Great thanks. One of my concerns is that when I spoke to my vet, he claimed that it sometimes takes about 1 month for the rabies vaccine to kick in, which is exactly about the amount of time Sumo has received it (DEC 16).

Blah. Spoke to animal control and they claimed they only test animals that have bitten someone for rabies. So the only service they offered was pick up. What should be my next step? Just wait and be cautious of symptoms? Should I try to avoid contact with my pup? If so, how long? =/ I really would feel terrible to "quarantine" my pup, but at the same time don't want to put my family at any risk? =/

we live in the country and I can't even tell you how many dead animals my dogs have had contact with. They roll in them and I'm sure have had their fair share of nibbling on them. As long as your dog is current on his rabies vaccine, and didn't actually fight and kill this animal, I'm sure he'll be fine. You may want to ask your vet directly about the booster within 5 days.

Cathy
when she first came home

Hey pat, the coon did not look hurt or anything. No scratches or wounds that I noticed. Seemed like it was dead for approximately 1-2 weeks. Do those factors lower the risk?

hey Cathy, the raccoon was dead already and I am pretty sure Sumo did not eat any of it? Thanks for replying. As for booster, I'm not sure. Vet didn't recommend much.

You should get it within 5 days of contact. Do you think your dog killed the raccoon or he just found it already dead? Did your dog eat any of it?

Cathy
when she first came home

what did the vet suggest??
you could call animal control and see what they say about this too...
they are great when it comes to dead animals and so on...
really informative..
not sure how long it takes for animal control to find out if the animal is rabit but I am sure NOT that long..I bet not a week for sure. a lot of people might have came in contact..would be a health risk..I bet they would and could find out asap if the coon was rabbit or not..

they can likely give you the best answer as to their thoughts
likely can tell from picking up the animal if it looks rabit..
if it was at your door and dead might be a whole lot different then in the corner of the back of the yard.

what kind of shape is the coon in??
did it look like it was hurt and died??
those kind of questions might put your mind at ease some too

the blood test from the vet would put your mind at ease. I would likely do that no matter what.

use gloves. they will test it for you. my friend had a rabid coon in her horse pasture, they destroyed it tested it, it was positive, it was trying to get in their house and going after her dogs. all ended up being ok, but they were under quarentine for 6 months being it tested positive.

He said there most likely isn't anything to worry about. There is a slight chance dogs reject the rabies vaccine but it's a very small percentile. He says to just wait and watch out for symptoms? This still worries me some, even though it's a small percentile, there's still a chance. Anyone know if there is a procedure that can get results regarding rabies within a day or two with dogs? I asked my vet and he claimed he can do a blood sample but it will take a minimum of a week. Should I try to prevent as much contact as possible with my pup? Thanks again.

P.S. animal control is not opened yet, will call them asap.

this reply was excellent

The rabies vaccine can be given at 12 weeks of age. Although the vaccine can last for several years, if an animal is exposed to another animal that can carry rabies then most vets recommend that you re-vaccinate your dog immediately. Even if your dog was only sprayed by a skunk, you should still re-vaccinate. You can ask your vet to quarantine your dog for a certain period of time to be safe, but it's your decision. If there are no bite wounds, I would not worry too much. Rabies caused from scratches, skunk sprays, or any other form of exposure besides a direct bite is rare. My advice would be to re-vaccinate your dog and then keep an eye on him.

vacinated for rabies, there is very little chance he is infected.









You think dogs will not be in Heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.

Robert Louis Stevenson

It's usually transmitted through saliva, which can mean a bite or getting saliva into the bloodstream through a cut.

1. See the vet tomorrow. Don't wait until Monday. 2. Call animal control and have them test the animal.

Since your dog had a rabies vaccine all ready there should be no problem, but once you get the results from animal control and it's positive for rabies, talk with your vet again. The think about rabies is that you can get the vaccine AFTER exposure if yo do it within a couple of days, if necessary, which is important for your health, too.

They post-exposure no longer involves shots in the stomach and involves very little pain.

Let us know what happens.

Take the dog to the vet and owners go to doctor too.... I had a friend that had to kill a raccoon that attacked their dog in broad daylight...(obviously had rabies-daytime raccoons??? Not normal) but the dog had the rabies shot and still went to vet to clean the wound and was fine. But the friend that killed the raccoon had to get 9 shots in butt and stomach just in case they came in contact with the salivia or blood of the rabid raccoon... yes it had rabies... so scary.. PS not the only case in my town!!! 3 other cases of rabid animals. My bullies are on leashes in a fenced in yard just in case...

by a rabid animal to transmit the rabies. Your dog will be protected from the vaccine in Dec.

http://rabies.emedtv.com/rabies/rabies-transmission.html

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Andrea, Ruby, Lola and Jigger
XXOO

I meant contact with dog and family.

or contact with your dog and your family?

Cathy
when she first came home

No reason to allow it...lots of possible reasons to prevent it.

Cathy Miller

My life is full of bull.

http://www.marshillbulldogs.com
http://www.bulldogclubofmetropolitanatlanta.com

yes I called pet control and they were closed. So will call first thing tomorrow. Also, I read that signs only show up late stages and also sometimes none at all? Should I try to prevent contact with my dog for the time being?

here is some info I found about finding dead animals.......seems like if he didn't eat any of it he should be ok.



Could my dog or cat get rabies from a dead animal that had rabies?

Yes, through an open wound or by chewing on the carcass. Have your vet administer a booster shot within five days. If your pet is unvaccinated, it must be confined for four months, or euthanized. You're not always going to know what your pet has been up to while outside, so the best protection for both your pet and your family is for you to keep your pet current with its rabies shots.

How do I safely dispose of a dead animal?

Use care when disposing of any dead animal. Wear gloves. Pick up the animal with a shovel. Then bury it (deep) or double-bag it and put it in the garbage. To kill the virus, sprinkle the ground and wash the shovel/gloves with a 10% solution of bleach in water (9 parts water, 1 part bleach).


Cathy
when she first came home

Cathy is likely right..
but the coon should be tested for sure

I guess the first thing they will have to do is test the dead raccoon
do you have an animal control officer there?? someone will have to come and pick it up and test it
I would also call the vet and see what the vet says..

Your pup should be protected, but I would contact animal control in your area to have the raccoon tested. In all likelihood, the coon died of something other than rabies, but I would want to know for sure.

Cathy Miller

My life is full of bull.

http://www.marshillbulldogs.com
http://www.bulldogclubofmetropolitanatlanta.com

Thanks for all the replies. I will be calling animal control tomorrow. I did read that rabies can be transmitted through saliva, and that is why I am a little paranoid. Also, is there a way to test for rabies with my pup that will have results within the day? Thanks again.