Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone!

I know this may sound like a silly question, but is it possible for a cat to get rabies even though he had a rabies shot? Does anyone know of any situations when something like this has happened?

The reason why I am asking is because one of my cats had died the other day from an unknown issue. He started vomiting and drooling last Wednesday evening. We took him to the emergency vet where he received an anti-nausea pill. He looked worse on Thursday, so we took him to another vet (one we had never went to before). His blood work was great except for an elevated WBC count, so the vet began treating him for a head trauma (gave him a antibiotic that lasts 2 weeks, and sent home more antibiotic and steroid). Thursday night he was breathing with his mouth open all night, and something did not seem right. We took him back Friday morning, and she took x-rays. His chest and lungs were perfect, but he had a lot of gas in his stomach and small intestines. The vet gave him anti-gas medicine. Friday night he had pinpoint size pupils and he was experiencing some weird short body jerking movements (like convulsions or seizures but not as bad). We took him back to the vet Saturday morning and he tied a couple of hours later at the vet's office. The vet told us that she thinks he had rabies, so she is sending his brain for testing. We told her that he had his rabies shot on June 9, 2011, but she still believes that is what it was. Is this possible? I thought the rabies vaccine was supposed to prevent rabies? Also, my cat was never bit by another animal.

Thanks for your help!

Hello,

First I'd like to say that I am very sorry for your loss.

I cannot imagine that your cat had rabies since he wasn't bitten by another animal. As far as I know, and I was a vet tech for many, many years, the only way to contract rabies is by being bitten by a rabid animal. The vaccine would give some protection, but no vaccine is 100%. I believe that if a vaccinated animal were bitten by a known rabid animal, isolation, and possibly some treatment, would be necessary.

I feel so bad for all that you and your kitty went through.....

Regards,
PHKitkat

Thank you! We are saddened by his loss. He was only 1 and a half years old and his death was so sudden.

I talked to the vet today when I stopped by to get my carrier back from them, and I showed her his rabies tag, so she could make a copy. I asked her what the odds are that he had rabies with being vaccinated and never being bit, and she never really gave me a real answer. She did tell us not to worry, and that now she doesn't really think it was rabies, but she has to legally rule it out as an option. I guess we will find out in a few days whether or not he had rabies. I had searched the internet all over just to see if there were ever any cases of an animal with the rabies vaccine getting rabies and I have yet to find one. Every website says that vaccination is only way to guarantee the animal will not get rabies. So, I am so confused by all of this. I do not think my cat had rabies, because there were not many rabies symptoms. Yes he was drooling, but he was never aggressive, he did not have trouble swallowing, and he did not suffer from paralysis. After researching the internet, his symptoms matched that of poisoning, but his chemistry tests came out fine. I'm not sure what happened to him, but it happened so fast.

Hi Again,

Any loss is difficult, but a sudden loss, especially of such a young kitty, is heartbreaking.

The symptoms sound more like a toxin to me also........so hard to not have any answers.

Take Care,

PHKitkat