Rabies scare: Animal bite!

Hey everyone,

So, I was out walking through Central Park with my five-and-a-half-year-old son, and there was this little designer mix—looks like a Yorkie-Poodle thing. The pup was just running around, full of energy, chasing after my son. And of course, because he’s five, he doesn't listen to a word I say when a dog is involved. He’s jumping on it, petting it, and then the dog starts licking his hands. Then, right as he kneels down, the dog literally lunges and licks him straight on the mouth.😢
I grabbed some dry wipes immediately since I didn't have anything else on me, and when I spoke up, the woman just turned around and started walking away... I asked her if the dog had been vaccinated, and she just loses it. She starts attacking me, saying the dog is only eight months old and that dogs shouldn't even be out of the house if they aren't vaccinated, etc. She completely lost her mind, wouldn't stop, and just stormed off. I even tried to apologize if I offended her, explaining I was just asking for my kid's sake, but she just rolls her eyes and hurries away...
She seemed totally normal, and the dog looked well-kept with a collar and everything, so maybe it was vaccinated before being bought or adopted? I don't know. The woman just bolted without wanting to share a single thing about her pet.
God, I'm freaking out. Should I be worried? What am I supposed to do now?
And oh, P.S.—once we got home, I made him wash his mouth out with water and liquid soap. Before that, I couldn't even tell if the dog actually licked him or not, and the little guy was lying to me, claiming he'd already washed his hands with soap when he clearly hadn't... and he ate with those hands.

mamma mia

stormywolf10 said:Hey everyone,

So, I was walking through Central Park with my five-and-a-half-year-old son, and there was this little mixed Yorkie-Poodle puppy running around. It was super playful and kept chasing my son—who, obviously, completely ignores everything I say when he sees a tiny dog. He was petting the thing, and then the dog started licking his hands. When he knelt down, the dog literally jumped right at his face and licked him straight on the mouth.😢
I wiped him off immediately with a dry tissue since I didn't have anything else on me. When I spoke up, the woman just turned around and walked away... I asked her if the dog had been vaccinated, and she just snapped at me, saying the dog is only eight months old and that dogs shouldn't even be out of the house if they aren't vaccinated or whatever. She went absolutely ballistic and just stormed off. I tried to apologize in case I offended her, explaining I was just asking for my kid's sake, but she just rolled her eyes and hurried away.
The woman seemed totally normal, and the dog looked well-groomed and had a collar on, so it probably was vaccinated before being bought or adopted, I don't know. She wouldn't give me any info about the animal before she bolted.
Man, I'm spiraling here. I don't know if I should be worried or not. What now?
Oh, and P.S.—once we got home, I washed his mouth out with water and liquid soap. Before that, I wasn't even sure if the dog had licked him or not, and the little guy was lying to me saying he'd already washed his hands with soap, but he hadn't, so he was eating with dirty hands.

mamma mia

🤣 🤣🤣
Lady—get a grip!
To your child, this is all just one big NOTHING!!!

I won't even comment on the rest.

Oh, easy for you all to say, but this is my siiiin, okay??
I’m genuinely freaked out because she was acting incredibly strange and just kept dodging every single question I threw her way...

I’ve been digging through almost everything I can find on rabies—and I mean actual medical literature, not just some random person’s opinion online.
The data says the human susceptibility rate is roughly 20%, but you can't rule out transmission through contact with animal saliva, even via intact mucous membranes. So yeah, I'm terrified...
He got it in his mouth 😢
and he was eating with his hands after the dog had been licking them.
Oh my God, I’m calling the CDC first thing tomorrow to figure out our next move. We don't even know who the owner is, which means we have zero way to track down the animal or the person responsible...
Honestly, people are such strange creatures. You ask a simple question like, "Is your dog vaccinated?" and instead of an answer, they get gifted with a sudden surge of aggression and attitude, refusing to give you the info you need. And then what? You're left at home biting your nails.
This is nightmare fuel.

stormywolf10 said:I’ve been digging through almost everything there is on rabies—actual medical literature, not just random amateur nonsense.
It says humans are about 20% less susceptible to the virus, but contact with animal saliva through intact mucous membranes isn't even ruled out. So yeah, I'm terrified...
He got it in his mouth 😢
and he was eating with his hands after the dog licked them.
Oh my god, I'm calling the CDC tomorrow to ask what we should do. We don't know the owner, so we can't track down the animal or the person...
Seriously, people are such weird creatures. You ask if a dog is vaccinated and instead of an answer, you get a sudden burst of aggression and they still won't tell you anything. Now you're stuck at home biting your nails...
Horrible.

