Dog bite in Thailand - a word of Warning

[MilesofSmiles]

I think a firearm is a bit of an extreme reaction, you're just going to escalate any problem from dog bite >> gun fight ????

It's a bit over the top.

You can find pepper spray at most local markets if you have a look around.

Shops selling weapons / bongs will usually have them.

Test the product by making a small cut on your leg/foot and spraying that. Should hurt like hell, but much less than spraying yourself in the face.

Best thing to get if you're really worried, is a couple of your own dogs, a couple of rottweilers or staffies will do the trick

[Sheryl]

Sprays, stun gun etc are still not going to help if the animal sneaks up from behind before you know it. And if you see it coming, then simple stick or stone will do.

As you say the place seems filled with people who resent your coming there, to the extent that you think the dog may have been ordered to attack you, I really think you should avoid it. If this and a busy highway are truly the only places around where you live that you can possibly walk, then perhaps a move is in order?

[roberta]

I will not allow a dog to sneak up behind me again. If I hear frenzied barking (as I did on that occasion), and in an area where I feel uncomfortable, I will keep looking behind me until far away from the clear and present danger. Sticks and stones depend on physical strength which I no longer possess. I need something which works at long range and requires no strength to operate. I don't want to let any animal get close enough to me to be dangerous.

As for moving, that is not so easy, as I own the property. I would have to sell it, then find another. I bought the condo partly because of its proximity to shopping, transportation and a long pathway alongside a canal, well separated from traffic, which offers just the kind of exercise facility I need. It would not be easy to find another place with similar advantages, at a price I can afford.

There is a park with an exercise trail, which ought to be safer, about 2 km away, and a fairly frequent bus service to take me there, but at my exercise time of about one hour before sunset the traffic is utterly gridlocked and I would spend a longer time sitting in a hot bus breathing traffic fumes than actually exercising.

[lopburi3]

Actually you might want to compromise here and exercise in the early morning rather than evening - much better air/temp this time of the year and if between 6-7 should not be very heavy traffic.

But you do not need to be a body builder to hold onto a meter stick of bamboo and just waving that will be enough to stop most dogs - and you can also use for exercise routines.

[cumgranosalum]

I will not allow a dog to sneak up behind me again. If I hear frenzied barking (as I did on that occasion), and in an area where I feel uncomfortable, I will keep looking behind me until far away from the clear and present danger. Sticks and stones depend on physical strength which I no longer possess. I need something which works at long range and requires no strength to operate. I don't want to let any animal get close enough to me to be dangerous.

As for moving, that is not so easy, as I own the property. I would have to sell it, then find another. I bought the condo partly because of its proximity to shopping, transportation and a long pathway alongside a canal, well separated from traffic, which offers just the kind of exercise facility I need. It would not be easy to find another place with similar advantages, at a price I can afford.

There is a park with an exercise trail, which ought to be safer, about 2 km away, and a fairly frequent bus service to take me there, but at my exercise time of about one hour before sunset the traffic is utterly gridlocked and I would spend a longer time sitting in a hot bus breathing traffic fumes than actually exercising.

If you look around, you will see many people...young and old.....carrying sticks whilst they exercise. It is the norm in Thailand.

You will also notice that just waving the stick is usually sufficient and just crouching down and pretending to pick up a stone works tooo....no strength needed!

[lamyai3]

On 3/22/2016 at 10:08 AM, Catoni said:

1. Everyone should be pre-vaccinated against Tetanus. And a booster shot every ten years. Do that... and you never need to worry about Tetanus. Tetanus is literally in every country of the world. Not just tropical countries. Even in Europe and North America you should be vaccinated.

2. South East Asia has some of the highest rates of rabies infections in animals. Get pre-vaccinated for rabies.

The pre-exposure schedule for rabies vaccination is 3 doses, given at the following times:

• Dose 1: As appropriate
• Dose 2: 7 days after Dose 1
• Dose 3: 21 days or 28 days after Dose 1

A person who has been pre-vaccinated, but gets bit by an animal that might be rabid, or gets licked on a cut by an animal that might be rabid, should get 2 doses of rabies vaccine, - one right away and another on the 3rd day. Rabies Immune Globulin is not needed.

