I was bit by a dog whose rabies shot status is unknown. Do I need to get a rabies vaccine?

Hello doctor,

I work at a veterinary clinic. 18 days ago, a great dane bit my leg, causing some deep puncture wounds. We immediately flushed the wound even though I discovered that night that there was a wound on my leg's back, we did not notice. I went immediately to the local health department to get a tetanus shot. We had never seen this dog before, and when we asked the owner about the rabies shot. She said that the dog had one but could not prove it. This owner is a bit sketchy, and we have reported here several times before this incident. She was instructed to quarantine the dog for ten days.

That night, I felt uneasy, so I went to the local urgent care. They had me fill out a bite form (something the health department did not even mention). And the doctor there gave me an antibiotic for ten days to prevent infection. I was not at work on the day of the dog's ten-day recheck, but one of the veterinarians said the dog was fine. I trust him, but I know that rabies are not something to be taken lightly, and it does not help that I can be a paranoid person at times. Last night, I started noticing some tingling in my leg (the bite is about mid-calf). Now, I cannot tell you whether I felt the tingling before or after reading that was one of the first signs of rabies. Like I said, I can go a bit nutty at times. I have also had tingling sensations in my hands and feet in the past and had visited a neurologist due to my family's MS history. I would just like some reassuring. Or should I get the rabies vaccine?