I get why you're scared. I really do. I wish I could help more, but I'll just tell you what happened to me. I had a similar scare, but with bats—notorious carriers of rabies. They didn't bite me, but I had indirect contact. The next day, I went to the Department of Public Health, and they basically patted me on the head and told me not to worry. Honestly? Stop reading stuff online. It'll just make you more paranoid. Back then, it wasn't even paranoia; I just couldn't understand why they wouldn't give me the vaccine when I offered to pay for it myself. They just kept insisting it wasn't necessary. They'll probably say the exact same thing to you. Please, let us know how it turns out.

Yeah, I’ve already done my homework on this. Under the Communicable Disease Act, any pet owner is legally required to have their dog vaccinated once they hit six months old—and obviously, they have to provide those details if there’s ever a risk involved. She was dodging the question, which tells me one of two things: either she hasn't actually vaccinated her dog yet, or she just took offense at me asking about her precious little pet.

Tomorrow, I’m hitting up the local vet clinics and reporting the incident to the stations in that area. A dog has to be registered somewhere, right? Besides, they aren't obligated to hand over the owner's personal info to me, but they *do* have to confirm the vaccination status for a specific breed, name, and location.
Hehehe, you can't play half-legal games with me...

Basically, they report the vaccination status and everything else to the rabies control station...
In short, the veterinary inspector gets notified about the incident and all that good stuff...

And no, I didn't just "read it on the internet." I’ve been digging through university professor lectures on zoonotic diseases. Here’s the link, take a look if you want...
I really appreciate the support here. We all know how people get when it comes to their kids...
I’d turn this whole country upside down to protect mine.

Sending out big hugs of friendship to encourage everyone; hopefully, I’ll get some pats on the back too...
P.S. Isn't it just a terrifying feeling when you realize you or your loved ones are in danger? 😢

Here’s the link...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/70645422/ZOONOZE-PREDAVANJA

rustywalker42 said:I get why you're scared. Honestly, I feel for you being stuck in this spot. I'd love to be able to help more, but I can only tell you what happened to me. I dealt with something similar once—bats, specifically. Everyone knows they’re notorious carriers for rabies. They didn't bite me or anything, but I had indirect contact with them. The next day, I headed straight to the CDC, the local Department of Public Health, and they just patted me on the shoulder and told me there was nothing to worry about. Seriously, stop reading stuff online; it's just going to fuel your paranoia. Back then, it wasn't even paranoia for me—it was just pure frustration. Why wouldn't they give me the vaccine? I literally offered to pay for it myself! But no, they just kept repeating the same line: "It isn't necessary." That's probably exactly what they'll tell you too. Just let us know how everything turns out.

Hey, I checked with the Department of Public Health about this exact situation and they gave me the same "don't panic" speech as everyone else...
This is such nonsense. Total stupidity. One of these days someone is going to make a massive mistake, someone will actually get sick, and these people will act like their hands are clean because they didn't document anything—they just pat you on the back and send you home...
Anyway, I managed to gather some general info about the lady and her dog, so I might actually be able to do something useful here. I'm trying to verify if the dog is actually up to date on its vaccinations.

I really hope it is.

I just want to point out that we shouldn't downplay the work done by epidemiologists at the Department of Public Health. Doing so might inadvertently influence someone reading this—perhaps someone who has been bitten, scratched, or had direct contact with an animal—to think it isn't worth their time to seek professional advice.

Under the Communicable Disease Act and relevant vaccination regulations, epidemiologists are legally obligated to follow a strict protocol whenever someone reports an injury from an animal or potential exposure.

After conducting a thorough medical history review, the epidemiologist assesses the specific risk level for rabies and acts accordingly.

In cases involving a pet with a known owner, they may verify the animal's vaccination status or determine if the pet needs to be placed under ten-day veterinary observation. It’s all very precisely mapped out.

Therefore, you should always contact the epidemiological services. It is the epidemiologist's job to decide if there is cause for concern and to ensure the entire process follows the Law along with specific regulations and rules. 🙂

stormywolf10 said:hey, so I asked the CDC about the whole situation and they basically told me not to freak out—same old script everyone else gets..
total garbage. honestly, that's how you end up with a massive oversight where someone actually gets sick, and then they just wash their hands of it because they weren't tracking anyone properly—just patting people on the back instead of doing actual work...
anyway, I've already gathered all the info on the lady and her dog, so I should be able to get somewhere--I'm trying to see if the pup's shots are even up to date.

fingers crossed.

I'm sure they know what they're doing and aren't just letting people walk out with a pat on the head when they actually need medical attention..

