Unvaccinated dog attacked: Rabies risk? Will she be put down?

Hello, and thanks for using PetCoach. The most important thing is that your dog was vaccinated for Rabies prior to this attack, and that you boostered his vaccine again afterwards. The rabies vaccine is quite effective, and boostering the vaccine after the attack will help in case one of the unvaccinated dog did have rabies. Ideally, it would be beneficial to observe all 3 dogs for 10 days after the attack, but you have done everything right with your own dog. If that third missing dog did have rabies and has since died, then the other two (unvaccinated) dogs would likely need to be euthanized, and your dog would need to be closely monitored for several months - but the risk of your dog contracting rabies with an up-to-date vaccination status is very very low. Here's a link to some more information on rabies. https://www.petcoach.co/article/rabies-in-dogs-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment-vaccination/ I hope this helps! I'm sorry this happened to Babu!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the dog is up to date on its rabies vaccinations, the chance of you contracting rabies is incredibly low. What we recommend is to quarantine the dog who bit you (or have the owner of the dog quarantine it) for 10 days and monitor the dog for the development of any abnormal neurologic signs. If the dog is completely normal after 10 days from the time you were bit, you are in the clear. If the dog becomes sick at all in that time frame, or if you become sick at all, I recommend contacting your doctor. I hope this is helpful - best of luck!

Fortunately, rabies in dogs is very rare in the U.S. and hopefully this dog has been vaccinated at-least once already. Knowing his vaccine status will make a big difference for knowing whether rabies is a concern or not. If he happens to have a rabies, or city registration tag on the collar, then this indicates that he would have been vaccinated before. If he is neutered, then this would also be a good indication that he has been vaccinated before. One thing you can do in order to find out his vaccine status is to take him to a local shelter and have him scanned for a microchip. They can also help locate the owner and find out more information about the dog. Rabies usually requires a break in the skin to be transmitted. It is also less likely that Buddy has rabies if he's not showing any signs (the vet at the shelter can check for any signs). Overall, it seems very unlikely that this dog has rabies, or that your sister would be infected. For more information and understanding the risk of rabies, I recommend you read the information at the link below. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html I hope that helps and all is well with your sister and the dog.

In theory a vaccinated dog ( meaning current on vaccination) would have antibodies against rabies and therefore not contract the disease. However, we know that no vaccination Is 100%, and we know that there are immune systems that don’t respond the way we expect to vaccination, so there is always a chance of a vaccinated dog becoming infected with Rabies. But that chance is low. Rabies is universally fatal if infected. Both for dogs and people. If you have a specific concern please call your veterinarian OR your state veterinarian or state public health office for guidance. Please be safe.

If Brownie has had his rabies vaccine, then the main risk is simple infection. You’ve already taken the first step but cleaning the wound and your vet will probably prescribe antibiotics. Other than that, there is not much to worry about. Best of luck to you and Brownie!

A dog must be infected with rabies to give it to someone. If Tyson has been vaccinated against rabies, then he will not spread the disease. Any dog, even if they have been with you since birth, can get rabies. If an animal with rabies bites Tyson, he can be infected and spread it to you. Signs of rabies in dogs can include aggression, trouble drinking, dilated pupils, and drooling, which progress to coma and death. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

No. I would not be worried about this unless you know the dogs have been in contact with a rabid animal (domestic or wildlife). If they have not, then there is no chance of you getting rabies. Also, the vaccine is a killed virus so there is no chance of you getting rabies from a vaccine or a recently vaccinated animal. Hope this helps. Best wishes!