# Antivaxers are now advocating for not giving rabies vaccines because it shortens the life and causes autism...in dogs **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 7, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979 "2024-04-07T19:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/21 "2024-04-07T21:04:44Z")
I have a vague memory that a rabies vaccine after a bite had to be given in the stomach and were very unpleasant. I _think_ today the shots are much less scary. Not sure though. I was bitten by a dog in the early 70s and the doctors were discussing starting me on the shots (the scary ones). I recall thinking I’d rather die than have that shot (I was very young but old enough to know I didn’t want those shots because they sounded awful…also too young to know what rabies really was). Fortunately, they got the dog and it was fine so no shots for me. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/22 "2024-04-07T21:10:41Z")
My shots were upper arm. Of course, I had to have all 5. Over the course of a month. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/23 "2024-04-07T21:13:08Z")
Dogs should not be _given_ rabies shots. The dogs should have to pay for them. That’s how health care works in America! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/24 "2024-04-07T21:21:42Z")
Yeah. My Vet. You pay before you play. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/25 "2024-04-07T21:38:27Z")
That was my first thought when I read the title of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/26 "2024-04-07T21:52:07Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > How painful were the anti-rabies shots? I thought they were famous for being painful. Not as bad as they were years ago; but still pretty bad. And neither version’s anywhere near as bad as rabies. The degree of willful stupidity involved in this would be past belief, if it weren’t for all the other things I’ve had to believe in the last few years. > [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Dogs should not be _given_ rabies shots. The dogs should have to pay for them. That’s how health care works in America! Around here, at least, they actually do give them away, if you’re willing to take your dog or cat to a rabies shot clinic (the regular vet will charge, but will also give a routine exam which the clinic won’t.) It’s considered, quite sensibly, a public health issue. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/27 "2024-04-07T21:52:07Z")
And what is the downside of a dog being autistic? No drug sniffing or bomb squad work? Not wanting to play fetch? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/28 "2024-04-07T21:53:54Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > what is the downside of a dog being autistic? No drug sniffing or bomb squad work? Not wanting to play fetch? Possibly not being affectionate to their human, I suppose. However, how even anybody who believes this can think that the attentions of a rabid dog are preferable is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/29 "2024-04-07T21:59:26Z")
Cats definitely are! I’m guessing that animals with trisomies (cats have 38 chromosomes; dogs have 78) don’t live very long, if they even survive birth. Yeah, I’ve heard this “don’t vaccinate your pet for these reasons” story for years. [Dogs with Down Syndrome: Is It Possible?](https://petcube.com/blog/dogs-with-down-syndrome/#:~:text=Can%20dogs%20have%20autism%20or,CDB%2C%20or%20canine%20dysfunctional%20behavior). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/30 "2024-04-07T22:04:49Z")
Most trisomy conditions in humans are deadly to the fetus before birth, too. Down’s syndrome is unusual in being survivable, which is in part because 21 is one of the smallest chromosomes. My not-very-educated guess would be that trisomies would be less severe, in general, the more total chromosomes an animal normally has. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/31 "2024-04-07T23:45:01Z")
I had to get rabies shots a couple years ago when I got bit by a dog at the dog park. The owner took off and I was never able to locate her, so I had to eat the costs of the shots myself. Even with insurance, my out of pocket was over $600. I did not find the shots themselves particularly bad. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/32 "2024-04-08T02:14:19Z")
Modern rabies shots aren’t usually the nightmare they were in past decades. I once worked with someone who, before going to veterinary school, had to be immunized against rabies. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/33 "2024-04-08T02:38:17Z")
I specifically had cramps and muscle pain with them. The doc said it wouldn’t kill me but rabies would. I had to get antibiotics shots too, the same time. So I was more inundated. I guess. That 5th one was a bitch, I’m telling you. I got flu like symptoms after as well. So individuals can have unpleasant effects. The stories of the how horrible it was gonna be were way worse than it was. Still. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/34 "2024-04-08T02:55:31Z")
I guess I did things wrong. My cats got an annual rabies vaccination. If I’d only known that I could lengthen their lives by not vaccinating them, they could have lived to age 25, instead of one to age 18, two to age 19, and one to age 20. [Sarcasm off.] ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/35 "2024-04-08T06:19:36Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I once worked with someone who, before going to veterinary school, had to be immunized against rabies. I’ve read that spelunkers often get rabies shots as a precaution in case they run into a rabid bat. The immunizations are less painful than the shots you need to get after you’re bitten. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/36 "2024-04-09T01:31:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > …The immunizations are less painful than the shots you need to get after you’re bitten. I had to get the big-ass immunoglobulin shots after I was bitten. They were huge and horrific looking, but I found them to be _relatively_ painless. My HepA vaccine was much more painful. YMMV of course. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/37 "2024-04-09T04:10:39Z")
And also a lot less frightening, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/38 "2024-04-09T05:00:53Z")
No, no, no. [Dogs have ADHD](https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Have-ADHD-Kathy-Hoopmann/dp/1787756602/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.H0MReUNqjq6WwXgm7q2X4qK5_IAKoWf5ztEurEWsiDkLTLDurKvYeFwaItyq0Z_ybhwzsQ8lkempZwyup1y6NMwaasBZMmqcN_buWJjC_bB5bcnfL5cuxM3dUaKkQBGjVkF1_5ufwSpC-8Bvp05Glw2qrwVzQcjedOdQKP9DHME0PCddvMRsr4G6IQMn4sNkUDQx5u07GRMaxzOHVg0pQm9np691Z6e-p2lZScP4WdY.y1vHfwXc6PdbUzCU1zZBVSmt3AGzNi38iYep9gNXgSI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Dogs+have+adhd&qid=1712638666&sr=8-1), its the [cats that have autism](https://a.co/d/6s0puvE) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/39 "2024-04-09T05:26:44Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > However, how even anybody who believes this can think that the attentions of a rabid dog are preferable is beyond me. Hey, they may be trying to rip my throat out, but at least they care about how I’m doing. I’m getting the attention. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979/40 "2024-04-09T11:44:53Z")
A friend of mine wanted to get the pre-exposure rabies vaccination series (he was working with stray dogs) but it was too expensive. Instead, he ended up doing a common workaround. He was bitten on the hand by a friend’s vaccinated cat and thought an antibiotic was appropriate. He went to an ER and told them he was bitten by a raccoon that approached him at a park. His insurance paid for his post exposure treatment, which is the same as pre exposure vaccination with the addition of immunoglobulin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivaxers-are-now-advocating-for-not-giving-rabies-vaccines-because-it-shortens-the-life-and-causes-autism-in-dogs/999979.md?page=3)