A person who is exposed and has never been vaccinated against rabies should get 4 doses of rabies vaccine - one dose right away, and additional doses on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days. They also need to get another shot called Rabies Immune Globulin at the same time as the first dose.

Being pre-vaccinated has two great benefits ......it gives you extra time to get help, at least an extra 24 hours, and also you do not need to find Rabies Immune Globulin, which can be very difficult to find in some places in the world. You only need two follow-up shots of Rabies Vaccine.

Rabies is one of the most horrible ways to die.... much horrible suffering.... and you don't go quickly... Once the symptoms of Rabies begin... it's too late to do anything. You will die, ....and it will not be a painless, fast death.

Tetanus causes muscle spasms so severe... you can actually break bones. Suffering is long and horrible.... and can take months to recover. About 10% of people who get Tetanus do not survive it.

Get your shots everyone...

Sorry to dig up an old topic, but got bitten by a soi dog this morning, there was a puncture wound and bleeding so definitely needed to get treated. Prices quoted (Pattaya) were pricey so I went to the government hospital where everything was cheap, aside from what I assume is the immunoglobulin, this was 4500 baht by itself. Additional hospital costs, doctor fees, tetanus etc were negligible. 

 

Question is if I get bitten again in the future, do I have some sort of immunity now, similar to pre-vaccination? Would I need less injections than the course (five over the next month) and can I skip the expensive one now I've had it? I'd like to know exactly what I need if it happened again. 

[balo]

A private hospital can be close to 25000 baht, my friend got bitten but he had travel insurance so he didn't mind the costs. .  The shots they give you are expensive. 

 

[al007]

Some Questions at age 72

 

Have not had tetanus jab for a long time do I need a booster

 

Should I have the rabies pre bite vaccination, can one get at the government hospitals

 

My wife recently had the post bite rabies shots, should she have the prebite vaccinations, she also had tetanus

 

We have four Alsatians, all up to date on shots but better to be safe

 

I am also looking at third party insurance just in case our dogs ever attacked anyone, we do keep them as guards dogs but also wonderful loving pets, whenever we get home they all run to us wanting affection

 

Cost of Rabies shots at government hospital is pennies even for foreigners for my wife 30 batt

 

 

Edited March 13, 2017 by al007

[ammagic]

What a ridiculous comment. People who dump their dogs & don't neuter them are the real issue & this being Thailand & the general apathy which prevails nothing will be done. I do feed dogs but where possible I also neuter them. It's the only real solution for the long term

[Catoni]

On 3/13/2017 at 4:15 AM, al007 said:

Some Questions at age 72

 

Have not had tetanus jab for a long time do I need a booster

 

Should I have the rabies pre bite vaccination, can one get at the government hospitals

 

My wife recently had the post bite rabies shots, should she have the prebite vaccinations, she also had tetanus

 

We have four Alsatians, all up to date on shots but better to be safe

 

I am also looking at third party insurance just in case our dogs ever attacked anyone, we do keep them as guards dogs but also wonderful loving pets, whenever we get home they all run to us wanting affection

 

Cost of Rabies shots at government hospital is pennies even for foreigners for my wife 30 batt

 

 

    YES !   You need a Tetanus booster every ten years.    Get one if it has been ten years or longer since you last tetanus vaccination. If you are not sure how long it's been  GET A SHOT!    Not having the shot can be deadly.......    having a second shot too soon will not hurt.   I had two shots close together with no negative effects... due to one Tetanus shot being ....Tetanusm Diptheria and Polio combination in one shot... and my second Tetanus shot I recieved in order to also get pertussis vaccine...   it was Tetanus Diptheria and Pertussis.    The first shot was in March, 2011.... the second shot was February, 2012..less than a year later.    No ill effects from the two Tetanus shots being less than a year apart. 

 

   I use an app called Vaccine Record for Travellers... by Dr. Deb the Travel Doctor that I got from the Apple App Store to keep an up to date record of my vaccinations..    Good idea to keep an up to date record ...

