morson said state law requires that dogs and cats over three months old must be vaccinated for rabies once a year.

"Different states have different laws," Morson said. Some states, such as Kansas, leave the frequency of rabies vaccinations up to individual local governments. Tennessee, Morson said, requires a rabies vaccination every three years.

In Alabama, the state legislature established the annual vaccination law based on recommendations from the State Veterinary Association.

Russell said there is a movement to have that requirement changed to every three years because there are rabies vaccinations that will protect animals for longer time periods.

Dr. Troy Youngblood, a veterinarian at the Colbert County Animal Hospital, said Alabama is one of the few states that requires an annual rabies vaccination.

"There's been talk of a two- or three-year (vaccine), and it's never happened," Morson said. "In Alabama we have a higher prevalence of rabies, because of the rural areas."

Morson said incidences of rabies are greater in rural areas because domesticated animals have a greater chance of coming into contact with wildlife.

Youngblood said the policy has been to first ensure that the public is protected.

Another reason for annual vaccinations, according to Youngblood, is that only 20 to 30 percent of dogs and 10 to 20 percent of cats in Colbert County are actually vaccinated each year.

Youngblood said rabies vaccines are not very expensive - $10-$15 per animal. Many counties offer rabies clinics where pet owners can have their animals vaccinated.

Morson said there hasn't been a case of rabies in Colbert County in a couple of years.

"Basically what we get is a bat, a raccoon or skunk," he said. "They're the main carriers of rabies. Once a raccoon or skunk starts coming around your house, something's wrong."

Domestic animals that bite humans are required to be quarantined to determine if they are infected with rabies, Morson said.

Youngblood said he had two dogs quarantined because they bit people.

Youngblood said he has not had a case of an animal contracting an autoimmune disease because of vaccination.

"There's a lot of discussion in our profession if we're vaccinating too often," he said.

He added that any vaccine can cause an immune-mediated response, but that it's quite rare. There are also cases where it can happen "spontaneously without a vaccine," but it is also rare.

The Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine has been studying the link between health problems in dogs and over-vaccination.

Dr. Larry Glickman, a professor at the school, said they're finding health problems in dogs that have no explanation.

"It's one of those things nobody knows the answer to," said Russellville veterinarian Dr. William Allen.

He said there is the possibility of abnormal autoimmune responses to vaccinations, but "nobody really knows."

"If we see a dog with an autoimmune disease, we don't know where it comes from, we don't know what triggers it," Allen said. "It's speculation as far as what role vaccines play."

Russell said there are alternatives, such as the three-year rabies vaccination or changing the type of annual rabies vaccination.

He said it was not the rabies virus portion of the vaccination that is causing the problem, but other components of the vaccine.

Russell said the answer could be different types of rabies vaccinations or staggering vaccinations rather than having a pet immunized for several diseases at once.

He said animals that have developed an autoimmune disease are not immunized.

In those cases, he said the state veterinary association is notified of the situation.

Russell understands pet owners' concerns, but he and other veterinarians still recommend that pets be vaccinated, especially for rabies.

"Talk to the vet and work through your questions and concerns," he said.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.