[MERGED] The Rabies Thread (From Dogs, Cats, Bats, etc.)

[Battousai1]

thnx doc!

[cedric0192]

it happened so quickly doc ira.. there were so hungry and i was preparing hteir food i pat his head then he just turned and iand i think he bit me.. there was this vampire like scratch on my hand pero not so deep at hindi rin dumugo..pero nag reddish ***.. ang sabi ng doctor eh observe the dog.. what does he mean observe the dog..y not inject me of antirabbies fast? and how can i tell if my dog has rabbies?

[eyedoc]

Your doctor told you to observe your dog because:
1. Since he's your pet, there's little chance that he has acquired rabies, esp. if he is up to date on his rabies shots.
2. Again, since he is your pet, you can observe his behavior for the next ten days. If your dog has rabies, you will find unusual changes in his behavior ("Mad" dog) and drooling. If this happens, it is necessary to undergo the rabies shots already. There is no need to get the rabies shots now (You'll need several shots for this and it's not really cheap.)

[bjmanabat]

it is less likely that your dog has rabies based on your story. rabid dog usually bite without any reason at all. while those who bit for reasons like food, provoked, in defense of her young, etc. mostly likely are not rabid. these generalization however does not mean you don't have to observe the dog anymore. if that dog is rabid signs and symptoms to look for are drooling of saliva, anorexia (doesn't want to eat), always in an angry mood, uneasy, death could come anytime from the day you were bitten up to about 14 days later.

[cedric0192]

ok thank you..so i now i know wlang rabbies pet ko..palaging gutom yun eh!

[annielise]

did you give him booster shots? i know you should have him go to the vet for rabies shots yearly

[jazzmine22]

my queries are:

1. pag nakagat ba ako ng aso, kailangan ko na bang magpasaksak ng anti rabies in that same moment??
2. is it true that i should wait na mamatay muna yung aso, bago ako magpasaksak, kasi pag hindi siya namatay, ibig sabihin wala siyang rabies??
3. is it true na mas malakas ang rabies ng mga puppies? pag naipanganak ba ang isang aso, naturally may rabies na siya, or naipapasa lang yung rabies sa mga aso pag nakagat din sila ng infected ones??
4. how many days ako maghihintay na mamatay yung aso, bago ako makahinga ng maluwag na hindi ako infected??

im sorry, but i need to know the details..i hope ull understand.

thank you very much.

[eyedoc]

1. If the dog is a pet and has been receiving his regular rabies immunizations and has just had the latest one during the past year - no, there is really no need to get the injection.

If the dog is a pet and has NOT been receiving regular rabies immunizations - you may observe the dog for about 10 days. If you see that the dog has displayed signs of drooling and "nagwawala" during that time, you should have the active AND passive immunization done. The dog should be killed and the head submitted to the Bureau of Animal Husbandry (tama ba, Ira? Not so sure) for analysis of presence of Negri bodies in the brain which would confirm the diagnosis of rabies.

If the dog is a stray and can NOT be observed, assume that the bite is rabid and have the immunizations right away.

2. Answered above...

3. Rabies is an infection and is not "naturally" in puppies. However, since small puppies are not yet given immunizations, if it gets the infection there would not be antibodies against it. However if the puppies are pets, you can still observe them 10 days post-bite (Again, refer to above).

4. Again, answered above - 10 days. If the dog still seems to be behaving "normally" (usual self), then you're out of the woods.

Don't worry, we understand. This is something we need more info about.

[eyedoc]

For more rabies information, click on this thread.

[nailbiter]

Originally posted by Ira
Other animals may include cats, skunk, fox, foxes, coyotes, bats, racoon, and cattle.

Pati rats, di ba? My bf got bit by a rat on his big toe. He insists it wasn't a deep bite and refuses to have it vaccinated. Hassle daw since it still has to be done at either RITM or San Lazaro (are these really the only places?). How much is the vaccination, by the way?

[jazzmine22]

thanks eyedoc, kasi nung makagat ako nung puppy ko sabi ng lola ko " naku, eh mas malakas pa naman ang rabies ng mga tuta, so akala ko its "inborn", na lahat ng puppies, eh may rabies automatically im thankful its not, so i can observe my puppy in 10 days, so after 10 days and the puppy is still healthy, and then im safe? right? thanks for ur patience God bless you

[jazzmine22]

ask ko nga pala eyedoc, eh kung pag naging **** yung aso after 10 days, tapos i would be having an immunization right? so whats the purpose of cutting the head and bringing it to laboratory?

[jazzmine22]

and lastly, what about in those 10 days eh namatay yung aso? maagapan pa ba ako? i know this is silly, but im really nervous, pls understand. thank you so much

[jazzmine22]

i didnt notice kung nasagot ito sa other thread..

kung ang isang aso ba eh may rabies, pero hindi siya nakakagat ng kahit sino, mamamatay pa rin ba yung dog? i mean, kahit hindi niya naipasa yung disease??

