Any pet brought into the clinic with a past-due rabies vaccination will, if health permits, receive a rabies vaccine.
This policy lowers risks and improves safety for all of us—you, your pet, our clients and other patients and our staff. Besides, here in Indiana, it’s the law.
If your pet is due or overdue for a rabies vaccine and healthy enough to be vaccinated, we will expect to administer the vaccine on your next visit to the clinic. You will receive a certificate and tag, in compliance with Indiana state law.
After the first year, the booster is due every three years.
As an alternative, we offer a rabies antibody titer to estimate antibodies present in your pet’s blood. This test provides no protection against rabies and costs more than vaccines, but it does let us confirm that your pet has antibodies to fight the rabies virus.
While positive test results will satisfy our safety requirements for animals visiting our clinic, the rabies titer is not recognized by the State of Indiana as a substitute for up-to-date rabies vaccines.
For most pets, we strongly recommend the rabies vaccine as the best way to protect all of us against this deadly disease while complying with state law. Our doctors will be happy to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have about the rabies vaccine, including possible side effects.