When do dogs need rabies shots? Is it safe to vaccinate dogs for rabies at 8 weeks?
Original Question: It is okay that my dog has been injected an anti-rabies vaccine at the age of 2 months? - Mark
Jan 21, 2019
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your question.
Different vaccines are licensed for use at different ages and with different protocols, so it really depends on the vaccine. With the rabies vaccines that I’m familiar with, they can definitely be given to a dog as young as four weeks of age, but they’ll always require that the final initial vaccination course or even single vaccination be given at 12 weeks of age or older. So if a dog is being vaccinated at a younger age, so at eight weeks here, then they will need a second vaccination at 12 weeks of age or older but please consult with your veterinarian as the vaccination and legislative requirements be different in your area.
I encourage you to check out more resources and pet health videos available here on vaccination, “How Often Vaccines Need Boosters & The Benefits of Titer Testing for Dogs & Cats”, “Which Vaccines Should I Give My Dog or Cat?”, and “Everything You Need to Know About Vaccine Reactions” for more information about this topic.
I hope this gives you some insight.
Dr. Alex Avery
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