# Got bitten by a dog (need answer fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063 "2017-08-08T05:54:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/41 "2017-08-08T20:21:46Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yeah I have their contact info. But the owner is at work and can’t retrieve the vaccine info for the dog until later today or tonight. Notwithstanding the fact that it’s already later in the day, this strikes me as pretty weak (on the part of the owner, not you). Just ask the owner to provide you with the contact information for the vet clinic, call them yourself and find out the vaccination information over the phone. I’m pretty sure HIPAA privacy rules don’t apply to dogs. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/42 "2017-08-08T20:32:07Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Notwithstanding the fact that it’s already later in the day, this strikes me as pretty weak (on the part of the owner, not you). Just ask the owner to provide you with the contact information for the vet clinic, call them yourself and find out the vaccination information over the phone. I’m pretty sure HIPAA privacy rules don’t apply to dogs. :dubious: No, [but individual states may have their own laws pertaining to veteran confidentiality.](https://www.avma.org/Advocacy/StateAndLocal/Pages/sr-confidentiality-patient-records.aspx) For instance, Texas: > [@](#): > > A veterinarian may not violate the confidential relationship between the veterinarian and the client, except upon written or oral permission from the client, receipt of a court order, or as necessary to substantiate and collect a debt for veterinary services. A veterinarian may, without authorization by the client, disclose information contained in a rabies certificate or regarding reportable communicable diseases to a governmental entity only for the protection of public health and safety. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/43 "2017-08-08T20:39:35Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Call your local animal control (I am shocked that the ER did not call when you came in with a dog bite). It’s their job to determine if the dog that bit you is properly vaccinated, and to take appropriate steps if it isn’t. I agree the ER should had call the ACO and if they couldn’t had reach the ACO ER could of called the police and they would had gotten a hold of the ACO. The ACO should be on call 24 /7 . The ACO told me when I was bitten by the cat I might as well give him the name owner of the cat while he already at ER otherwise he would have to come back to get all the info . ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/44 "2017-08-08T20:47:34Z")
[Link to the relevant Austin city government page, including instructions on reporting a bite that required medical attention.](http://www.austintexas.gov/department/animal-protection) The biting dog must be put under observation regardless of vaccination status (if vaccinated the dog may be kept at home during the observation period. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/45 "2017-08-08T21:22:35Z")
Contacted animal control 1/2 hour ago. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/46 "2017-08-08T22:02:19Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Rabied dogs are sort of more crazy suicidal foaming at the mouth and desperate for a feed… > > In what circumstance were you bitten ? The alpha dog protecting the pack ? Not rabied. > > The rabied dog would be fighting the pack, not protecting it. I was talking to the owner and the dog was very agitated and barking hostilely, probably perceiving me as a threat to the owner - and then when the dog was able to (it was on a leash the whole time,) it lunged at my leg and bit. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/47 "2017-08-08T22:20:05Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I live in Austin, TX, and this incident took place in Austin. I myself wouldn’t want to take “no” for an answer either, and was pushing hard to get the vaccine, but merely asking for it isn’t enough here - apparently since the vaccine is expensive and not plentiful around here, there is a lengthy investigation process that has to be done before the vaccine can be administered. And I think the decision to administer it is in other people’s hands, not mine, at least as far as I understood it, I can’t force them to vaccinate me. > > AFAICT no urgent-care clinics here carry it. No other clinics or places had it, except for the ER - I certainly don’t want to die, but can’t exactly afford thousands of dollars in medical bills either. > > Here’s hoping the dog is indeed rabies-vaccinated and that I don’t win the rabies death lottery… This is strange. When my son was bitten by a dog at the airport in Austin about three years ago (long story), the emergency room doctor insisted he get the rabies shot. The hospital did have it on hand. That may be because the dog’s owner disappeared out of the airport with the dog before the police could track her down, so we could never be sure it was vaccinated (another part of the long story). ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/48 "2017-08-08T22:29:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I was talking to the owner and the dog was very agitated and barking hostilely, probably perceiving me as a threat to the owner - and then when the dog was able to (it was on a leash the whole time,) it lunged at my leg and bit. WOW ! The dog owner should realize their dog was seeing you as a threat and warned you to move way back . The owner should have their dog on a short lease if is that aggressive . ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/49 "2017-08-08T22:29:35Z")
