Stray dog bit me, only scratches. Do I need to worry about rabies?

Hi there! Without confirmation of rabies infection by very specific testing it is impossible to know with certainty if an animal or person has contracted the virus. With that said, rabies infection must be always be considered when an animal comes in contact with any unvaccinated/unknown or wild animal, especially if said animal is showing neurological signs. Signs of infection typically do not occur until 5 days post initial infection. Rabies is transmitted through saliva/bites, ingestion of an infected animal, urine, and through an infected mothers milk. While it does not sound like there was any penetrating wounds, I highly recommend that you contact your regular veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss how to proceed, as the laws regarding handling potential rabies cases vary from state to state. If Scarlett is up-to-date on her rabies vaccine she may need to receive another rabies vaccine and/or be quarantined for a period of time as a precaution. Remember that people can also become infected with rabies, therefore be sure that you limiting your contact with Scarlett as well as the stray cat until you speak with your regular vet and discuss a plan moving forward.

I would err on the side of caution. As Rabies is quite prominent in India and you do not know what the Rabies vaccine status of the dog that bit this dog or the dog that was bitten is, I would avoid trying to catch the dog. If you have a animal care and control in India, I would contact them and let them know that there is an injured dog where you live or see if there is a rescue that can help. Beyond that, I wouldn't touch the dog with the risk of Rabies. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help.

Rabies is usually transmitted by saliva being transferred into a wound. If your dog is vaccinated against rabies and had no wound in the area where he was licked, then the risk of him getting infected with rabies is small. However in the future do not let your dog interact with street dogs. They can have not only rabies, but also mange, distemper and other communicable diseases.

There is a usually a 10 day quarantine period after an animal breaks the skin of a person. If the animal has rabies in it's saliva - it show signs of rabies within 10 days. This doesn't not mean that the animal doesn't have rabies- just that it couldn't have transmitted it at the time of the bite. Rabies can have a long incubation period. Rabies should be taken very seriously because it is a fatal virus. I would recommend getting Tofy vaccinated as soon as possible. I would recommend consulting with a local veterinarian on what happened and have an exam done on Tofy. They can give you the necessary information. Please get her examined and vaccinated to protect her and yourself. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Again, I don't think you need to be worried about this. What are you worried about? Rabies? Skin infection? Just clean the scratches with antiseptic cleaner. If you want to post again and be more specific about what you are worried about her catching then we can maybe be more helpful. Also, some photos of the scratches would be helpful as well.

Your mother needs to see a doctor, as the dog scratches may get infected. If your mother was also bitten by the dog then there is always a chance that the dog had rabies. Please take your mother to a doctor.

If a person was bitten by a dog they need to go see a doctor as soon as possible. Each country is different but in the united states they typically give rabies prevention to people who have been bitten by unvaccinated dogs. It is also important to make sure the wounds are cleaned and medicated if needed. Hope that helps