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My vaccinated dog was licked by a stray. Should I worry about rabies?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Rottweiler | Male | unneutered | 39 lbs

Today a street dog licked my 5 months old rottweiler (fully vaccinated) i think that street dog was infected with rabies . Is there any chance that my dog can get infected even he is fully vaccinated

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 19th, 2018

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.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 12th, 2017
Rabies is only spread through the saliva of an infected animal so since your dog only scratched you, you should be perfectly fine.

Just be sure to clean the scratch to prevent it from getting infected and make sure to get your dog vaccinated for rabies when he is old enough.

I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
23Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on October 2nd, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

No, if the dog has had his rabies vaccine you are fine. Also you would need to have open cuts on your fingers for the rabies virus to enter your body. Always wash your hands after allowing a dog to lick you.

Have a good day!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on August 13th, 2017
You do not need to be worried about your dog being contagious with rabies as your dog is extremely unlikely to have rabies if he is acting normal. However, I do advise that you take him to his veterinarian to get the rabies vaccine just in case he is exposed. You should be fine. Have a good evening!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My unvaccinated dog licked a wound. Is rabies a concern for the person?

There is no chance this person will get rabies from being licked. Rabies is only passed via a bite from an infected animal, and if your dog did have rabies, you would see signs such as foaming at the mouth, loss of appetite, weakness, seizures, sudden change in personality, and disorientation among others. There is no need to worry. There has been no cases of human rabies acquired in the UK since 1902. The last recorded case of human rabies was in 2012, but the patient acquired rabies in India after being bit by a dog. I would recommend having your dog vaccinated for rabies, distemper, parvo, canine hepatitis, and parainfluenza for her health.

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My vaccinated dog ate wild animal. Can I get rabies from a lick?

Hi! It's fantastic that Pikica has been vaccinated against Rabies. I wouldn't be concerned. It's most likely that Rabies hasn't been transferred to you or your pet. You'll want to be sure to keep your pet up to date on heart worm prevention and that Pikica is fully protected against intestinal parasites. Parasites can be easily transmitted between wild and domestic animals. Keep up the good work!

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Should I worry if my dog licked a wound? Can they get rabies?

Usually from the wound the virus travels through the nerves to the central nervous system and salivary glands as well (from where it can then spread and be transmitted). Unless the tongue was injured (so the virus could have travelled to nerves through blood stream), there are basically no chances that infection occurred. Rabies do not resist in the environment for long (max 24 hours usually) time as well.

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Can my vaccinated dog potentially get rabies from licking another dog?

No he will not. He can't get rabies from licking another dog. He is vaccinated so he is protected and he would need to be bitten by an animal that has rabies to become exposed. I'm glad you have had Apollo vaccinated against rabies as it is a fatal disease for animals and people. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

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My dog licked my open wound. Can I get rabies if his vaccine expired?

More than likely you will not get rabies if your dog licked a small wound, especially if he has been vaccinated in the past. Monitor him for the next 10 days because that is the time between when an animal is infectious until they start showing clinical signs. So if your dog doesn't start showing clinical signs of rabies in the next 10 days you couldn't get rabies from him. If you are concerned and want more information, please call your own doctor or your local health department. You should also have his rabies updated if it has expired.

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My vaccinated dog's teeth touched my skin. Am I at risk for rabies?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You only need to worry about rabies if you are bitten by an animal whose rabies or vaccine status you don’t know. Since Romeo didn’t bite you, I wouldn’t be concerned. Kisses to Romeo!

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Can my dog transmit rabies or other diseases to me before vaccination?

The only way to know if a dog was infected with rabies is to monitor for signs of rabies. The test for rabies uses brain tissue so it can't be done on an alive animal. There is a 15 day window of time from when an animal can transmit rabies until the animal would be showing clinical signs of rabies and then death. If there is no history of a bite wound on the pet dog than the likelihood of rabies is very low. If you ever see any signs of rabies than have him/her examined by a veterinarian. There are other diseases that can be transmitted to humans, like Ringworm, Salmonellosis, Leptospirosis, Campylobacter infection, Giardia infection, Cryptosporidium infection, Roundworms, Hookworms, etc. If your dog was examined by a vet and appears healthy, vaccinated, as well as treated for common intestinal parasites than it is not likely you will get an infection from him/her, especially if you have a normal immune system. Use a monthly heartworm pill that also contains a dewormer, like Heartgard or Interceptor to decrease the chance of your dog getting intestinal parasites in the future.

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