 

Tetanus causes agonizing painful muscle spasms so severe... you can actually break bones. Suffering is long and horrible.... and can take months to recover. About 10% of people who get Tetanus do not survive it.     It can really ruin your day....or ....  and your life... 

 

   I had the Rabies pre-bite shots...  series of three.   If you get bit, you still need a further two shots of Rabies vaccine but you will not need the Rabies Immune Globulin...  (which can be hard to find, and expensive in some areas.)  It also buys you more time to get help and get the extra two shots.   Nice to have..  

    Once Rabies symptoms appear... it's to late to do anything about it .  You are going to die.  Say goodbye to your friends around you.  And it's not going to be a quiet and peaceful death.   This is not meant to scare.... simply a fact.  

   If there is any chance of you coming into contact with a rabid animal... get your shots and know what else to do.  Study it. 

 

   If you are not pre-bite vaccinated.... you don't have as much time to get help... and you will need FIVE shots PLUS Rabies Immune Globulin.  

                     Your choice...  

  

Edited March 14, 2017 by Catoni
addition.

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, Catoni said:

    YES !   You need a Tetanus booster every ten years.    Get one if it has been ten years or longer since you last tetanus vaccination. If you are not sure how long it's been  GET A SHOT!    Not having the shot can be deadly.......    having a second shot too soon will not hurt.   I had two shots close together with no negative effects... due to one Tetanus shot being ....Tetanusm Diptheria and Polio combination in one shot... and my second Tetanus shot I recieved in order to also get pertussis vaccine...   it was Tetanus Diptheria and Pertussis.    The first shot was in March, 2011.... the second shot was February, 2012..less than a year later.    No ill effects from the two Tetanus shots being less than a year apart. 

 

   I use an app called Vaccine Record for Travellers... by Dr. Deb the Travel Doctor that I got from the Apple App Store to keep an up to date record of my vaccinations..    Good idea to keep an up to date record ...

 

Tetanus causes agonizing painful muscle spasms so severe... you can actually break bones. Suffering is long and horrible.... and can take months to recover. About 10% of people who get Tetanus do not survive it.     It can really ruin your day....or ....  and your life... 

 

   I had the Rabies pre-bite shots...  series of three.   If you get bit, you still need a further two shots of Rabies vaccine but you will not need the Rabies Immune Globulin...  (which can be hard to find, and expensive in some areas.)  It also buys you more time to get help and get the extra two shots.   Nice to have..  

    Once Rabies symptoms appear... it's to late to do anything about it .  You are going to die.  Say goodbye to your friends around you.  And it's not going to be a quiet and peaceful death.   This is not meant to scare.... simply a fact.  

   If there is any chance of you coming into contact with a rabid animal... get your shots and know what else to do.  Study it. 

 

   If you are not pre-bite vaccinated.... you don't have as much time to get help... and you will need FIVE shots PLUS Rabies Immune Globulin.  

                     Your choice...  

  

Thanks, you seem very knowledgeable on this. Regarding the tetanus, I previously had a booster four years ago, and had one again on Sunday after the bite. They scheduled me for two more, in one month and then in six. However, since I had a booster a few years ago are the next two tetanus shots necessary?

 

Also, you say that if someone is pre-bite vaccinated for rabies, immunoglobulin won't be necessary in the event of a future bite. I'm not pre-vaccinated, but I will have had the immunoglobulin plus the remaining four or five shots over the coming month. Does that mean in the event of a future bite I can forgo the immunoglobulin, and just have the reduced number of regular rabies shots (in other words, does post-bite treatment amount to the same thing as pre-bite vaccination)? I'm asking since the hospital wasn't really clear on this. 

[simon43]

I used to cycle and walk in Phuket, as well as in other areas of the country.

 

I often met aggressive soi dogs, either alone or roaming in packs.

 

Now I live in Myanmar and cycle every day.

 

There are many soi dogs, alone and in groups.

 

But every single one of these dogs is timid, running away when I cycle or walk close to them.  I have never encountered a single aggressive dog.

