Rabies is a serious viral disease that can affect all mammals, including humans. The virus is transmitted through the bite of any infected animal, including wild foxes, raccoons, stray dogs, and bats. A dog with rabies is a serious public health hazard, but it can be easily prevented by vaccination. If you want to vaccinate your dog at home, you must first prepare yourself and then carry out the vaccination appropriately.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare and Transport the Vaccine
Step 1. Find out about local laws and regulations to make sure you are legally vaccinating
The law of most countries states that vaccines cannot be administered by anyone other than a licensed veterinarian.
- Check your country's legislation before deciding to give your pet a rabies vaccine at home.
- You can get this information from any veterinarian or any health care office in your city.
Step 2. Be aware that the dog may have adverse vaccination symptoms
He may have an acute allergic reaction when vaccinated, which can also cause anaphylactic shock and even death.
- Although side effects are rare, they can occur and have serious consequences.
- Due to the potential side effects, you shouldn't vaccinate your dog without proper veterinary training.
Step 3. Get the vaccine from a reputable supplier
A vaccine is a biological substance that improves immunity against a specific disease, so it needs to be of good quality if you want the treatment to be successful.
- Make sure you get it from a serious and qualified vaccine provider.
- Your vet is the best person to turn to for the best sources of rabies vaccines.
- You could also buy it on online sites, but the quality could be somewhat questionable.
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The most commonly used vaccines for dogs in the United States are:
- Imrab 3TF, Imrab 3 (Merial incorporated)
- Rabvac 1, Rabvac 3, Rabvac 3 TF (Fort Dodge Animal Health)
- Deffensor 1 and Deffensor 3 (Pfizer Incorporated)
- Rabisin (MCI Animal Health)
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 4 Step 4. Make sure the vaccine provided travels in a refrigerated vehicle to maintain the cold chain
Wherever you decide to buy it, you need to be sure that it stays in the cold until the time of administration.
- Vaccines are sensitive biological substances that lose their efficacy and potency when exposed to high temperatures or light.
- Maintaining the cold chain is the most important factor in ensuring vaccination success.
- If you buy the vaccine online, ask for it to be shipped to you in a refrigerated vehicle.
- The temperature must be kept between 2-7 ° C.
- If the cold chain is not respected, the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 5 Step 5. Put the vaccine in an insulated container when you need to transfer it
If you buy it at a local store, be sure to take it home by keeping it in an insulated, cold container.
- An insulated container is a solid-walled container, with a watertight lid, in which the temperature is maintained by one or more ice packs or the cooling gel pack.
- However, even an insulated container cannot maintain the required temperature for a long time, so the transfer should not take more than 3-4 hours.
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To ensure the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, follow the procedure indicated below to properly isolate the container:
- First, place one or two ice packs at the bottom of the container.
- Then, insert insulating thermal blankets or ice packs calibrated to keep the temperature between + 2 ° C and + 80 ° C.
- Place the vaccine on top of the blankets / ice packs.
- Put a thermometer to check the temperature (if available).
- Then, wrap the insulation materials loosely around the vaccine packaging.
- Finally, place another stick of ice on top of the vaccine and wrap it with insulation material.
- Don't forget to label the container as "hazardous material" or "cold chain vaccine" for safe transportation.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 6 Step 6. Store the vaccine in the refrigerator to ensure the cold chain even after transport is complete
If you need to store it for a short time before administering it, you can put it in the kitchen refrigerator.
- However, you shouldn't keep it for more than 1 month.
- Check the temperature twice a day and open the refrigerator door only when absolutely necessary.
- Do not keep it in the refrigerator door shelves and do not pick it up until you are ready to use it.
- Wait until the dog is 3 months old before administering preventive anti-rabies.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 7 Step 7. For the first dose of the vaccine you must wait until the dog is 3 months or older to avoid a reaction between the vaccine and its natural antibodies
- Dogs that are less than three months old have some mother-transmitted immune capacity that is enough to protect it until that age.
- Giving him the vaccine before he is 3 months old can overwhelm the puppy's immune system, as he is not yet well developed.
- However, know that you can administer it at any time of the year and there are no seasonal differences.
