Banfield Pet Hospital

I took our 4yr old female dog to get a yearly check-up and rabies vaccination. She is very shy and timid (adopted pound puppy). She has had the vaccination before, no problem. She has no health issues & is in great health. The vet said her heart rate was too high and would come back to re-check it after 10 minutes. She calmed down and after the re-check, her hr was "high-normal" (my dog was shaking and quivering each time he touched her). Because her heart rate was elevated, he did not/would not administer a rabies vaccination. I asked if there was a contraindication to a "high-normal" heart rate and the vaccination. He said no, but he didn't want to give it to her in case there's an underlying heart issue. My take-home impression is that my dog is better off contracting rabies and having a very low potential for a heart condition. All states require the vaccination. No exceptions. If my dog does have (very unlikely) a heart issue, she still needs the vaccination.

My Vet friend replied:

Well his attitude mystifies me. I can think of no rational medical reason not to vaccinate an otherwise healthy dog with a slightly elevated heart rate. If I followed that procedure in my clinic, I doubt if I'd give more than one of two vaccinations a month! Most dogs' heart rates are elevated in the clinic. I would suggest either you give him a call and ask for an explanation as to why he won't vaccinate your dog, or find someone who will, and that really shouldn't be too difficult.