Dog Bite

[colinp]

I've been bitten by my dog (not intentionally, I got in the way why it was trying to fight another dog), its only a small wound (2 small and shallow puncture wounds, very little blood). My dog is fully inoculated, do I need to see a doctor? I cleaned the wound out and placed antiseptic cream on it as soon as possible.

mods, please move if wrong forum.

[colinp]

Can't seem to edit, it has been suggested I get a Tetanus (?) injection

[Sceptict11]

Are you fully protected against Tetanus ? If not get a booster.

Regarding the wounds /-----------increasing pain, swelling or redness should prompt you to seek medical advise.

[harrry]

I think dog bites can make bacteria go fairly deep into the flesh and hence external cleaning may not be enough. You may need a course of antibiotics for that. And if you you haven't had a tetnus injection in the last 5 years or so this is always a good idea and not just for this.

[Bkungbank]

small wound still get death, an old man bitten by little dog die after few days. Go to get injection in hospital even it's small very dangerous when get fever it's too late already, Life is worth more then money.

[AyG]

Rather than tetanus, I'd be more concerned about rabies. Even if your dog has been vaccinated against rabies it can still carry the virus. And even if you've been vaccinated you still require further injections at this stage (though not as many as if you've not been vaccinated).

[ChopperRay]

Hi,

Happen to me a few months ago.

Went to hospital for injection and they also gave me a course of injects to be safe.

Best you go.

[lostmebike]

Are you sure it wasn't you that bit the dog?

[HerbalEd]

Inoculated or not ... I'd definitely get the dog tested for rabies ... esp. in Thailand.

[Zumteufel]

Always go see a doctor in case of animal bites. Can't believe you even have to ask.

[macca3248]

Tetanus and rabies shots.....

Dog does not have to show symptons to be a carrier....

Better safe than sorry.

[Briggsy]

Since it is not a full moon till the 15th, you have plenty of time to go to the hospital.

[Tywais]

Inoculated or not ... I'd definitely get the dog tested for rabies ... esp. in Thailand.

I suspect the OP would prefer not going that route.

Does an animal have to be destroyed to be tested for rabies?

Yes, the only proven test is to examine the brain for the rabies virus. Blood tests have proven not to be reliable. Because rabies is so serious, the test needs to be as accurate and reliable as possible.

ndhealth

How Is Rabies Diagnosed?

There is no accurate test to diagnose rabies in live animals. The direct fluorescent antibody test is the most accurate test for diagnosis--but because it requires brain tissue, it can only be performed after the death of the animal.

ASPCA

The above two sites have considerable information that the OP can use to make an informed decision.

[AyG]

There is no need to get the dog tested for rabies. The person bitten should simply get the three simple shots (assuming he/she has previously been vaccinated). It's a few more shots if not previously vaccinated.

[marquis22]

Are you sure it wasn't you that bit the dog?

My thoughts exactly

[slipperylobster]

How about a little.....Hair off the dog that bit you. Then a good BBq.

Seriously, get the required shots. 18 years in Asia and, although I had some close encounters, no bites.

Once got a cat scratch fever...It was not nice.

Rabies....ahhh...get that dog checked out if you want.

[Nemesis7]

GO and see a Doctor NOW......

[godden]

go see a doc pronto tonto and take the dead dog with you for tests

[AyG]

go see a doc pronto tonto and take the dead dog with you for tests

Totally insensitive. There's absolutely no need for a beloved pet to be killed. There's no reason to think this dog does have rabies, and even if it does, it makes no difference to the fact that the person bitten needs to be injected as soon as possible - they don't have the luxury of waiting until the results of any test on the dog are available.

I'd also add that the OP states that the dog is "fully innoculated" which should include rabies. The chance that it actually has the virus is pretty remote.

I do agree with "see a doc pronto" though.

Incidentally (and I could be wrong) I seem to recall that the rabies vaccine is only available at government hospitals, not private ones.

