Q. A pet dog bit me three years back. Can I take anti-rabies vaccine now?
Answered by Dr. Ehsan Samarbafzadeh and medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team.
Hi doctor,
I am an 18 year old male. Three years ago, a dog slightly bit my hand. The dog died 1.5 years after he bit me. It has been three years now, but I am worried as I heard that rabies appears after years. I did not take any medicine then. I ignored it because it was a pet dog. If I take anti-rabies vaccine or boosters now, will it protect me? The dog was my neighbor's pet dog.
Related Questions:
• Will antirabies vaccination cause any side effect when there is no dog bite?
• Is rabies a contagious disease?
• Being vaccinated, is it fine to get 2 doses of rabies vaccine now for dog bite?
Dr. Ehsan Samarbafzadeh
M.D
Family Physician, General Practitioner
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your worry with this situation as rabies is considered dangerous.
- The good news is that the dog that bit you probably did not have rabies as the progression of this disease is fast in dogs. If a rabid dog bites you, it will die in weeks. As you mentioned that the dog died after 1.5 years, I would not consider it rabid, and I think your health is at no risk due to that incident.
- Keep in mind that if this ever happens again with a pet dog, the best action is for the dog to be monitored by a veterinarian for signs of rabies. If the dog that bites a person is a wild dog, it should be caught and taken to the vet to get tested, and if the wild dog is unavailable, this warrants taking prophylactic rabies vaccines.
- The bottom line is, always consult your physician immediately after a dog bite.
I hope this answer helped you. Feel free to ask if you have any further questions. Best wishes.
For more information consult a family physician online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/family-physician
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