How Much To Get Rabies Vaccine

Rabies Vaccine At Essentials Petcare

At Essentials PetCare, we are committed to helping you prioritize your pets health with quality care at affordable prices. Focusing our services on preventive and minor illness care, allows us to keep our pricing accessible for all pet parents.

We offer the rabies vaccine with a veterinary exam for both dogs and cats at just $40. More comprehensive care is available through our tiered packages, which are tailored to best fit your pets needsand your budget. All value vaccine packages include the rabies vaccination and range from $60-$180.

Dont let cost stop you from helping your pet live their best life. Come in and see us today for a vaccination visit and rest easy knowing both you and your pet are protected.

Essential Tip: Preventative pet care costs less with our bundled service packages. Head on over to our services page to see what we offer.

Prices subject to change. See current prices:

The High Cost Of Surviving Rabies

Brenda Goodman is senior news writer at WebMD. Andy Miller is CEO and editor of Georgia Health News.

Feb. 20, 2018 — A brown bat the size of a mouse with teeth like a stapler may or may not have bitten Tamara Davis in Georgia. But it certainly took a bite out of her bank account, generating hospital bills of more than $17,000.

The groundhog that charged Linda Gallagher in Maryland while she was gardening last summer caused her to rack up more than $11,000 in charges.

A fox that sank its teeth into Crystal Edwards in North Carolina last year could end up costing her more than $22,000.

Doctors agreed that all three women needed a series of shots to protect them from the deadliest virus known to medicine — rabies. Once symptoms begin, the disease is almost always fatal.

The treatment regimen for rabies was first developed in the late 1800s, and it hasnt changed much over the last 100 years.

But the price of survival has gone up rather dramatically — nearly 400% over the last decade for those shots.

That rise is part of the reason why people who have insurance coverage may be stuck with hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs, while the uninsured and underinsured often face thousands of dollars in medical bills.

HyperRAB, the other brand of immunoglobulin on the market, has seen price increases of 370% over the last decade.

The CDC estimates that as many as 50,000 people in the U.S need this regimen to guard against rabies each year.

If You Have A Pet Passport

Your pets vaccination record must have been added by a vet in either:

• a country that can issue a valid pet passport
• Great Britain before 1 January 2021

If your pet passport does not have an up to date vaccination record, youll need an animal health certificate instead.

Your pet can be stopped from travelling if the vaccination details were added to their passport by a vet in Great Britain after 31 December 2020.

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A Look At Each Vaccine: Rabies Vaccine

Rabies vaccine is unique in that it is most often used after exposure to the disease. The only people who typically get vaccinated as a preventive measure are those who are at high risk for exposure, such as laboratory workers, veterinarians, animal handlers, spelunkers , and travelers going to parts of the world where exposure to rabies is likely. People getting vaccinated as a preventive measure should get two doses of vaccine. The second should be given seven days after the first dose. Some people will also be recommended for antibody testing and possibly a booster dose.

Once someone has been exposed, their dosing will vary depending upon their vaccination history:

• For those who have been exposed to rabies without previous vaccination, the vaccine is given shortly after exposure to prevent the progressive, invariably fatal disease, rabies. In these situations, a total of four shots are given in the shoulder muscle of adults or the thigh of children. The first shot is given immediately after exposure to a rabid animal, then again three days later, seven days later, and 14 days later. The person should also receive another shot called rabies immune globulin .
• For those who have been exposed to rabies, but who were previously vaccinated with rabies vaccine, two shots should be given in the shoulder or thigh muscle. The first shot should be given immediately after exposure. A second shot should be given three days later. These people do not need to get RIG.

An Old Treatment Gets New Prices

The rabies virus pierces nerve cells with a bullet-shaped outer shell. It then travels along their long tentacle-like axons to the spinal cord, where it speeds to the brain. Once there, it begins to multiply inside brain cells, destroying them and shutting the body down, organ by organ.

In the late 1800s, scientists realized that it might be possible to defend people against rabies by giving them repeated vaccine doses along with the blood of someone whod developed an immune response to the virus because they had been vaccinated against it.

That treatment — with a purified blood product called human rabies immunoglobulin, combined with repeated doses of rabies vaccine — is still what doctors use to protect people today. When given soon after exposure, these shots always work.

This regimen has never, never, since the 1970s in America, failed. Youve got an ironclad guarantee, says Rodney Willoughby, MD, a pediatrician and rabies expert at the Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

To make the treatment, drug companies have to recruit donors and then professionally immunize them with the vaccine against rabies. Those people then have their blood drawn and purified to make the immunoglobulin, Willoughby says. The drug companies pay these people, who are human antibody factories. It’s a costly process.