People are blowing this way out of proportion—seriously, why can't everyone just take this seriously for once?

stormywolf10 said:hey, so I asked the CDC about the situation and they basically told me not to panic and blah blah blah, just the same thing everyone else is saying..
it's ridiculous, honestly, because one day they'll make a mistake, someone will get sick, and they'll claim they're in the clear since nothing was officially recorded because their whole tracking system relies on people just tapping things...
I've already gathered some general info about the lady and her dog so I might actually manage something, I'm thinking of checking if the dog's vaccinations are up to date

I hope it is

It isn't a disaster, nor is it stupidity.
for an animal to transmit rabies, it would actually have to be infected with rabies, and the odds of a house pet being rabid are probably lower than me winning the Powerball without even buying a ticket
If I were you, I'd be much more concerned about the everyday places where your kid sticks their hands or tongue out, rather than worrying whether some little Yorkie-poodle mix could possibly be bitten by something rabid...and then somehow pass it on further.

I don't think the issue lies with the medical literature; I'd say the issue is more about your misunderstanding of it.

I can only imagine what kind of protection you're going to try to force on him when other things come up down the road.☕

Oh my God, I can't even deal with everything I'm reading here😂
A tiny poodle wearing a little coat😂 😂
And someone actually suggesting rinsing a kid's mouth out with liquid hand soap🤦

stormywolf10 said:It’s easy for you all to say, but this is my son we're talking about!!
I'm genuinely freaked out because she was acting incredibly weird and dodging every single question I asked...

Look, honestly? If I were her, I’d be running for the hills too—especially if you were putting on some kind of dramatic performance...☕
It's way more likely that your kid passed some strain of strep throat to the dog than the dog catching rabies from your child.

Do yourself a favor and get a dog. You'll be calmer, happier, and your kid gets a front-row seat to learning how to coexist with nature through healthy socialization. Highly recommended!

Anyway, I'm off to go give my little Yorkie a big kiss.😍

stormywolf10 said:So, I was walking through Central Park with my five-year-old son—who, naturally, ignores everything the second he sees a dog—and there was this little terrier-poodle mix running around. He was being super playful with my kid, jumping all over him and licking his hands. Then, the moment my boy knelt down, the damn dog lunged right at his face and licked him straight on the mouth.

....................................

If I were you, I’d spend that energy on actually raising your kid instead.😉

Hey, just jumping back in here to bump this thread. I’ve been scrolling through everything everyone’s said so far on the forum... and honestly, I’m freaking out a bit.

So, here’s the deal: my sister got bitten by a dog out on the street. We aren't even sure whose dog it actually was because there are like 2 or 3 houses nearby with dogs that look almost identical (it was dark out, so I don't know if she can even tell which one did it).

As far as the medical side goes:
1. She washed the wound out as soon as she got home.
2. She went to the doctor and they gave her a tetanus shot and some kind of serum—two injections total—plus some antibiotics.
3. We have to head down to the Department of Public Health on Monday to talk to them.

Regarding the dog itself:
Who’s actually in charge of going out there and tracking the dog down? Is that on us to find, or is there some agency we should call for help?

And what happens if we can't find it?

Thanks, guys.

I had to get a rabies shot the other day after a cat bite.
Can I expect any nasty side effects from that?

ruggedtinker8 said:I had to get the rabies shot the other day because I got bitten by a cat.
Is there any chance of getting some nasty side effects from it?

Sure. It’s just like any other vaccine you’ll ever take.

Angela Wright said:Sure, just like any other vaccine.

Is it actually normal to have this pain at the base of my spine, right above the tailbone, and in my right knee whenever I'm standing? It’s this weird, subjective feeling... almost like it’s made of glass and could just shatter internally. 😢 ?

(Luckily, I’ve got killer calf and thigh muscles, so I don't really feel it once I get moving and pick up the pace while walking... 😁 )

Also, does having random temperature swings in my head—like waves hitting me—flushing in my face for no reason, and this tingling sensation in my hands and feet that feels like eating too much candy, plus unbearable itching, all count as "normal"?

ruggedtinker8 said:Is it actually normal to feel this pain in my lower spine just above the tailbone and in my right knee when I'm standing? It’s a weird sensation—almost like everything is made of glass and could just shatter internally at any moment. 😢?

(Thank God I’ve got legs like an athlete, otherwise I wouldn't be able to power through my walks without feeling it... 😁 )

Then there's the constant temperature swings in my head, like waves hitting me, random facial flushing, and this pins-and-needles sensation in my hands and feet that feels like being poked by candy needles, not to mention unbearable itching. Does all of that count as "normal"?

Sure, having some reactions is expected, but as for how specific or intense these symptoms are considered "normal"—you aren't going to get a straight answer here. You need to go back to the clinic where you received the vaccine to get a real medical opinion.

Angela Wright said:Look, side effects happen, sure. But if you're trying to figure out exactly what's "normal" regarding how you're feeling right now, you should probably just check in with the clinic where you got the shot.

I did, I did. 😁
Women can have heavy lifting muscles too. 😉