# Rabies Vaccination for Goats



## OneFineAcre (Jan 20, 2013)

I don't believe I have heard anyone on here reference vaccinating their goats for Rabies.

Do you or don't you?

When my vet comes out to do our herd health check he vaccinates all of ours over 6 months old for rabies.  We live in an area with a lot of foxes, raccoons, etc that are know to carry rabies.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jan 20, 2013)

*I haven't seen it too much on this website, but I have noticed it's pretty popular other places. My vet never mentioned it, and I don't think anyone else around here does.*


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 20, 2013)

Ok so in NC I'm 99% sure that is is STATE LAW that you have your goats get a rabies vaccine but thing is, it is not approved for goats. What's that? I have one vet that says it is law and that you should do it but another that does give it because it's not labels or approved for goats so said vet does not give it. 

I personally do not give it. I don't think it's a big deal if you give it or not but I'm not into it and wont give it to mine.


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 20, 2013)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> Ok so in NC I'm 99% sure that is is STATE LAW that you have your goats get a rabies vaccine but thing is, it is not approved for goats. What's that? I have one vet that says it is law and that you should do it but another that does give it because it's not labels or approved for goats so said vet does not give it.
> 
> I personally do not give it. I don't think it's a big deal if you give it or not but I'm not into it and wont give it to mine.


I'm about 99% sure that it is not state law in N.C.  

Not sure about the approval for goats, I'll have to take your word. (Edited, you are correct it is considered "off label" to give to goats)

My vet (and I think you know who he is) recommended we have our herd vaccinated.  I think if it was law he would have said so.  

According to him, if one of your animals comes in contact with a rabid animal, and your herd is not vaccinated, the state will put your entire herd down.

Check out WRAL.COM.  A LaMancha in Efland tested positive for rabies 2 days ago.

If I have him coming out anyway, and he charges $10 a head.  I'm going to do it.

I read a little more, in some states it is required to vaccinate for Rabies  if showing.  I can tell you at NC State Fair it is not.  There was a case in NY where a goat being showed developed rabies and they had to screen a lot of people and treat over 400


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 20, 2013)

I'll have to look it up. I have been told before that you are, by law, supposed to give them a rabies vaccine. I hope it's not law though.

Yep so if it is law (going to check in a min) then what are we going to do if it is not approved? Really ppl?

Yes I know your vet. Good person and vet. Practice is about 15 mins from here I believe.  I wonder what said vet would would suggest for here. 



> According to him, if one of your animals comes in contact with a rabid animal, and your herd is not vaccinated, the state will put your entire herd down.


Yes that is true. 

10$ a head? That's alot! Glad my vet and I are real close and are neighbors. Alot of our care is done in exchange for stuff and we really don't pay much, esp for the small things like that.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 20, 2013)

Two good rabies info documents I found.

Number one
Number two

Still searching for info about goats though.

ETA: 





> Rabies
> There are several killed virus rabies vaccines made for sheep that are not labeled for goats. The vaccines seem to be effective for goats; however, they are too expensive to be practical in many situations.


- From these guys

That doesn't mean much and has nothing to do with law but thought I'd throw it up anyway. I think it would be best to call someone and find out. I'm not finding anything online about it.


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 20, 2013)

You think $10 a head is a lot?  I don't have a vet to trade with.  I wish I did.  Maybe I can find someone who will take milk or cheese 

 When I started reading about this, I came across another forum and they were complaining that they were required to vaccinate to show at fairs even thought it is "off label" and it cost $20

I am 99.9% sure it isn't law in NC that goats be vaccinated.  We show at the fair, and every animal that steps foot on the property is examined by a vet.  To be sure if it was law they would ask for documentation.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 20, 2013)

I've heard it both ways. It is a concern that is for sure. You're not kidding about rabies being a serious issue. NC is one of the worst Rabies states in the country, and my county one of the worst in the state :/ 

A farm about 4-7 miles from here had some cows drop dead from rabies...the herd was all quarantined for 6 months. 

Coyotes, fox, coons are crazy here!

We keep our eye on a PRION DISEASE blog/website that covers the US. I'm a geek and like to keep an eye on this stuff. 

One of our vets does a lot of work with the state, I'm going to dble check with him.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 20, 2013)

Yep. Vet is next door and I think that we have as good a relationship with our vet as anyone. That's where I spend alot of my spare time. I also run my goats on that land.

And yes I think 10$ is alot of money for a vaccine. btw I saw some stuff like that too. I also know that NY had a big issue with it a while back ago.

I'm starting to think you are right. I'm sure they would  check and make sure of all that in a show if that is law. I'm glad it's not law.


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## Chris (Jan 23, 2013)

According to Cornell EDU -

Rabies 
- No rabies vaccine is licensed for goats in the US.  
- Use killed vaccine licensed for sheep; Imrab favored. 
- Only a veterinarian can give rabies vaccine in New York  
- be sure vaccine brand and serial number are recorded.  
- State officials will not recognize the goat as vaccinated if there is later concern 
about human exposure, but owner has peace of mind and vaccine probably 
effective. 
Which Animals? Pets, show goats, exposure to raccoons, skunks or foxes. 
When? Annually, beginning at 3 months of age. 
Vaccination site?  Subcutaneous if Imrab.  Defensor labeled for 
intramuscular use. 
Withdrawal period?
Milk - none in cattle or sheep  
Meat - 21 days in cattle and sheep, so use 21 days for goats also.
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/GoatHealth/VaccinatingGoats.pdf

The vaccine Imrab runs 34.23 for 10ml (5 doses)

Chris


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## Southern by choice (Jan 29, 2013)

I did verify about rabies in NC

~ NOT required by law
~some vets are saying this but it is not true
~there is a particular kind that should be used in goats if you do have them vac. (forgot what it was called)
~your herd, if exposed, WILL BE QUARANTINED for 6 months


In my case vaccination is not really necessary because we are heavily "dogged". We have 4 LGD's and 1 farm dog and 1 high prey drive GSD. Nothing is going to get to our goats. The dogs of course are all vaccinated.

