Rabies Vaccination of Wildlife and Domestic Animals other than Dogs

Summary

Rabies vaccines have been found effective in a variety of domestic animals other than dogs, and are approved for use in those species. They include cats, cattle, sheep, goats and horses. Although attenuated vaccines are often used to immunize these animals, and are potent in the laboratory and in the field, inactivated vaccines are being used more and more, especially in tropical areas where vaccine stabilization is difficult. There are no vaccines approved for immunizing wild animals, and, in fact, all veterinary groups strongly discourage the owning of wild animals as pets. The only wildlife vaccine is an attenuated vaccine, SAD-BHK, administered by mass oral administration in the field and has been used extensively in Switzerland and in the Federal Republic of Germany.