# Where on the body is rabies shots administered?



## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Where is the rabies shot given for dogs??

I took Nia in for a rabies shot on Friday, it's Tuesday right now. Today when I was giving her a scratch, she suddenly yelped. As I felt her side more, there's a lump just above her right thigh on the body. It seems to hurt when I press it.

Could it be from the rabies shot the vet gave her? The vet tech took her inside for the rabies shot since it had to be administered by a certified vet and the vet was inside working.

Otherwise she's acting perfectly normally and no problems at all.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

I think Nea and Icesis both got theirs in the same spot as well, I just took them in last month. I wasn't paying 100% attention to where exactly, though. =(


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Pai said:


> I think Nea and Icesis both got theirs in the same spot as well, I just took them in last month. I wasn't paying 100% attention to where exactly, though. =(


I don't actually know where Nia got hers.

Was theirs on the body? Because I could've sworn the first time I took her in they gave it to her in the neck or something....


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## grab (Sep 26, 2009)

It's given in the right rear leg area, generally.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

I dunno either...since mine have always had their rabies in conjunction with other shots or boosters at the time...I never paid much attention as to what shot site belonged to what shot given ..sorry!..I just know that EVERYTIME mine have had shots, that I expect about 3 days for them to be back to normal...


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Well Nia is completely normal in behavior. It's just that there's a small lump about the size of half an egg on her right side. And it does hurt if you scratch over it or press it. I never noticed it in the last 3 days, not sure if I wasn't paying attention or it wasn't there.

I'm going to observe it for the next few days, if it doesn't go away I guess we'll be making a trip to the vet.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

SinceI had all of Laiks shots done..(my vet couldn't read, nor make sense of her "priors", so, on that day she got wormed, tapeworm pill, 4 shots(one of which was rabies), & the kennel cough stuff in her nose...2 shots in each shoulder, & 2 shots on both sides of her rump...well, the one on her left shoulder felt like a goose-egg for almost 2 weeks...took FOREVER to go down...perhaps that one was where she got her rabies shot at? I dunno (???)..things are fine now though, &, I can't even tell that she ever had a problem left from it, but...whatever shot they gave in her left shoulder - man...was a biotch to settle for her...


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Wow! I would never let a vet give that many shots to Nia on the same day. I'd probably take her back a few times and do the shots individually in case she has a reaction because otherwise I wouldn't know which one she's having a reaction from!

Hmm...maybe it is the rabies shot then because I'm feeling kind of worried. Your experience with Laik makes me feel better though!

Btw, when are we going to get more pics of the 2?


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

Michiyo-Fir said:


> Btw, when are we going to get more pics of the 2?


 It has been a very diligent(from my end) 3 weeks or so from my end trying to get them both "sorted"..she came to mean as spit...LITERALLY...the mention of her going to live with my MIL has come up several times(easy way out I know)...I, however, am not ready to give up on the "pap from hell"(as quoted from her previous owners), so, I now run a 24/7 Pap "kindergarted"...We got her spayed about 2 weeks ago(hoping that would help drain the mean outta her)...she is a wonderful little gal,...just so reactive to EVERYTHING, &, hogs & steals the most basic resources, even though those things are abundent..like water & toys & such. I have to feed her alone...she could be eating rocks for all she knows..she really doesn't care either. Even though we took her in on a "barter", I swear she has turned out to be a rescue in EVERY SINCE OF THE WORD!!  NO WAY IN HELL would I EVER give her back to her other owners...they, in my book, allowed her to become this neurotic I think, &, they claim that they "had noooo idea" as to why she is the way she is....um, yeah, ok...LIARS...they already quoted her as being "the pap from hell" though, didn't they?
Whew...I guess I went on a "tangent", didn't I?....I have pics of her, just, mostly alot of blurry ones.....actually am looking into a decent Nikon to be "abdopted=bought" by me pretty soon!.....Pics of Devil dog will soon be posted!!


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

My dogs have all gotten rabies shots in their "scruff", and so do all the dogs at the shelter. 

Cats however, have to get rabies shots in their back leg (which is always on the right side, though I can't remember why...) because apparently they've been known to get cancer/tumors from the rabies shots and it's easier to take out a tumor from the leg or amputate than try to remove cancer or a tumor from the neck. It's possible that some vets do this with dogs just to make sure that can't happen if it decided to occur in dogs as well, but I'm not sure.


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## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 18, 2009)

For Harleigh's 1-year Rabies shot, she got it on the back of her neck. When she got her 3-year Rabies shot a few days ago, she got it in her right rear leg.

I don't know why the switch, but I was confused.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Maybe one year doses can be administered to the neck, but more powerful doses for longer periods of time go into the leg?


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

DJEtzel said:


> Maybe one year doses can be administered to the neck, but more powerful doses for longer periods of time go into the leg?


One year dose is the same as 3 year dose, usually given in the hip. Not unusal to have a lump and should go away in 3-4 weeks.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

If it's the same, then what's the difference between a one year and three year?

All my one years have been in the neck.


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

DJEtzel said:


> If it's the same, then what's the difference between a one year and three year?
> 
> All my one years have been in the neck.


Q: Why do all dogs get the same vaccine dose, irrespective of size, or breed?

A: When we give drugs such as antibiotics or wormers, the effect depends on achieving a certain concentration of the active ingredient in the body of the animal and, for this reason the larger the body mass, the greater the total amount needed to achieve a dose level of 'X' mg/kg. However, vaccination doesn't work like this, when we give a dose of vaccine what we are doing is giving a sufficient dose to stimulate the body's immune system to generate a protective immune response. *The immune system in fact requires the same degree of stimulus irrespective of the body mass or breed, therefore we need to use exactly the same dose of vaccine for a Chihuahua as for a Great Dane!*

http://www.noah.co.uk/issues/briefingdoc/12-dogva.htm

Possibly your vet prefers the neck (should be the shoulder). Mine use to give the injection in the shoulder but now the hip. I know there's a reason but for now that one escapes me.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

I know how your dog feels. Yesterday I was vaccinated for Thyphoid Fever, Yellow Fever, Hep A/B, Tetanus, and Stupidity. The last one really hurt and left a mark.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Today it seems even more sore than yesterday since she yelps if I just pet over that area. I just phoned the vet to see if they can check where the rabies vaccine was given. For some reasons, the receptionist didn't want to tell me and wanted me to book an appointment to have it checked.

I'm going to wait until tomorrow and if it's still sore, I'll try to book an appointment for Friday before the office closes for the weekend.

Could it possibly be a bee bite or something??


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

DJEtzel said:


> If it's the same, then what's the difference between a one year and three year?
> 
> All my one years have been in the neck.


They're the exact same vaccine, just the label is different. The 'one year' label is generally used in places where they haven't gone over to the 3-year protocol.



> Was theirs on the body?


It was on their thigh, I think. Not the neck, I remember that much.


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## Hallie (Nov 9, 2008)

Hallie got hers on her back hip area. Peanut got one in the thigh and one in the neck. Both got rabies and the annual parvo distemper etc. The vet may have preferred to give one in Hallie's neck but Hallie isn't a bit fond of strange people.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Thanks guys, I hope it's the injection site being sore and not something else. I'm going to post this in the health section I think.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Depends on the vet. Typically it's given in the shoulder or the thigh, you'll have to call you vet to find out exactly where they gave it.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

animalcraker said:


> Depends on the vet. Typically it's given in the shoulder or the thigh, you'll have to call you vet to find out exactly where they gave it.


Thanks, I've already called. Just waiting for them to call me back with the info.


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