Dog bite, no rabies shot, dog passed, help....

[Hampton_Bay]

My elderly little schnauzer passed this evening. He’s been ill for a while, had seizures for years, and we were about to put him down. We think he had a seizure or stroke, but he hasn’t had a rabies shot in 4 years due to being ill when he was due last year. Well, he bit me a couple days ago while I was medicating him. I’m guessing we need to test him for rabies, but it’s Friday night and I’m in BFE. It’ll likely be Monday before I can do a lot about this. We put him in the freezer initially, but is that correct?

If he hadn’t been acting so oddly the last week this wouldn’t concern me, but he was almost neurological, just weird even for him. I would rather be safe.

[Laurierace]

Call your animal control or the sheriff if you don’t have animal control and ask them how to proceed. Do not wait until Monday. Sorry for your loss.

[In_The_Gate]

I’m sorry for your loss :(. Your local 24/7 animal hospital should also be able to hold his body appropriately and arrange the testing for you. If he was showing neurological symptoms you should also speak with the health department regarding timing of rabies prophylaxis to make sure it’s okay for you to wait for test results.

[demidq]

Call the public health department. It warrants an E.R. visit as well. Rabies immunoglobin should be given ASAP. I wouldn’t wait over the week-end if it were me. Rabies testing of a cadaver takes a little while.

[Hampton_Bay]

I’ve had a full rabies series and immunoglobulin in the past year after a bit from a stray dog who vanished. No 24/7 vet clinic within 2 hours or so. Trying to get ahold of animal control, sheriff “doesn’t handle these things”. It was a HU ge fiasco last year getting the shots etc.

[TBROCKS]

Go to the ER and tell them you were bit and the dog could have had rabies. They will probably treat you for exposure - better safe than sorry.

[Hampton_Bay]

Not here they won’t. They refused last year until I told them I wasn’t leaving, and they treated me like a total idiot.

[Marshfield]

Do NOT place the dog in the freezer. Freezing will make it impossible to test. If animal control blows you off, call the health department.

Any 24 hour hospital or your regular veterinarian in the morning can removed the head for testing. There is likely to be a fee for this. I suspect it varies by state, but where I am there is not usually a charge for the Rabies IFA if there is a human bit involved.

I am sorry for your loss.

[UlysMom]

Do you have any reason to think he may have been exposed to rabies prior to passing? Do you see a lot of it in your area?

I only ask because I have had a dog who could not receive rabies vaccines due to her autoimmune disease. But if she had bitten me, I don’t know if I would have jumped to that possibility. Any neuro issues my dog may have had, I would have attributed to her advanced disease. But, while rabies is endemic here, I wouldn’t have assumed my dog ever was exposed.

I hope you are safe and healthy and I am so very sorry for the loss of your dog. Such a heartbreak and then this worry on top of everything.

[Griffyn]

DONT FREEZE. Sorry for your loss. Call the health dept, or local vet. Highly unlikely this is the case, but for your peace of mind, if this is how you wish to proceed, then you need to act quickly.

[Pancakes]

Was he acting neurologic because of the seizure disorder? Or another cause?
Do you have any reason to believe he was exposed to rabies?

I second Marshfield’s recommendation to contact the State Veterinarian if your local animal care/control won’t listen to you.

And DO NOT FREEZE - refrigerate only. You can’t freeze the brain if you want it tested.

[twelvegates]

[QUOTE=Hampton Bay;7917641]
I’ve had a full rabies series and immunoglobulin in the past year after a bit from a stray dog who vanished.[/QUOTE]

I’m sorry for your loss.

But everything I’m reading indicates your rabies vaccination should protect you for two years.

http://www.immunizationinfo.org/vaccines/rabies

[Hampton_Bay]

Thanks twelve gates!!! I spent hours on Google looking for that type of info and couldn’t find anything.

Rabies is fairly common here, as we back up to woods with many skunks, raccoons, etc. he stayed outside a lot because he was not a fan of kids and I have a small toddler. His neuro issues are likely due to his seizure disorder, but with one dog remaining and a young child, and the sudden worsening of symptoms right before his passing, I would rather be safe.

We did pull him out of the freezer and take him to a friends fridge. The vet did recommend testing since he was unvaccinated for 4 years and he had some symptoms of rabies, though he said its unlikely. He told me to contact the health dept Monday and if they give me any trouble to call him. He said he would remove the head if necessary. I doubt it was rabies honestly, but with another dog and a young child…

I think I almost feel some relief that I didn’t have to decide to put him down. It doesn’t appear that he suffered as he was alive and whining and then dead and chilled within an hour. If I had to guess, he had a seizure or stroke.

[JanM]

It’s always better to be super cautious. Rabies is nothing to mess with, and you’re

[cowboymom]

I’m sorry that your loss had to be with some stress and worry like this. I hope you get it all cleared up and I’m sure you’re fine but better safe than sorry.

[AKB]

I’m glad you have the body in the refrigerator. Try calling animal control in the am. They may want to pick up the body tomorrow to take it for testing Monday am. If it is positive, you may need a booster of your rabies vaccine. Anyone else who was exposed will need the immune globulin and the full series of vaccine.

[Hampton_Bay]

Health depts here, even in the cities a few hours away, are closed on weekends. Luckily no one else was exposed. We have kept him away from my daughter since she was born as he has a distant history of biting children. He was always vaccinated then, it’s just been the last year that he kept having issues with medication etc and I didn’t want to risk vaccinating. My husband and I were really the only ones with contact.

I also know the woman who runs the local animal shelter, so that can be another avenue if the health dept here tries to pull the “rabies is cured by antibiotics” like they did when I was bitten by the stray in January.

Luckily they have said results are pretty quick, so I can wait on those rather than spending more money on shots.

[NoDQhere]

If you had the rabies series, especially with the immunoglobulin within the last year, you should be well protected. I had the series and immunoglobulin and something like 5 or 6 YEARS later, still had a very high titer. But since rabies is so deadly, I would insist on a booster.

[pony4me]

Check with you vet, because a few years ago my vet switched to a rabies vaccine that lasted more than a year. I think (not positive) he said it provided immunity for three years.

[Ghazzu]

HB, if the body ain’t froze yet, get it out of the freezer and into a refrigerator.

You most likely have a protective titer, but if you were immunized fairly recently, an abbreviated post-exposure series is what should be done.
(If I recall mine correctly–no immunoglobulin needed, and 2 doses of vaccine)