BTW- If your dog does get into a fight or kills a rabid animal the dog should be re-vaccinated within 96 hours.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 29, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> I did verify about rabies in NC
> 
> ~ NOT required by law
> ~some vets are saying this but it is not true
> ...




And not "should", must be.


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## bonbean01 (Jan 29, 2013)

I did not know that...thought the rabies shot for dogs lasted a year...never had anything attack our pet dogs, but this is good info to know should that ever happen!


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 29, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> I did verify about rabies in NC
> 
> ~ NOT required by law
> ~some vets are saying this but it is not true
> ...


Quarantined at your expense!!!!  For 6 months.

Don't forget that part.  

It will be at an approved animal control facility, not at your farm.

I have 20 goats.  It would cost thousands and thousands and thousands to quarantine 20 for 6 months.

For all intents and purposes, I'd have to have my herd put down.

And are you sure, that if one of you LGD's got into a fight, or killed a rabid animal on your farm, that they wouldn't then "assume" your goats had come into contact??


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## Southern by choice (Jan 29, 2013)

OneFineAcre said:
			
		

> Southern by choice said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Most of the time that is a big scare tactic. The quarantine, depending on where you live is often done on the farm, when it comes to livestock.

Our neighbors a few miles from us just went through this last year. They had 3 cows go down with rabies, and another farm down the road had a donkey go down. 

I dealt with this about 11-12 years ago with a pup that wasn't old enough to be vac yet... snatched a bat out of the air. We had to quarantine her and since I had a kennel I could do that... we did retrieve the bat and it was sent off to the state for testing.


The person I contacted basically told me to give the names of the speakers and vets who are saying that it is law. I think some calls are gonna be made. 

I'll pm you tomorrow  1 fine acre- not going to say too much about it in a public forum.


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 29, 2013)

My vet never said it was law.  He recommended that we have our herd vaccinated.

Straw Hat initially said he thought it was law, but I think I pursuaded him that that wasn't the case.

They have a vet check every goat that goes to the fair, but they don't ask for documentation that you have had rabies vaccinations, so if it was law I think they would

Like I said, our vet recommended we vaccinate, he never said it was law.  He is a professor at the vet school so if it was a law I think he would have stated it that way, not recommended it.

Base on what you said in your last post about the nearby farm having 3 cows with rabies and another with a Donkey with rabies and the recent story on WRAL about the La Mancha in Orange county with rabies, I think it was good advice.

I am certianly not trying to convince anyone what they should or shouldn't do.  I just started this thread because I had never heard anyone mention rabies vaccine.

And I do think it is a good discussion.

A very good discussion.  I respect your opinion and Straw Hats.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 29, 2013)

Don't get me wrong, I *DO* think in most settings, especially here in NC where rabies is very bad, it is a good idea. 

Straw has heard that like I have, about it being "Law".  I heard this recently at a conference with people from the vet schools and NC STATE, I thought maybe something had changed since we got our goats. It was certainly worth re-visiting. The one thing that is a bit of a concern for me is that there is no rabies vaccine that has been _approved in the use of goats_. Yes they are using them but none are actually approved.

I just thought I'd share. 

I will say having a heavily dogged (LGD's) environment has greatly helped our situation here. 2 seperate fox families have moved on and the coyotes seem to stay away as of the past several months. The coons gone, possums gone. They are worth their weight in gold! 

Everyone around us with goats has LGD's and they never lose kids. Kinda makes me wonder about the cattle farmers and why they don't use them. I only know of one that does. We are in deep country so the hunters and folk around here do a great job of keeping the pests numbers down.


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 29, 2013)

Agreed.

For us it seems a relatively cheap insurance policy considering the risk where we are at.

I'm lightly LGD'd   Just Mikey

I may have been a bit "alarmist" over the whole quarantine thing, but wouldn't want to leave my fate in the hands of some county "animal control" official.

I've got my area divided into quadrants, and at night Mikey stays in one area with the does and kids.  I have two bucklings in a pen by themselves, but it is closer to the house and is a pen inside a fenced area.  Most exposed area is the buck pen.  It's on the back bordering a field

At this point, I try to consciously manage my risk and LGD coverage.

But, we've been having an ongoing discussion on how to divide the does that are going to bred in the spring and how to pen them with the bucks and feel they are secure at night.

I really need another LGD.


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## Tapsmom (Jan 29, 2013)

I vaccinate mine for Rabies as well.  My dogs and horse get the shot as well so I have the goats done as well.  In CT, horses, sheep, cattle are required to have rabies shots to show but goats are not.  However, it is necessary to show in a 4H fair and we are 4H members.  One of my neighbor's is friendly with a vet who comes out for us in the Spring and will vaccinate our critters for us for a nominal fee.  We just purchase the shots.


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