Slight bite from restaurant pet dog in Ko Lan Pattaya

[Scaredofdogsnow]

Hi I was just at ko lan and saw this cute dog waddling by at one of the islands restaurant-shower stations and asked if I could pet him. They said yes and that it was friendly so I should hold him. I did and it was fine but when I moved my head down toward the dogs mouth it lept and bit st my mouth and cheek area. It was very light and didn't hurt and there were no marks or skin breaks visible. Also, after I raised my head away it stopped acting up and went back to lying down in my lap. 

Should I get a rabies shot? There are no visible signs on my face that I got bit, absolutely no punctured skin and no blood and my family wasn't aware anything happened at all until I told them. Please this is very worrying to me i don't know if I need a rabies shot or if I am overreacting. 

Thanks for any advice!

[impulse]

The OP realizes, of course, that if any of us say it's okay to not get the jabs, his/her death could be the result.

 

For a few $10 bills and a little time out of the day, I'd go in expecting to get the jabs just to be safe.  At least the first round.  The hospital can probably give better advice than we can, not knowing whether there's a rabies risk in the area.

 

By the second or third round, there may be more information about the condition of the pooch.

 

FYI, I got the jabs a few years back.  Unlike when we were kids and they were taken in the abdomen by a needle the size of a chopstick (that's what our parents told us to keep us away from strays), the jabs nowadays are no big deal.

[Scaredofdogsnow]

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

The OP realizes, of course, that if any of us say it's okay to not get the jabs, his/her death could be the result.

 

For a few $10 bills and a little time out of the day, I'd go in expecting to get the jabs just to be safe.  At least the first round.  The hospital can probably give better advice than we can, not knowing whether there's a rabies risk in the area.

 

By the second or third round, there may be more information about the condition of the pooch.

 

FYI, I got the jabs a few years back.  Unlike when we were kids and they were taken in the abdomen by a needle the size of a chopstick (that's what our parents told us to keep us away from strays), the jabs nowadays are no big deal.

Ok thank you.  I am visiting with family and didn't want to take time out of their plans to attend to me if it wasn't a big concern.  Could you recommend any clinics in Bangkok?  I am near the Prachara suites (22 Sukhumvit 6, Klongtoey Wattana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110).  Also do you know the cost for the shots?

[otherstuff1957]

Over the years I've seen several tourists bitten by street dogs.  They should have signs at the airport saying "do not touch the dogs, they are wild animals, not pets'!

 

I had rabies shots a couple of months ago, any hospital can do them as dog bites and rabies are both very common in Thailand.  There were two shots taken about a week apart.  Each shot cost a few hundred baht.

Edited February 7, 2017 by otherstuff1957

[Sheryl]

If there was absolutely no break in the skin -- either from the bite itself or any pre-existing sore or abrasion -- and the circumstances were such that you are sure no saliva of the dog got inside your mouth, then rabies vaccination is not indicated.

 

In order to be infected, the animal's saliva has to get past the skin barrier. This most commonly occurs from bites that break the skin, but can also occur from drooling onto or licking broken skin. It would also be possible if any saliva got into the person's mouth.

 

As there are often small cracks at the side of the mouth, take that into consideration in deciding if this bite meets these criteria.

 

Any hospital can administer the vaccine. Will be least expensive at a government hospital. In Bangkok, the Thai Red Cross has a Traveler and Immunization Clinic  http://www.saovabha.com/en/contactus.asp

 

It is also available at this place, a clinic operated by a UK doctor licensed to practice in Thailand http://www.medconsultasia.com/vaccinations

 

Note that a series of injections are required - 5 if never previously immunized. Schedule is day 0 (day of bite) then days 3, 7, 14, and 28.

 

 

 

 

[impulse]

If you don't mind getting charged more than the minimum, from Sukhumvit Soi 6 you're about a 15 minute walk from Bumrungrad Hospital.  It's off of Soi 3, meaning it's across Sukhumvit from the even side Sois, maybe 300-500 meters down Soi 3 from the corner with the Burger King and Carl's Junior (where I normally stop for a burger fix after visiting the hospital).

 

It's one of the high end foreigner targeted hospitals so you'll have no language problems and minimal waiting.  I got my last 2 sets of jabs there after I got tagged by a neighbor's dog in China and came back to BKK where I work.  It wasn't so expensive, but I don't recall the exact amount.  It will be more than a local clinic, but for me, the convenience is worth it.

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/

 

Edit:  If the budget is tight, give them a call for pricing.

Edited February 7, 2017 by impulse

[fstarbkk]

If you're still in the area, it would also be a good idea to find out from the owner of the dog if it had ever been vaccinated (against rabies). Along with the fact that there's no skin break, this might provide additional peace of mind.

[rak sa_ngop]

That's probably the best reason not to pat cats or dogs in Asia. The risk of rabies if bitten is extremely small but the cost and hassle of undergoing a course of rabies vaccinations is a real pain.

 

I did it once. Never again.

[impulse]

One last comment about visiting the doctor while staying in a hotel in BKK:  I had a co-worker staying on Sukhumvit who caught the flu or something.  The hotel offered their on call doctor to have a look at him in the hotel.  He wasn't laid up, so I suggested he head over to Bumrungrad instead.  He was in and out of the hospital with a full course of meds for less than the hotel doctor was going to charge for a look-see.  And quicker than waiting for the guy to come to the hotel.  

 

Like I always am, he was impressed with the facilities and service at Bumrungrad.  (I'm not a big fan of some of their doctors' diagnostic skills, but the facility is world class)  

 

Do not hesitate to head over to a hospital if you feel the need.  It's not like back home where only emergencies are handled at hospitals, and cost an arm and a leg in the ER.  There are very few old timey family doctors here, and the hospitals are the first stop for routine health care.

[ammagic]

If the bite did not puncture the skin at all I personally wouldn't bother. Different story if broken skin or bleeding