 

Why is this?  I don't see Myanmar people hitting the dogs.  The dogs seem to have a far better temperament than those in Thailand.

 

[Catoni]

On 3/14/2017 at 7:24 AM, lamyai3 said:

Thanks, you seem very knowledgeable on this. Regarding the tetanus, I previously had a booster four years ago, and had one again on Sunday after the bite. They scheduled me for two more, in one month and then in six. However, since I had a booster a few years ago are the next two tetanus shots necessary?

 

Also, you say that if someone is pre-bite vaccinated for rabies, immunoglobulin won't be necessary in the event of a future bite. I'm not pre-vaccinated, but I will have had the immunoglobulin plus the remaining four or five shots over the coming month. Does that mean in the event of a future bite I can forgo the immunoglobulin, and just have the reduced number of regular rabies shots (in other words, does post-bite treatment amount to the same thing as pre-bite vaccination)? I'm asking since the hospital wasn't really clear on this. 

      55555  thanks for saying I'm knowledgeable..     To some extent I guess I am more knowledgeable in this subject than many people.... But that does not make me an expert.  You have asked a question I do not know the answer to. "...does post-bite treatment amount to the same thing as pre-bite vaccination?"       I'm sorry I don't have the answer to that one.   I could guess..... but that would be taking a chance with a horrible disease and someone's life, which I won't do.   I can only tell you vaccine information I know about and know to be factual.  I will not guess at vaccine information that I am not familiar with.   Please see a doctor who is very familiar with Rabies and the vaccines for more accurate info. .   I'm sorry I can't answer that question for you..    Best wishes...   

Edited March 15, 2017 by Catoni

[lamyai3]

23 hours ago, Catoni said:

You have asked a question I do not know the answer to. "...does post-bite treatment amount to the same thing as pre-bite vaccination?"

 

Please see a doctor who is very familiar with Rabies and the vaccines for more accurate info. .   I'm sorry I can't answer that question for you..    Best wishes...   

Just for the record, saw a very knowledgeable doctor today when getting my booster, she confirmed that this course of treatment would indeed act as protection in the event of a future bite. She said RIG wouldn't be needed in that case, and just two booster shots would be necessary, immediately and on day three.

[Dario]

My wife was yesterday morning at about 07:30 bitten by a neighbors dog in our relatively small Isaan village. It's the first time this happened to her in her 56 years. At 08:00 we were at the local government hospital, but there was no doctor at all available (Saturday morning) We actually had to attend an event at our daughter's private school at  08:00/08:30 about 20 km away from the hospital, so we went there first. When we arrived back at the hospital it was just 12:00 and everyone had their midday break until 13:00. Woaw!

This is what then happened: you first have to consult a doctor. He will prescribe the medication (injections and others) then you have to go and get them at the the hospital pharmacy, then proceed to the emergency room, where a nurse took her away into a special room to administer her 3 injections. My wife said that one of the three was extremely painful. She will have to go again 3 days later for 2 more injections and then a third time for another 2 injections.

 

We wonder why the dog bit her. She never provokes any animal, she is a kind hearted woman. I can only guess that he must have rabies, otherwise he would not have possibly attacked her.

 

In my country Switzerland, something like this can simply not happen. There are laws. Dogs and cats have to be registered with the government and must be regularly vaccinated. The more, dogs cannot walk freely in public areas, they have to be kept on a leach. If ever a dog would bite a person in a public area, the dogs owner has to pay for medical costs and possibly gets fined. My wife asks herself how the laws are in Thailand in such a case. Probably non existant. Not that she wants any money from the dog owners, but in 36 hours they even never came to apologize and ask how she is doing. Well, that is Thailand. After over 30 years here I get the impression that people in my country think very differently than the Thai people.

 

[Sheryl]

They haven't come to apologize and ask how she is doing precisely because they expect this will lead to a request that they pay.

 

Not an exact law AFAIK but does seem usual practice here for dog owners to pay for injury caused, and were you to go to the police and complain that would be the eventual outcome, which they know, so good chance if you go and state your case they'll pay. Up to you if you want to bother, if you do bring along receipt from the hospital to prove the costs and see first if they will settle directly with you, if not  you can make a complaint with local police.  (Though if your wife is Thai treatment should have been free of charge).

