Why must we vaccinate our animals yearly for Rabies?
The answer is very simple. Parker County law requires annual vaccination for all dogs and cats. Medically, Rabies vaccines will most likely protect your pet for more than a year. However, different animals will respond differently in terms of immunity following a vaccination. Most do a good job but some will not. It is because of these few that we cannot be certain that all are effectively protected. Therefore, the law in Parker County is to protect our companion animals with yearly vaccinations.
The human population in Parker County has exploded over the past ten years. More houses are being built where it was once only local wildlife (skunks, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, feral cats, bobcats and bats.) With ever increasing exposure of humans and their pets to wild animals, the risk of Rabies rises rapidly. Here are some important statistics:
- Every 3rd skunk you seen at night has rabies.
- 9 out of 10 skunks seen in daylight have rabies.
- 50% of all bats have active rabies.
- Rabies has been confirmed in Parker County in dogs, foxes, coyotes, skunks, bats and even horses.
Just remember this: while some suggest that annual vaccination for Rabies is not warranted, would you want to be the owner of a pet that was the exception and did contract Rabies?
If your dog has any contact with a skunk or wild mammal, the Texas Department of Health Zoonotic Control recommends an immediate Rabies booster to be repeated in 3 weeks. The margin for error is absolute zero when it comes to this deadly and highly contagious disease.
