Rabies in isolation
How Russians "hunt" for vaccines for their pets
What dog and cat owners in Russia feared most has come to pass: several regions have reported mass deaths of pets after vaccination with a domestically produced rabies drug. According to some reports, over 300 dogs have died. Hundreds more have developed serious illnesses.
Controversy about Russian vaccines being significantly inferior to imported ones has been going on for years. However, until 2022, dog and cat owners had a choice—they could easily buy foreign vaccines for their pets. After the war and the imposition of sanctions, this option disappeared—well-established brands left Russia.
Over the past four years, some have used "gray" schemes to purchase imported vaccines for their animals, while others have decided to take a risk and switch to domestic ones.
How this market works, and what changes the mass death of dogs has triggered, is covered in NeMoskva's article.
The first signal of a mass death of dogs has come at the beginning of August from Kaliningrad — a young purebred dog named Bestia died there after being administered the Multikan-8 vaccine.
Following this, messages began to arrive from Yaroslavl region, where more than 20 dead animals were immediately counted.
Dog owners from Moscow, Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Tyumen, Tula, Saratov и Kostroma.
By the end of August, the number of dead dogs more than tripled up to 169. At the same time, According to According to the Telegram channel "Baza," which is close to the security forces, the number is even higher—over 300. According to the owners of deceased dogs, clinics recommend cremating the bodies without autopsies, which destroys evidence. And laboratories refuse conduct research due to "pressure from above".
Also media publish information about the death of several cats after administration of the Multifel vaccine, which is produced by the same company. However, Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) has not reported any cases of mass cat deaths. does not confirm.
The Multikan-8 and Multifel vaccines are designed to protect dogs and cats from distemper, rabies, and other infections. The drugs are produced by the Moscow-based company Vetbiokhim and are positioned as a "full-fledged and safe replacement for imported analogues that have left the country." Last year, the company's net profit made almost two billion rubles.
Company representatives believe the mass deaths of dogs may have been caused by improper storage conditions of the vaccine. Several batches of the drug, totaling tens of thousands of doses, have already been recalled from the market.
The exact cause of the animals' deaths remains unknown. An official explanation is promised following the investigation, which is expected to be completed in October.
Vaccinations without consequences
According to the All-Russian Pet Census, there are nearly 50 million cats and 25 million dogs in the country. However, rabies vaccines vaccinated only 30% of them.
Annual vaccinations against rabies, distemper, and other infections are necessary for all pets—even those that never leave the apartment. This is because dangerous bacteria can be brought in by the owner themselves: on their hands, clothing, or shoes.
Statistics show that for many years, up until February 2022, the leading positions in the Russian vaccine market occupied The Dutch drug Nobivac was used annually to vaccinate approximately three million dogs and two million cats. This represents one in three vaccinated dogs and one in seven vaccinated cats.
A subscriber of "NeMoskva" Larissa i (The names of all characters in the text have been changed for their safety.) lives in one of the cities Trans-UralsIn 2020, she adopted a dog from the street, and it has been living with her family for six years now.
“I am an anxious owner,” she begins the story of how she chose the vaccine. So, before doing anything with my dog, I did a lot of research. First of all, of course, I talked to dog owners. You understand that when you walk dogs, you might not know the owner's name for years, but you know all the dogs. And all the conversations, for the most part, revolve around them. Well, Nobivac was considered the safest of all the drugs on the Russian market at the time. Veterinarians told me the same thing.
The same opinion is shared by Natalia - the owner of three cats from Moscow region.
- Two of my cats are purebred, - she clarifies. — So, I took them in already with their passports and vaccinations. And I observed that owners of large catteries were able to save money and vaccinate with Russian vaccines, which were clearly cheaper. For example, one of my cats was vaccinated with Multifel as a kitten. But subsequently, I always used Nobivac because my cats tolerate it better. All vaccinations were carried out without any adverse effects, allergic reactions, or pain. Everything was always good, gentle, and reliable.
