“Rabies fear?”
I was playfully bitten by a 55 day old pet dog with one vaccine. His teeth could not pierce the skin but scratch it at a few places. It has been 7 days, the dog is fine. Should I fear rabies?
Male | 23 years old
4 Answers
VeterinarianVeterinarian
No, I would not be worried about rabies, especially since the dog is so young (rabies has an incubation period of 2 weeks to 4 months) and they didn't break skin (one of the most important parts). :)
Since the skin was not penetrated, rabies could not be transmitted.
Your description suggests this was not an unprovoked attack - playing with a puppy, no bites. While dog saliva on broken skin theoretically could transmit if the dog has rabies, it is unlikely. I assume that your puppy is still alive and well. In general, a rabid animal that bites because he is rabid will be dead within 10 days - or at least severely ill. Your puppy, if still well, means no rabies. You need no shots, but make sure the puppy gets his final rabies shot.
Thanks for the question.
If the dog is healthy at 10 days, you are very likely safe. But you should clean the scratch carefully, apply triple antibiotic ointment, and check your tetanus vaccine status.
If the dog is healthy at 10 days, you are very likely safe. But you should clean the scratch carefully, apply triple antibiotic ointment, and check your tetanus vaccine status.
