Rabies vaccines for humans anyone?

Ummm, guys?   That's actually BIT AND RUN!

I did a report with Animal Control, and THEY are the ones that contact the police.  So that's done.  And I did check with the groomers, Banfield and the staff and managers at PS.  No such luck.

I know "stuff" happens, but geeze!  And I discovered this morning that swelling is the reason I can't bend my leg.  I had thought it was because of the way it was dressed.  Nope.  Under the knee on the back of the leg is so swollen it looks like a little old lady wearing those funky elastic knee highs with the leg bulging over the top......sigh!

That's awful, Glenda! I hope they're found. The dog could seriously injure another dog or a child. He should not be out in public. 

Good Lord that is just awful, you just can not cut a break can you?  I am so sorry to hear this.  Hope you are well soon and I know the shots are awful, my Sister got bitten by a cat last summer and she had to go through that too.  Good thoughts are with you, my friend.

Erf! As I handle bats in my job, I am well-versed in the rabies vaccince for people. And yes, if a suspect bat bites me I'm obliged to go and get the post-exposure shots, which would undoubtedly be going into the side of my fingernail or in the finger webbing seeing as that's where bats like to bite! Needless to say, I wear gloves with bats, at least until I'm confident they're not sick or bitey. Fortunately, we don't mist net, so most of the bats we handle are in torpor from a night in the harp trap and they can want to bite all they like but they're too cold and slow to do much more than bare their wee little teeth.

That cetainly is rotten luck, Glenda. At least bats are the only animals in this country we have to worry about.

Glad to hear you're feeling a little better lately. 

corvus

Erf! As I handle bats in my job, I am well-versed in the rabies vaccince for people. And yes, if a suspect bat bites me I'm obliged to go and get the post-exposure shots, which would undoubtedly be going into the side of my fingernail or in the finger webbing seeing as that's where bats like to bite! Needless to say, I wear gloves with bats, at least until I'm confident they're not sick or bitey. Fortunately, we don't mist net, so most of the bats we handle are in torpor from a night in the harp trap and they can want to bite all they like but they're too cold and slow to do much more than bare their wee little teeth.

That cetainly is rotten luck, Glenda. At least bats are the only animals in this country we have to worry about.

Glad to hear you're feeling a little better lately. 

Don't worry, rabies shots are given in the arm (not at the site of the bite).  If you need a Tetanus booster, that might be another story. 

glenmar

 

Guess someone forgot to tell the AC officer who told me exactly where the shots would be or the ER doc who administered vaccine directly into both bite holes that they don't do it in the bite! I had three injections into each of the two holes, one in each "hip" and one in my right arm.  The tetnus booster was in my left arm.    The follow up vaccine WILL be in my arm, but the ones Saturday HAD to be into the bite.

But you didn't have pre-exposure vaccines now did you?  I needed follow up shots after a bite and so did a couple other people I know (all in the arm).  But regardless of which, shots suck.  Glad to hear the swelling is down some, and you don't have to worry now about foaming at the mouth.... 

 Yeah, pre-exposure shots are in the arm (done that one), but even if you get your pre-exposure shots, post-exposure are at the site. I know more about this than the doctors that gave me my shots! No, that's not quite true, but they did have to look it up in a book to answer all my questions. The only people/animals that get that shot over here are those that handle bats. People have died from bat lyssavirus because they didn't know a sick bat that bit you could kill you. Fortunately work pays for it so I don't need to worry about that side of things.

It could be worse, Glenda. I met a man in Mexico who was attacked by a rabid bobcat. It leapt onto his chest and chomped on his side. Although, he did have a pretty amazing story to tell. And we had a rabid fox meander into our kitchen while we were sitting around the table. Fortunately, though, that one wasn't biting, just acting crazy. If it had bitten me, though, I was at that time unprotected and several hours from the nearest hospital and a foreigner to boot. I was being mighty careful around those rabid foxes, I can tell you. After the bobcat story, though, I was pretty glad I didn't get to see a wild cat after all.  

The State Health Department called me yesterday to do a follow up.  She told me the "good news" that once I've been through the series I'll likely only need a shot in the bite if I'm bitten again.  And maybe a second in the arm.

So, I'm confused about this.  Getting different stories from different folks.  This would be considered, next bit, to have been my pre-exposure series from what she said........clearly the best way to avoid that is to avoid another bite, but how the heck does one avoid an unprovoked bite?  I greet strange dogs pretty regularly and I do it correctly by getting down on their level and talking to them FIRST before I try to touch.  In fact, they typically come to me for love.  This wasn't even me saying hello to a dog......it was me getting stuff out of my car.  Back turned.  So it really was NOT an avoidable situation.  I hadn't even had a chance to pull anything out that the dog might have considered threatening.

Regardless, have to go in today and get the next shot......hopefully that's just in my arm. 

I've been following, and I'm sorry to hear about you getting bit unprovoked.  And it majorly sucks that the lady then took the dog and ran away!  Hopefully this is the end of your bad luck streak and things get better from here on out!  Is your wound still oozing a lot?

glenmar

I greet strange dogs pretty regularly and I do it correctly by getting down on their level and talking to them FIRST before I try to touch. 

I just had one comment on you getting down to the dog's level to greet them....  be a wee bit cautious about that, my dog is majorly freaked out by people crouching to greet him, even if he's otherwise OK in meeting new people.  I'm not sure what it is, since DH and I crouch in front of him constantly, along with other family members, but any person he doesn't know who crouches makes him skittish until they stand back up.  Maybe its the direct eye contact most folks make once they are crouching?  Once Sammy sniffs you while you are standing, without a lot of direct attention, then he is OK with you. 

I normally do the "hello beautiful" first and then get down, but I've never had a problem with it.    Will keep your comment in mind though.

They lied to me.  I had to drop my drawers again.  Which is ok, the butt handles an IM injection better than the arm.  But I wasn't expecting to drop my drawers again.  Sigh.  My butt is being viewed by every nurse in the area.

LOL seems no one gets the information correct!  Sorry you have to keep getting poked in the butt :)  I absolutely hate IM in the arm, my arm is always sore for DAYS afterwards, no matter how much I relax the arm. 

Only three left to go, so.......at least the holes in my rear will be minimized.  One Saturday, one a week from Saturday and then one two weeks later.  Maybe they tell you the shots are in the arm so you will go for the next one?  The ONLY thing I cared about is that they didn't stick a needle in the bites again!

Glenda, I am so sorry that you got bit!!!  Coming from behind like that was the equivalent of a sucker punch.

I hope you heal quickly, but with all the swelling, it sounds like it is going to take a while.

I suggest that you write an short, open letter to the editor of your newspaper with some of the things you would like to say to this woman.  Something like:

To the woman whose dog bit me in the back of the knee at PetSmart at location on date at time:

Your large dog bit me from behind in a completely unprovoked attack.  I was leaning into my car at the time and had had no previous interaction at all with the animal.  The bite was a deep one and will take some time to heal.

What made things so much worse is that you ran without a word!  That condemned me to a series of painful rabies shots, plus hundreds of dollars in bills over and beyond the medical care for my knee.

The ironic part is that I love dogs and probably would not have called Animal Control if you had stuck around.   I would have even tried to help you figure out your dog's aggression issue(s).  It could be as simple as the dog needing thyroid supplements.

Please get some help in evaluating your dog and resolving his/her issues.  Next time it could be a child with a mangled face or a punctured artery.