[eyedoc]

Gad, I'm so forgetful, I got those shots a year ago. If I remember correctly, it's around P800 per shot. For the first few (depends on how high your risk is), patient gets 2 shots, 1 on each arm (so comes to P1600). On about the 4th shot, only 1 shot is given. I went 5 times.

BTW, rabies vaccine is also available at Unciano Medical Center, that's on V. Mapa St. Better call them up to ask about the price, coz I really am not very sure (It has been 1 year, after all). And, if you're going after office hours, do tell them to get the vaccines (they are locked in a doctor's office) and reserve it for you.

Oh, and depending on the depth and "dirtiness" of the wound, the patient may also need tetanus injections.

[eyedoc]

so i can observe my puppy in 10 days, so after 10 days and the puppy is still healthy, and then im safe? right?

Yup. 10 days. Kung gusto mo safe, make it 14 days, then you're really home free.

kung pag naging **** yung aso after 10 days, tapos i would be having an immunization right? so whats the purpose of cutting the head and bringing it to laboratory?

If Negri bodies are found, that is objective proof that the dog is really rabid. Medically, we would always want proof that we're treating the right thing. If it were negative, the dog was not rabid and you don't need to undergo further injections. Although, if "nauulol" na ang dog, chances are, there would be Negri bodies found.

what about in those 10 days eh namatay yung aso? maagapan pa ba ako?

If that happens, you can still have the injections done. Rabies have a long incubation period and you still have time...as long as you don't delay it.

kung ang isang aso ba eh may rabies, pero hindi siya nakakagat ng kahit sino, mamamatay pa rin ba yung dog? i mean, kahit hindi niya naipasa yung disease??

Yes. The "nauulol" phase is actually the last phase of the disease. The dog is already dying by then.

i know this is silly, but im really nervous, pls understand. thank you so much

No, these are NOT silly questions. It was right for you to ask, and we are happy to be of help.

Do update us.

[nailbiter]

Doctors, I called RITM to inquire and was told rat bites don't need anti-rabies shots. I did a quick search on the net and found out there are conflicting opinions in this regard. This was a really nasty pest rat, not a mouse, definitely not a pet. It got away so observation is out of the question. Does my bf really not need the shots, then? We want to be on the safe side, of course, but if those shots are expensive, we don't want to make an unnecessary expense.

eyedoc, were those shots you got the antibody vaccine or was it post-exposure treatment?

[eyedoc]

Post exposure treatment.

I was bitten by a pet who eventually died (2 days after I was bitten) of another disease, bite was unprovoked. Although I seriously doubt that I'll get rabies from our dog, I erred on the safe side and had the shots anyway. Our maid was also bitten. I figured that our lives are worth more than the money I'm shelling out, which turned out to be less than I anticipated. Takot ako eh. I was able to see a dying rabid person in San Lazaro during my training and I was NOT going to be like that if I could help it.

My advise would be for your bf to be evaluated by the doctor at these hospitals in order to categorize the "risk" of the bite. From there, the schedule of vaccination would be determined.

[MiLeS24]

question: baket may mga patient na nakagat ng aso na parang nau-**** nawawala na ba sila sa sarili nila? i think i was able to watch a special feature on rabies sa GMA before....

[Ada]

MiLeS24: That's what happens when rabies is left untreated. One of the worst ways to die, IMO.

Just wanted to add that rabies presents itself in two ways: furious and dumb. A dog with furious rabies shows signs of irritability, restlessness, anxiety, drooling and hydrophobia. On the other hand, a dog with dumb rabies "starts in the same way, but instead of progressing into excitement, the subject retreats steadily and quietly downhill, with some paralysis, to death. Rabies diagnosis may easily be missed."*

One of our former dogs was attacked while she was in our garage. We didn't know that the dog which attacked her was rabid and since our pet showed no signs of rabies, she continued to live with us inside the house. The only difference in her disposition was that she became lethargic, slept more, drank more water, and wanted to get out of the house. She escaped one day and was gone for two days, after which we tracked her down and found her again [a miracle in itself]. But that night, she died. At this point, we still didn't know she had rabies but my dad had a nagging suspicion that it was so he did some research. Sure enough, he discovered that there was such a thing as dumb rabies. He brought our pet to the Bureau of Animal Industry where she tested positive for rabies. Even though none of us in the family had been bitten, the fact that she lived with us in close quarters made it possible that we contracted rabies since licking an open wound could easily tranfer the virus. We played it safe so all of us got vaccinated at San Lazaro. It was a bit inconvenient since we had to get shots every week for four weeks [if I remember correctly] but it was worth it. When it comes to rabies, it's better to err on the side of caution.

* Source