 

But be warned that this could lead to the owner abandoning or killing the dog - who cannot be assumed to have rabies just because it bit your wife, this is common behavior with Thai dogs who are  not well treated and not trained.

 

 

[Dario]

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

They haven't come to apologize and ask how she is doing precisely because they expect this will lead to a request that they pay.

 

Not an exact law AFAIK but does seem usual practice here for dog owners to pay for injury caused, and were you to go to the police and complain that would be the eventual outcome, which they know, so good chance if you go and state your case they'll pay. Up to you if you want to bother, if you do bring along receipt from the hospital to prove the costs and see first if they will settle directly with you, if not  you can make a complaint with local police.  (Though if your wife is Thai treatment should have been free of charge).

 

But be warned that this could lead to the owner abandoning or killing the dog - who cannot be assumed to have rabies just because it bit your wife, this is common behavior with Thai dogs who are  not well treated and not trained.

 

 

Thank you Sheryl. My wife is Thai, so she is on the 30 Baht scheme. She only wanted to know how the laws are in Thailand. Even if she had no health insurance, she would never ask them any money or press charges. The owners are very poor but known in our village as bad mouth talkers.

[Sheryl]

If they have that sort of reputation then they likely ill treat their dogs as well, which may explain the biting behavior. Of course still need to complete the vaccine series to be safe.

 

Thailand does not  have much in the  way of laws on things like dogs off leash/unvaccinated, disturbing neighbors by loud noise all night etc etc. And even less are what laws as might apply ever enforced.

[Catoni]

21 hours ago, Dario said:

My wife was yesterday morning at about 07:30 bitten by a neighbors dog in our relatively small Isaan village. It's the first time this happened to her in her 56 years. At 08:00 we were at the local government hospital, but there was no doctor at all available (Saturday morning) We actually had to attend an event at our daughter's private school at  08:00/08:30 about 20 km away from the hospital, so we went there first. When we arrived back at the hospital it was just 12:00 and everyone had their midday break until 13:00. Woaw!

This is what then happened: you first have to consult a doctor. He will prescribe the medication (injections and others) then you have to go and get them at the the hospital pharmacy, then proceed to the emergency room, where a nurse took her away into a special room to administer her 3 injections. My wife said that one of the three was extremely painful. She will have to go again 3 days later for 2 more injections and then a third time for another 2 injections.

 

We wonder why the dog bit her. She never provokes any animal, she is a kind hearted woman. I can only guess that he must have rabies, otherwise he would not have possibly attacked her.

 

In my country Switzerland, something like this can simply not happen. There are laws. Dogs and cats have to be registered with the government and must be regularly vaccinated. The more, dogs cannot walk freely in public areas, they have to be kept on a leach. If ever a dog would bite a person in a public area, the dogs owner has to pay for medical costs and possibly gets fined. My wife asks herself how the laws are in Thailand in such a case. Probably non existant. Not that she wants any money from the dog owners, but in 36 hours they even never came to apologize and ask how she is doing. Well, that is Thailand. After over 30 years here I get the impression that people in my country think very differently than the Thai people.

 

       Sorry to hear that story. I hope your wife is fully rcovered from that experience .  It's stories like that...that make me glad I have been pre-vaccinated against Rabies.  So if I get bit, it gives me more time to get help, and I will need only two further shots of Rabies vaccine, and I won't need the Rabies Immune Globulin shot. 

 

    It would have been much easier on her if she had been pre-vaccinated.   

[TheBrain]

On 3/21/2016 at 9:59 AM, Thian said:

It would be nice if we had a phonenumber from the government which we can call to report agressive dogs.

Also would be nice if we can report to which owner they belong (in case we know that) or who feeds them.

Even better would be if the government just gets them all off the streets. They also come into moobaans where children play or people have dogs in their own fenced garden.

They have no such a phone number. The only phone number they have is to report against animal cruelty.