Another subscriber of "NotMoscow" Marina emphasized that in veterinary clinics in her city, which is located in Central RussiaUntil February 2022, not only the Dutch Nobivac but also other imported vaccines were freely available, such as the French Eurican or the American Vanguard. Marina preferred to vaccinate her dog with imported vaccines.
“At the same time, I never perceived Russian vaccines as inherently bad,” she says. "It's just that imported ones were recommended by clinics; animals had been vaccinated with them for years. I think they were simply more trusted. And owners didn't have to change their usual medication, which their animals tolerated well."
I have a male and female cat, both older. In 2022, I still had Nobivac, but in 2023, I didn't have it anymore and switched to Multifel. I'd never had it before, but everything was fine that time. I haven't vaccinated them since, and I won't risk it anytime soon. (a subscriber's comment under the "NeMoskva" news item)
A country without Nobivak
Supplies of most foreign vaccines to Russia stopped after it launched a full-scale war with Ukraine.
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, the last legal batch of Nobivac was delivered to the country in July 2022. However, some veterinary clinics still had enough of the drug for a couple of years (its shelf life is 48 months from the date of manufacture).
— In 2022, we vaccinated our dog with Nobivac, which was available at a clinic on the other side of town, — Larisa from the Trans-Urals tells us. "In 2023, Nobivac was no longer available, but we found the French Eurikan in a neighboring city and went there to get vaccinated. By 2024, however, there were no other options left, so we've already been vaccinated twice with the domestic Multikan-8. We were very nervous the first time, but fortunately, there were no side effects."
Natalya from the Moscow region paid almost 15 rubles for her cat's Nobivac vaccination in 2024, including the doctor's house call.
— An exorbitant sum, of course, — she says. — The vaccine, the doctor claimed, was from old batches and not counterfeit. The cat tolerated the shot well.
Natalia vaccinated two other cats that year with the Czech vaccine "Biofel", and they also had no significant consequences.
“But in 2025, the Biofel vaccination had a very bad effect on my animals,” Natalia continues. — I had to resuscitate them. They were extremely lethargic, refusing food and drink, lying like rags, rising on their paws and falling over, and then limping for a long time. And then I decided that I would no longer conduct such experiments on them and would do everything in my power to obtain Nobivac.
This year Natalia went to get the Dutch vaccine BelarusTo do this, she had to purchase a special medical container to prevent the drug from spoiling on the way to Russia (Nobivac is delivered at a temperature between +2 and +8°C; freezing is not permitted).
"In Minsk, we bought the vaccine at the first chain veterinary pharmacy we came across. Everything was official: with a receipt, straight from the refrigeration unit. We loaded it into a temperature-controlled container, brought it to Moscow, and vaccinated the cats. I'll say right away that it was difficult to find a doctor who would agree to a fraudulent procedure: that is, give the cats a Nobivac injection and stamp their passports with Multifel. But I found one. If I hadn't, I would have researched the matter and vaccinated them myself, without any stamps in the passports."
Distance matters
Marina, who lives in a city in Central Russia, has, on the contrary, become wary of Nobivac after it left the country.
In her opinion, a foreign name alone doesn't mean a vaccine is better than a Russian one. What's more important to a dog owner is that the drug is officially registered, stored properly, and that the clinic can stand behind it.
"When I see that it's possible to buy Nobivac, I ask myself: how did this drug get into the country?" Marina reasons. — And here I'm concerned not so much about the "gray" scheme itself, but about the transportation conditions. The cold chain is critical for a vaccine. If the drug was transported through several countries or through private channels, I can't be sure that the temperature control was maintained at all times. This means that a well-known and trusted brand is no longer an advantage for me. It's safer to choose an affordable vaccine whose origin and storage can be guaranteed by the clinic.
Marina believes that pet owners in Russia continue to seek out Nobivac primarily because they have become accustomed to it.
“I think it’s largely a question of trust in a familiar brand,” she thinks. — It's psychologically easier for an owner to choose something they already know. But my friends who switched their pets to domestic vaccines haven't experienced any problems. And until the recent Multikan incident, I had no reason to be distrustful of Russian vaccines. Now I do.