But the price of the shots is only part of the picture.

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Rabies Vaccination Rule For Dogs Cats And Ferrets

Washington State rule, WAC 246-100-197, says: An owner of a dog, cat, or ferret shall have it vaccinated against rabies and revaccinated following veterinary and vaccine manufacturer instructions. An “owner” is any person legally responsible for the care and actions of a pet animal.

All dogs, cats, and ferrets in Washington must have up-to-date rabies vaccines. Rabies is a deadly virus that can affect people and animals. Any mammal can get rabies. However, bats are the only animal in Washington known to carry rabies. In other states, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes are known to carry rabies.

Public Assistance For Rabies Treatment Has Waned

In some states, like New York, Florida, and Texas, state and county health departments help control the cost of the shots, either by giving them to patients at cost or picking up any part of the bill thats not covered by insurance.

But this kind of help is becoming harder to find. WebMD and Georgia Health News surveyed health departments in all 50 states and learned that nearly all have dropped this kind of assistance because its become too expensive or because they dont offer patient care through a clinic.

Alaska, for example, stopped offering free rabies treatment in 2014 because it became too expensive. Wyoming also used to cover the cost of rabies treatment, but funding for that program ran out in 2010, says Karl Musgrave, DVM, the state public health veterinarian.

In most areas, the only place that keeps these pricey shots in stock is a hospital emergency room. Patients treated in an ER can expect the wholesale cost of the treatment to be marked up 2 to 3 times, and in some cases dramatically more than that.

I was just stunned when the bill came in, just stunned, said Michael Gallagher. He got an $11,000 bill after a groundhog attacked his wife while she gardened in their backyard last summer in Forest Hill, MD.

She was cut up pretty good, he says. They first called animal control, and then they headed to an emergency room near their home. They never caught the groundhog.

The charges for that first visit totaled nearly $6,000.

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People Who Are Travelling

You should consider being vaccinated against rabies if you’re travelling to an area of the world where rabies is common and:

• you plan to stay for a month or more, or there’s unlikely to be quick access to appropriate medical care
• you plan to do activities that could put you at increased risk of exposure to animals with rabies, such as running or cycling

It takes up to 4 weeks to complete the vaccine course, so you need to start it at least 1 month before you plan to leave.

Pregnant women are advised to have the rabies vaccine if the risk of exposure to rabies is thought to be high and there’s limited access to medical care.

Use the TravelHealthPro website to find out if there’s a risk of rabies in the country you’re travelling to.

How Much Does The Rabies Vaccine Cost

For those who dont have health insurance, the rabies shot cost will vary anywhere from $400 to as much as $1,400 per shot. The geographical location and the clinic will affect the final price. With the rabies shots, you will need five shots over a certain time period, so when everything is said and done, expect the bill to be more than $5,000 to $8,000.

For those who do have health insurance, talk with your insurance provider as you will find that many of them may not cover this shot since it is deemed an optional medical procedure. If the insurance company will cover the shot, refer to your co-pays and insurance policy to see what youre responsible for. With insurance, the average is anywhere from $0 to $50.

Someone who was exposed to rabies and hasnt been vaccinated, they should get four dosages one right away, followed by dosages on the third, seventh and fourteenth day. Another shot, known as Rabies Immune Globulin, should be administered on the first visit as well.

According to the CDC, the cost of rabies shots can well exceed the $1,000 mark. One of the main reasons is because you have to receive five doses over a four-week period.

A forum member on StraightDope.com claimed they had received a bill for more than $5,000.

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Will I Be Fined For Not Having My Pets Vaccinated

There is no enforcement at the state level, however the intent of this new rule is to educate pet owners about the rabies vaccine and encourage them to protect their pets, themselves, and their families by vaccinating. Any enforcement would come from cities or counties. Some communities already require proof of rabies vaccination in order to get a pet license. Contact your city or county animal control office or local health department if you have other questions.

Who Should Not Be Immunised Against Rabies

• If you have an illness causing a high temperature it is best to postpone vaccination until after the illness.
• You should not have a booster if you have had a severe allergic reaction to this vaccine in the past.
• You should not have a rabies vaccination if you have had a severe allergic reaction to one of the components in the vaccine in the past.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding you may still be advised to have the vaccine if the risk of exposure to rabies is high.