- The frequency of doses and boosters depends on the legislation in your country, as well as the guidelines of the specific product.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 8 Step 8. Vaccinate your dog immediately if bitten by a rabid animal, to prevent the disease
If he gets a bite from any suspicious animal when he is less than three months old, you should vaccinate him right away.
- Thereafter, booster doses should be given once a year to maintain immunity.
- The timing and methods of recalls vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
- If you have a pregnant dog, it is generally safe to vaccinate her against rabies, even during pregnancy.
Part 2 of 2: Administer the Vaccine
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 9 Step 1. Avoid using chemicals, alcohol or an antiseptic on your pet's skin before vaccination, to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine
The most important thing before injecting the vaccine is to avoid applying any substance to the dog's skin as it could affect the quality of the vaccine.
- You can prepare the injection site by washing it and using a clean cotton cloth to dry it.
- Trim the hair in the area where you want to inject if your dog has long, dense hair.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 10 Step 2. Read the instructions on the package carefully
First you need to read the manufacturer's directions to know all the intricacies related to the specific brand you got and check the expiration date of the vaccine.
- The manual or brochure should be present inside the package.
- Check the amount of the vaccine and other related details before vaccinating your dog.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 11 Step 3. Determine if the vaccine is in suspension or liquid form (single dose)
Most rabies vaccines are available in suspension or liquid form; suspension is more common, as the vaccine is produced through a freeze-drying process.
In the package you should also find a vial containing the sterile diluents
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 12 Step 4. Mix the diluents in the suspension bottle to prepare the vaccine
Take out the diluents and put them in a new syringe to inject them into the suspension vial.
- Shake well to mix thoroughly and evenly.
- The vaccine should be injected within 30 minutes of dilution.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 13 Step 5. Draw in properly mixed vaccine to prepare for injection
With the same syringe and needle, draw up the mixed vaccine and get ready to inject.
- Make sure you choose the right needle for your dog, one that can penetrate his muscle.
- The veterinarian should be consulted to determine the appropriate needle gauge in relation to the dog.
- Normally, a 20-22 gauge needle is recommended for a 13-26 kg dog.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 14 Step 6. Choose the vaccination site
You can give him the vaccine subcutaneously or intramuscularly, depending on the manufacturer's guidelines.
- Be sure to double check the recommended injection site.
- Choose a spot that is comfortable for you and your dog.
- It may help to place the animal on a high place or a table.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 15 Step 7. Inject the vaccine under the skin
If the instructions on the package indicate that the injection must be performed subcutaneously, find a good site on the animal's muscle, and perform the injection correctly.
- Subcutaneous injection is relatively easy and is the most popular method for vaccinating dogs.
- There is loose skin on both sides of the dog's shoulder.
- Just lift a flap of skin, forming a triangle, insert the needle at a 45 degree angle and push the syringe plunger.
- Make sure the vaccine gets under the skin and be careful not to damage its subcutaneous tissues.
- Painless swelling may develop in the injection area, but you must not rub.
- Any swelling will disappear within 3-6 days.
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 16 Step 8. Give him the intramuscular vaccine
Some vaccines must be administered intramuscularly and are generally much more difficult than subcutaneous injection.
- This injection is generally done in any large muscle group, such as the back of the upper foreleg (triceps), or on the front side of the hind leg (triceps or quadriceps).
- Once you have found the right site and completed the preparation, insert the needle at a 45 degree angle.
- Pull the plunger out slightly to check for blood in the syringe. If blood enters, it means that the needle has not entered the right place and has caused damage to the blood vessels.
- Know that there is a risk of damaging the nerve during the intramuscular administration of vaccines.
- Once the vaccine has been injected, apply a little pressure with a cotton swab to stop the bleeding (if any).
Give a Dog a Rabies Shot at Home Step 17 Step 9. Monitor your dog for any adverse effects
You have to monitor it for a while once the vaccination is done, to be sure there is no negative consequence.
- Side effects could be anaphylactic shock, vomiting, breathing problems, and so on.
- Since rabies is a zoonosis (an infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans), you must contact your doctor immediately in case of accidental self-injection.