Edited January 2, 2014 by AyG

[Loles]

You have to visit doctor this is not question. You will get a course around 5-6 visits. My neighbor was bitten by my dog and she has not car so I have taken her every times to the hospital. Now she is OK and shows bigger respect to my dog

[wotsdermatter]

The initial vaccinations are a series of three injections, each one month apart. They are good for life. However, should a person be bitten, as in this case, another injection is required. Get to a hospital and have that injection. If you have not had the first three, this is a good time to have them. They are painless and cheap. Before 1994, when I had my three shots, the treatment for anybody bitten by an animal suspected of carrying rabies was, a full month of a shot a day in the stomach. That is now history. Anti-biotics are useless, the vaccination must be anti-rabies. Thailand has over 300 cases of confirmed rabies reported every year. In many countries the head of an animal suspected of having rabies used to be was removed for and sent to a pathologist for tests. Now, the animal is just kept in isolation for 30 days in order to determine if it has the disease.

[Kalserud]

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/animal-bites-beyond-the-basics

[Mudcrab]

You have to visit doctor this is not question. You will get a course around 5-6 visits. My neighbor was bitten by my dog and she has not car so I have taken her every times to the hospital. Now she is OK and shows bigger respect to my dog

Your dog bit the neighbour.....and the dog is still breathing? Hope its not a 3 year old who loses half his face next time. Dogs should not bite people.

[BudRight]

I got bit in Bangkok ten years ago. It was a soi dog that was sleeping between cars and I stepped on it as I crossed between them. I went to the hospital and asked if they could check me for rabies.

The doctor, 'No test for that. But what we can do, if we can find the dog, is put it in quarantine for a week and see if it dies.'

Me, 'Won't I be dead after a week?'

I think it was six shots, the days spaced out like this (0,1,3,7,14,28). If you've already had them it will be three shots as others have said.

Enjoy

Edited January 2, 2014 by BudRight

[umbanda]

If you were bitten by YOUR vaccinated dog, some hospitals will ask to keep the dog in observation...not to give you the shots right away, other hospitals and people will not take the risk and get the 8 vaccines.

I was bitten slightly by a dog here a year ago.. Because was a street dog and away from my home, the hospital give me the shots series.

5 ANTI RABIES SHOTS PLUS 3 ANTI TETANUS SHOT DURING 6 MONTHS...AND WANTED TO SEE ME EVERY DAY TO CHECK THE SMALL BOUND - COST ME 10000THB.

After reading online that Thailand is the #3 country in the world with rabies problems, recommending get a preventive 2 shots vaccination before traveling in Asia...and reading all about, I got paranoid even after the vaccination.

[dotx]

Seriously? Getting rabies shots for a bite from your own vaccinated dog? Seems a little excessive, unless you let your dog roam freely and get into fights with other dogs. Now, if it was somebody else's dog, I'd understand it. I would agree with the tetanus shot and maybe a course of antibiotics, just to be safe.

[marko kok prong]

If you were bitten by YOUR vaccinated dog, some hospitals will ask to keep the dog in observation...not to give you the shots right away, other hospitals and people will not take the risk and get the 8 vaccines.

I was bitten slightly by a dog here a year ago.. Because was a street dog and away from my home, the hospital give me the shots series.

5 ANTI RABIES SHOTS PLUS 3 ANTI TETANUS SHOT DURING 6 MONTHS...AND WANTED TO SEE ME EVERY DAY TO CHECK THE SMALL BOUND - COST ME 10000THB.

After reading online that Thailand is the #3 country in the world with rabies problems, recommending get a preventive 2 shots vaccination before traveling in Asia...and reading all about, I got paranoid even after the vaccination.

really number 3 in the world for rabies,this does surprise me a little,i would be interested to know where you found the information,not doubting you at all,but i just would have thought other places would be worse.

[harrry]

If you were bitten by YOUR vaccinated dog, some hospitals will ask to keep the dog in observation...not to give you the shots right away, other hospitals and people will not take the risk and get the 8 vaccines.

