Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rabies antibody test results in dogs and cats after pet travel
By Zanoni, R G et al.·Published in Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde·2010·Institute of Veterinary Virology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Walking the dog and moving the cat: rabies serology in the context of international pet travel schemes.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at blood samples from nearly 11,000 dogs and over 2,400 cats to check their rabies vaccine effectiveness for international travel. It found that dogs had a higher chance of not having enough antibodies if their blood was drawn just four months after a single vaccination, with a 23% failure rate. However, giving dogs two doses of the vaccine within 7 to 10 days significantly reduced this failure rate, and a booster shot after a year kept their protection strong. For cats, the failure rate was very low after a booster, suggesting that a double vaccination followed by an annual booster is the best approach for both dogs and cats.
People also search for: dog rabies vaccine effectiveness · cat rabies vaccination schedule · dog travel vaccination requirements
Abstract
Data of 13'469 blood samples from 10'999 dogs and 2'470 cats tested for rabies neutralizing antibodies within the framework of pet travel schemes were analysed for single and combined factors influencing antibody titres and failures. The time span between vaccination and drawing the blood sample was confirmed as a major source of failure in dogs with a proportion of 23 % at 4 months after primary vaccination (single dose). Failures in dogs and cats (titre < 0.5 IU) were significantly reduced after double primary vaccination (2 doses within 7 - 10 days), although failures reached comparable levels in dogs as early as 6 months after vaccination. In contrast, failure after vaccination was generally below 5 % in dogs and absent in cats after a booster applied at earliest 12 months after single primary vaccination. Statistically significant differences between the failures of the vaccine brands «Rabisin» (1.5 %), «Defensor» (6.7 %), «Nobivac Rabies» (11.0 %) and «Rabdomun» (18.2 %) were found in dogs but also between the titres induced in cats. Significant differences were found between different dog breeds with some small breeds showing a significantly higher responsiveness. Taken together, a new regimen for rabies vaccination consisting of double primary vaccination with a short interval of 7 - 10 days and a one-year booster appears to be highly recommended for dogs and cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21104630/