Marina herself has a dog. And the mass deaths of dogs after Multikan vaccinations cannot help but worry her.
"When you read about animals' serious illnesses and deaths after vaccination, the first emotional reaction is to refuse the vaccine altogether or even become fearful of it. But I also understand that it's important to determine whether the vaccine itself, a specific batch of the vaccine, improper storage, or other factors were the cause. I wouldn't generalize this one case to all Russian vaccines just yet."
Survival game
Hope works in a veterinary clinic in one of the cities SiberiaShe notes that for four years now, pet owners have had limited vaccine choices: the predominant ones are domestically produced Asterion, Multikan, and Rabix. All three are produced by the Moscow-based company Vetbiokhim, which has held a monopoly on the Russian market since 2022. This company's production facilities are overloaded, and supply disruptions are frequent. Meanwhile, prices are rising. Multikan, for example, has increased in price two and a half times in four years: from 300-400 to 950-1250 rubles per dose.
Some clinics now have Nobivac, but it costs over 4 rubles (meaning two people would cost over 8 rubles). Multifel costs 2200-2400 rubles. Until 2022, two people were vaccinated with Nobivac for that price. (a subscriber's comment under the "NeMoskva" news item)
— After the administration of Russian vaccines, animals often experience fever, malaise, and a local reaction to the injection, — Nadezhda shares her experience. But in my practice there have been no post-vaccination complications in the form of a fatal outcome.
She believes that Russian vaccines are less well-tolerated because they are insufficiently purified during production. Preservatives, which can cause adverse reactions, may also be the cause of animal illness.
The only imported vaccines available at the clinic where Nadezhda works are Czech ones: Biokan for dogs and Biofel for cats.
“But the Czech vaccine is even more painful at the injection site than ours,” says Nadezhda. — There are a lot of complaints about it: immune system breakdown, painful reaction at the injection site.
It's currently impossible to get an official Nobivac injection in Russia—the vaccine is considered contraband, and the clinic simply won't be able to certify it in the veterinary passport. However, Nadezhda knows for sure that in one city Of the Krasnodar Territory It is possible to vaccinate an animal with Nobivac, which is regularly brought from Turkey.
“Our clients took their dogs there, and then, at home, they, so to speak, ‘vaccinated’ them with a domestic vaccine in order to have a stamp in their passport for [foreign] travel,” notes Nadezhda.
In her opinion, the mass death of dogs after the introduction of Multikan could have been caused by human error in production.
— The vaccine most likely contained the Aujeszky's virus [which affects the nervous system], she explains. — This is the current unofficial opinion of the veterinary community.
Four-legged dissidents
As Larisa from the Trans-Urals notes, after 2022, many of her dog-owner friends switched to Multikan.
"Some did it right away. Some, like me, had been struggling beforehand, searching for a Dutch or French vaccine. And only a few said, 'We won't be giving any vaccinations at all then.'"
However, after the mass death of dogs due to the introduction of Multikan, the percentage of abandoned dogs increased sharply.
- It's really scary, - says Larisa. — Because we all understand what this could lead to: a decline in herd immunity and the return of diseases that had been practically forgotten.
The speed of the development of herd immunity depends on the number of vaccinated animals: the fewer sick dogs there are on the street, the fewer pathogens enter the environment (on the grass, on the ground, in entryways).
Larisa herself doesn’t yet know what she will vaccinate her dog with next.
“I decided that I would think about it tomorrow,” she jokes sadly. We still have a fair amount of time before our next vaccination. But I'm already considering a trip to Kazakhstan as my first option. We can't go by car—the dog gets carsick. That means we'll have to take the train, renting out an entire compartment for the roundtrip. Plus, we'll need to rent a hotel, because given the travel, vaccinations, and stress, it's advisable to spend a day or two there.
By the most conservative estimates, the cost of the injection, including travel and accommodation in Kazakhstan, will cost Larisa at least 50 rubles.
