My 2-month-old puppy drank from a shared bowl. Does he need a rabies shot?

If you are from the UK you have nothing to worry regarding to rabies as the UK is a rabies free country, if you are from India for example then the answer is yes, you need to go to the hospital and get a rabies injection.

No, Princess should not be dangerous to anyone if she bites or licks them - it's very normal for puppies to do this :) Rabies is extremely rare in pet dogs, and would be virtually unheard-of in a puppy this age - it can only be transmitted through the bite of an infected wild animal, so it's unlikely that she would have had any possibility of exposure at the age of two months. Dogs can get their rabies vaccine anytime after 12 weeks of age. So she isn't quite old enough yet, but your veterinarian can vaccinate her in another month or so. I do not recommend giving 5 in 1 vaccines on your own, because in my experience, vaccines purchased over the counter and given by owners are often not effective. It's much better to have your veterinarian give the vaccine, to make sure it's guaranteed to work.

While rabies can be transmitted through saliva I don't believe there has ever been a report of rabies being transmitted through sharing a water bowl. I would definitely recommend making sure Toby's rabies vaccine is up to date if there are potentially rabid animals around, but there is minimal potential for transmission.

If he gets in contact with such wild animals, yes,it is definitively best to have him vaccinated. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, I think it is dangerous to let Teddy close to other rabid animals and also allow him to eat trash. He could get intoxicated by eating mouldy food for example, or get an obstruction by ingesting material that can't be digested. With regards to rabies, there is need for direct contact through a bite or infected saliva to go onto an open wound.. I would not allow him in the backyard until fully vaccinated and up to date with anti parasites treatment, and I would also start training Teddy. Hope this helps !

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your puppy. The answer to this question will depend on the circumstances. If this is a puppy you do not know/a stray/from an uknown home then I would recommend contacting your human physician. If this is your puppy who has been in your care with no exposure to wildlife and who is acting normally/healthy then the concern for rabies is very low but it does look like there is a puncture in your skin so I would recommend consulting your human doctor as we can develop bacterial infections due to dog bites and your doctor can advise you if treatment is necessary.

I would not be worried about this at all unless the mother died from rabies. The chances of her having rabies is extremely, extremely, extremely low. They cannot be born with rabies but they can get it from the mother's milk but the mother must be infected for this to happen. Did the mother have rabies? My suggestion is to keep her away from other animals that have not be vaccinated against rabies (including wild animals) until she is old enough to get her own vaccination. Hope this helps. Best wishes.