[rhazielvaleri]

Hey guys, I need your opinion on something.

My puppy bit me when I was about to feed her, it was a small cut but it bled. Unfortunately I had a vacation planned for a week later that day and I just got home yesterday. I'm worried that I may have rabies because my dog was just given to me without knowing her background. I'm thinking of getting vaccinated tomorrow. Help me out.

 

[HollowHeaven]

o.o
I highly doubt you have rabies. Puppies chew and bite a lot. It's common nature for them. And when you put meal time into play, you've got a pup that's hyper for her meal. It was an honest accident, she's not rabid. However you may want to address her lack of calm when it's time to eat.
You should contact the place/people you got her from and ask if she's been vaccinated. If she hasn't, look into what she needs.

 

[Hambonez]

If you're in the US, you'd have to call the health department. You can't just walk into a doctor's office and ask for rabies shots. The health department would have to decide if it's warranted or not. In New York, at least, if they were concerned they also would have the option of euthanizing your pet to test it for rabies, or have it quarantined at your expense. What makes you think your puppy has rabies? Was she found in the woods with bite wounds? Generally if a small/young animal was attacked by a rabid animal, it would die, which is why you don't see a lot of rabid puppies/kittens (it does happen, but it's such a rare occurrence it makes the news). Has there been a rabies outbreak in your area? I would think the odds of your puppy being rabid are extremely slim. My puppy's razor sharp teeth have drawn blood multiple times both before and after vaccination, and no one got rabies.

 

[rhazielvaleri]

o.o
I highly doubt you have rabies. Puppies chew and bite a lot. It's common nature for them. And when you put meal time into play, you've got a pup that's hyper for her meal. It was an honest accident, she's not rabid. However you may want to address her lack of calm when it's time to eat.
You should contact the place/people you got her from and ask if she's been vaccinated. If she hasn't, look into what she needs.

Thank you, I'll ask the previous owner tomorrow and update you.

 

[rhazielvaleri]

If you're in the US, you'd have to call the health department. You can't just walk into a doctor's office and ask for rabies shots. The health department would have to decide if it's warranted or not. In New York, at least, if they were concerned they also would have the option of euthanizing your pet to test it for rabies, or have it quarantined at your expense. What makes you think your puppy has rabies? Was she found in the woods with bite wounds? Generally if a small/young animal was attacked by a rabid animal, it would die, which is why you don't see a lot of rabid puppies/kittens (it does happen, but it's such a rare occurrence it makes the news). Has there been a rabies outbreak in your area? I would think the odds of your puppy being rabid are extremely slim. My puppy's razor sharp teeth have drawn blood multiple times both before and after vaccination, and no one got rabies.

I'm not in the US btw. It's my first time owning one so I have little knowledge about dogs. She was given to me by my father's friend who owns a lot of dogs, and as I said, I don't know her background so a little care wouldn't hurt. Thank you for the reply sir.

 

[Shell]

Rabies postexposure vaccinations consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine given on the day of the exposure, and then again on days 3, 7, and 14. The vaccine is given in a muscle, usually in the upper arm. This set of vaccinations is highly effective at preventing rabies if given as soon as possible following an exposure.

Centers for Disease Control

Why a 10-Day Quarantine?

* In almost all states, an animal that has bitten a human or another domestic animal must undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine period. Some states require that this quarantine be carried out in an approved animal control facility, while others may allow the quarantine to be carried out at the owner’s home.
* The quarantine is set at 10 days because a rabies-infected animal can only transmit the disease after clinical signs have developed AND once these signs have developed, the animal will die within 10 days.
* If the animal lives beyond the 10th day, it can be said with certainty that it was not shedding the rabies virus at the time that the bite occurred.
* If the animal dies before the 10th day, it can be tested for rabies. If the test is positive, a human bite victim will still have enough time to receive post-exposure vaccinations and prevent the disease.

American Humane Association Rabies info

if I figure the time right, by the time you ask the owner tomorrow, you are 8-9 days post-exposure?

 

[rhazielvaleri]

Centers for Disease Control


American Humane Association Rabies info

if I figure the time right, by the time you ask the owner tomorrow, you are 8-9 days post-exposure?

Yes, today is the 9th.

 

[Willowy]

If the puppy is still alive 10 days after the bite, she was not shedding rabies when she bit you. An animal will die quickly after showing symptoms of rabies. So unless your puppy is having seizures and foaming at the mouth right now, you have nothing to worry about. But if she's at least 16 weeks old, you should have her vaccinated for rabies right away so that you don't have to worry about it the next time she nips you .