My vaccinated dog was attacked by strays. Is he safe from rabies?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If your dog is vaccinated then he should be fine but I would have the rabies boostered. If your dog is over due then he should be boostered and put in a 6 month quarantine. If he is NOT vaccinated and the dog that bit him has been confirmed to be Rabies positive your dog should be euthanized. If you are not sure if the dog that bit him is truly positive for rabies then Bruno should be quarantined for 6 months. I wish you the best!

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!

Hello, and thanks for your question. I'm wondering if the rabies vaccine product or protocol is a bit different in India vs the United States. Our typical protocol with a previously vaccinated (up-to-date) dog who may have been exposed to a rabid animal (such as a wild animal or unvaccinated dog) is to booster the dog immediately with another rabies vaccine - just once....and then get back on the standard vaccine schedule of every 3 years. We don't typically do the multi-dose PEP you're describing, although that protocol would be given to people with exposure. However, rabies is much more endemic in your area - so I would defer to the advice of your local vet who treats far more rabies exposure cases than we would. If the original plan (prior to your dog's second altercation with another stray) was to give the two additional shots on the 4th and 5th, then I would probably stick with this plan. All vaccines can carry a small risk of reaction - but there's no "overdose" per say. And any risk of vaccine reaction is negligible compared to the risk of actual rabies exposure, in a rabies endemic area. So it is always best to err on the side of protection from rabies. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Any bite from an unvaccinated animal puts you at risk for Rabies. Getting antibodies from the mother's milk is not enough protection. If the puppy has been indoors and not bitten by an unvaccinated animal it is VERY unlikely that it has Rabies. IF Dachie has Rabies he will die or show symptoms with in 10 days, if that happens you should seek immediate rabies treatment. You should be fine to wait the 10 days. Isolate and quarantine the puppy. It is good you have had the Rabies vaccine and you are likely protected but everyone's immune system is different. If you were bitten by a rabid animal you would be treated regardless of your own vaccine history but it is less involved. Have all your dogs Rabies vaccinated when age appropriate. I wish you the best!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Louis. I certainly understand your concern given how deadly rabies is, but if he is up to date with his rabies vaccines, there is no need to worry. He is fully protected and cannot get it. Rabies is transferred by bites, so a little saliva transfer won't be enough. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Austin has had his rabies vaccine you should be fine. But you should contact your local health department and talk to a human physician. If Austin has Rabies in the transmissible form (in the salivary glands) then he will show neurologic signs for rabies with in 10 days. Keep him quarantined for 10 days. If he dies from any cause he should be tested for Rabies if it is before the 10 days quarantine. Always keep your pets up to date on rabies and prevent them interacting with wild life and unvaccinated pets. I wish you the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about your husband! I hope you are doing better. Blueboy will be fine! He can get his rabies and restart his distemper combo series. He'll likely get 2 of them 3 weeks apart. Once he finishes those vaccines he'll be protected for the next year. I hope this helps and I wish you well!