I was bitten slightly by a dog here a year ago.. Because was a street dog and away from my home, the hospital give me the shots series.

5 ANTI RABIES SHOTS PLUS 3 ANTI TETANUS SHOT DURING 6 MONTHS...AND WANTED TO SEE ME EVERY DAY TO CHECK THE SMALL BOUND - COST ME 10000THB.

After reading online that Thailand is the #3 country in the world with rabies problems, recommending get a preventive 2 shots vaccination before traveling in Asia...and reading all about, I got paranoid even after the vaccination.

really number 3 in the world for rabies,this does surprise me a little,i would be interested to know where you found the information,not doubting you at all,but i just would have thought other places would be worse.

An estimated 31,000 human deaths occur annually from rabies in Asia,^[1] including about 20,000 in India,^[2] which has the highest rate of human rabies in the world primarily due to stray dogs. Because of a decline number of vultures due to acute poisoning primarily due to the anti-inflammatory diclofenac, animal carcasses are no longer being sufficiently cleared—as the vultures were in competition with feral dogs for these carcasses as food-source, the dogs breed unfettered and produce a larger pool of carriers for the rabies virus.^[3] Another reason for the great increase in the number of stray dogs is the 2001 law that forbade the killing of dogs.^[2]

As of 2007, Vietnam had the second-highest rate, followed by Thailand; in these countries, the virus is primarily transmitted through canines (feral dogs and other wild canine species).^[4] Another source of rabies in Asia is the pet boom. In 2006 China introduced the "one-dog policy" in Beijing to control the problem.^[5]

The island of Bali in Indonesia has been undergoing a severe outbreak of canine rabies since 2008, that has also killed about 78 humans as of late September 2010.^[6] Unlike predominantly Muslim parts of Indonesia, in Bali many dogs are kept as pets and strays are tolerated in residential areas.^[7] Efforts are under way^[when?] to vaccinate pets and strays, as well as selective culling of some strays,^[6] to control the outbreak. As Bali is a popular tourist destination, visitors are advised to consider rabies vaccinations before going there, if they will be touching animals.^[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_rabies

although not an academic source it seems reasonable for this though I think it is refering to Asia not the world.

Edited January 3, 2014 by harrry

[bina]

your own dog? no need for rabies shots if he (the dog) wasnt bitten by unknown animal in past month..

tetanus; mostly every 7-10 years for a small bite no need. if it was a major deep puncture wounds and you havent been vaccinated for anything in the past then they might give a tet shot. here in israel even for that they dont give, believe me after working with animals and suffering some very not nice bites from a a rock hyrax, still didnt want to give a tetnus shot. worked with animasl for 10 years and wanted to renew my tetanus shot: no. every 10 years. thats it.

for any minor bite: wash for 15 minutes with soap and water and/or soak in mild solution of iodine/polidine/povidine mixed in water...

let the wound bleed is also good for washing out bacteria. the only real danger with minor (and major) dog bites is indeed bacterial infection becaouse the wound is larger inside than at the exit area so anaerobic bacteria love to be there.

RULE NUMBER TWO: NEVER INTERFERE WITH DOG FIGHTS> i also got bitten by my lhasa few years ago on teh hand, nice little infection and lots of tenderness at the bite site because dog teeth do lots of damage to soft tissue.

and if you are going to work with animals in thailand or go camping, or deal much with feral dogs, then a rabies preventative set of shots would be good, but not really neccesary . even here working with animals we dont get the rabies vaccine unless we are working with feral or wild animals.

[AyG]

your own dog? no need for rabies shots if he (the dog) wasnt bitten by unknown animal in past month.

Possibly wrong on two counts:

1. If the dog spends time outside on its own, it may have been bitten without the owner knowing. A bit from a small mammal, say a squirrel, may not be obvious.

2. Dogs may carry the rabies virus without showing any symptoms. (The science here is uncertain, but given that rabies in humans is almost invariably fatal if treatment isn't started before symptoms appear I for one wouldn't like to take the risk.)