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Please Note These Clinic Reminders:

• We can only accept cash or check.
• Dogs and cats may be vaccinated at the clinics.
• Dogs must be on fixed leashes cats must be in carriers.
• You must register for this clinic online. After we have received your registration form you will get a confirmation email, we will process it within 3 business days and you will get a confirmation email.
• All pets will receive a 1-year rabies vaccination and an initial 28-day distemper vaccine, unless you provide proof of prior vaccination. To obtain a longer duration vaccine, you must provide your pet’s rabies certificate and/or vaccine records showing the current vaccination expiration dates while completing your registration form. We are unable to make day-of changes for this.
• We will have 2022 county dog license applications and addressed envelopes will be provided to dog owners, so the application and fee can be mailed to DTA. If dog owners wish to purchase a dog license day-of, they may enter the Animal Shelter and speak with a staff member after receiving the rabies certificate for their dog at the low-cost clinic.

How Long Are Rabies Shots For Cats Good For

The length of time a rabies vaccine is effective for depends on the particular vaccine given to your cat. There are several different brands of rabies vaccines approved by the United States Department of Agriculture for use in cats, and they each come with their own specific guidelines that must be followed.

Some feline rabies vaccines must be given every year, while others can be administered every 3 years. Your cat should receive their first rabies vaccine when they are a kitten , followed by a booster 1 year later. After their booster, the rabies vaccine is given every 1 or 3 years, depending on which one is used.

Which vaccine you receive can depend on what clinic your cat is vaccinated at as well as what state you live in. Your veterinarian can provide you with information on what vaccine they use and what their protocol is.

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Where Can I Get Low

This rule was created with the help of veterinary medical professionals. Many veterinarians have told us they will help people protect their pets and their communities with low-cost rabies vaccines. You can also contact private veterinarians, animal shelters, and animal organizations in your community who can suggest low-cost options.

How Much Do Rabies Shots Cost

As of 2019, approximately 55,000 Americans have recieved PEP each year. The cost varies depending on which state you live in but typically it costs between $1,200 and $6,500. This includes a course of immunoglobulin and four doses of vaccine. It does not include hospital administrative costs or wound care, and thats where it can get really expensive.

Some states help control the cost of treatment by paying what isnt covered by insurance or by giving the vaccination at cost. But these states are getting less and less common as costs increase.

In fact nowadays the only place in most states which keeps the vaccination in stock would be the ER. Getting treatment for rabies in the ER can be even more expensive as the cost there is marked up 2 to 3 times at least.

Its unfortunate to say the least, that while wondering if youve been exposed to a fatal disease you also have to be concerned with how big the bill is going to be for your treatment. You need treatment or you could die, its not the time to try and find the best deal, so you are stuck paying whatever they want to charge you.

Its important to note that while weve quoted an average cost above, some patients have ended up with bills of over $10,000, once hospital administration or ER fees have been included.

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How Much Do Rabies Shots For Cats Cost

The cost of a rabies vaccine will vary widely depending on whether you get it at a veterinary clinic or a vaccine clinic, what brand of vaccine is used, and what area you live in. For example, non-adjuvanted vaccines tend to be more expensive than those containing adjuvants. In addition, the 3-year rabies vaccine is more expensive than the vaccine given annually, although it provides protection for longer.

A quick call to your local veterinary clinic can answer any questions you have about the type or cost of your cats rabies vaccine. They can also point you in the direction of low-cost services if needed, as any rabies vaccine is better than none.

What Are The Side Effects Of Rabies Vaccines In Cats

Fortunately, reactions to vaccines are very uncommon in cats. In fact, side effects of rabies vaccines in cats are very rare. When they do happen, they include slight fever, lethargy, decreased appetite and a localized swelling at the vaccine site.

These rabies vaccine side effects usually disappear within a few days.

In extremely rare cases, cats may develop an allergic reaction to the vaccine, which includes hives, swelling of the face and itchiness.

Severe reaction can include weakness and collapse. Keep in mind that these reactions are extremely rare allergic reactions occur in fewer than 10 cats out of each 10,000 cats vaccinated.

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What You Need To Know About Rabies Vaccines For Cats

Rabies is a viral disease typically found in wild animalsmost commonly raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes. However, any mammal can become infected if they are exposed. That is why it is essential that we keep our pets protected with consistent rabies vaccines.

Both indoor and outdoor cats are at risk for contracting rabies. Heres what you need to know about the rabies vaccine for cats, including the schedule, side effects and cost.

Answers To Your Questions About Rabies Prevention And Treatment

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