If the wound is deep, I would be worried about bacterial infection. [Here’s a case where someone nearly died due to improperly diagnosed infection resulting from a dog bite.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-dog-bite-sent-him-to-the-er-a-cascade-of-missteps-nearly-killed-him/2017/06/16/5ea17d96-1aed-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?utm_term=.0d05496bb299) Not to be a scaremonger - the patient in the above article had no spleen, which increased his risk. But still. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/50 "2017-08-08T22:39:54Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > If the wound is deep, I would be worried about bacterial infection. [Here’s a case where someone nearly died due to improperly diagnosed infection resulting from a dog bite.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-dog-bite-sent-him-to-the-er-a-cascade-of-missteps-nearly-killed-him/2017/06/16/5ea17d96-1aed-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?utm_term=.0d05496bb299) > > Not to be a scaremonger - the patient in the above article had no spleen, which increased his risk. But still. Yeah, the clinic doctor mentioned that. I did wash the wound with soap and water less than 10 minutes after the bite, and had it on Neosporin for the night, and the doctor says if there are blood-infection symptoms, that antibiotics will be prescribed. So hopefully it’s covered. Not too deep a bite - less than half an inch deep. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/51 "2017-08-08T22:46:15Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I was talking to the owner and the dog was very agitated and barking hostilely, probably perceiving me as a threat to the owner - and then when the dog was able to (it was on a leash the whole time,) it lunged at my leg and bit. Just curious: what breed/size/etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/52 "2017-08-08T23:15:18Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Just curious: what breed/size/etc.? Looked kind of like a medium-to-small sized border collie. Unrelated: So, the Austin bureaucrats told me protocol is, don’t administer rabies vaccines to people until \*after \*the 10-day inspection/quarantine period, and then only if the dog has rabid symptoms. Nagging them apparently won’t have any effect. I am mildly pissed…this is a rather irresponsible approach. Those 10 days are important. So if someone did get the virus into their body via a bite, they’re just supposed to let it grow unabated for 10 days? Not that I think I’ve really contracted it, but this is a very casual approach. I sure hope this isn’t what they do when a wild raccoon or coyote bites. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/53 "2017-08-08T23:24:13Z")
Sounds utterly bizarre – kind of hard to believe, actually, if there’s any doubt at all about the dog’s vaccination status. But do keep an eye out for infection as well, as mentioned. I’ve had some bites and scratches that I treated as you did and they were fine, but then I had a bite that did get infected. My doctor didn’t think that oral antibiotics would be sufficient and sent me to the ER. He was right. It required two rounds of intravenous antibiotic over the course of two days. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/54 "2017-08-08T23:28:49Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Unrelated: So, the Austin bureaucrats told me protocol is, don’t administer rabies vaccines to people until \*after \*the 10-day inspection/quarantine period, and then only if the dog has rabid symptoms. Nagging them apparently won’t have any effect. I am mildly pissed…this is a rather irresponsible approach. Those 10 days are important. So if someone did get the virus into their body via a bite, they’re just supposed to let it grow unabated for 10 days? Not that I think I’ve really contracted it, but this is a very casual approach. > > I sure hope this isn’t what they do when a wild raccoon or coyote bites. That’s exactly how things went when I got bit at work a few years ago. The dogs were unvaccinated, so the owner had to keep them confined until 10 days after the biting incident, then Animal Control examined them and declared them rabies free. I did not get the rabies shot. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/55 "2017-08-08T23:38:32Z")
First of all, never take anybody’s words about dog being inoculated against rabies. You take action and establish it. Report it to authorities. It’s your life that’s at risk not his. The dog will have to be taken in for observation. I believe that’s 10 days at the kennel. You go get treated for infection as the dog’s mouth are nasty. Later you can find you need rabies shots or not. Be sure you are updated on Tetanus shots, especially after dog bite. Lockjaw is no fun. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/56 "2017-08-08T23:52:46Z")
I was bitten by a rabid cat, and the stray cat was noticeably ill. They did test the cat, which took days. Once the test came back positive, i was told to go immediately to the hospital for my ( many) shots. And now i am immune. Which is nice. But while it’s scary, a few days isn’t that big a deal. Eta: with regards to the rabies, a few days isn’t a big deal. I would definitely make sure you get a tetanus shot and make sure you don’t get an infection at the puncture site. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/57 "2017-08-09T00:18:03Z")
**Velocity** , I’m still rather nonplussed by the attitude of your local officials. I understand a desire to balance the expense and possible idiosyncratic harmful effects of treatment versus the realistic odds of you having an actual exposure. And so I can accept, at least theoretically, the hesitation to treat. I’m less sanguine about the ten day delay pending the dog’s quarantine, but my opinion isn’t binding on your officialdom. I’m sure you’ll be fine, the odds are astronomically in your favor. But I’m glad (especially in light of my own personal chances of exposure) that the system here is different. As a separate issue I feel compelled to correct a misapprehension commonly held by people and repeated upthread. This regards rabies being characterized by agitation, aggressive behaviors, and foaming at the mouth. Called _furious rabies_, this is certainly one mode in which rabies may present. But a rabid animal may also be calm, tractable, or even “tame”. Called _dumb rabies_, this presentation has fooled many people into petting or otherwise handling the animal. Both forms are equally capable of transmitting rabies to another animal, or to you or a child. And the same animal may alternate between the two states. Finally, let’s not do more than mention asymptomatic carriers (in the USA raccoons, bats, and skunks are the most notable examples) who can carry and transmit rabies while showing no symptoms at all. Quarantine is ineffective for these species. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/58 "2017-08-09T01:12:07Z")
OP, you might also rinse the wound w/ hydrogen peroxide; this may also stave off potential tetanus. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/59 "2017-08-09T03:58:18Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Rabied dogs are sort of more crazy suicidal foaming at the mouth and desperate for a feed… > In what circumstance were you bitten ? The alpha dog protecting the pack ? Not rabied. > The rabied dog would be fighting the pack, not protecting it. It takes a month for you to develop foaming at the mouth after you get bitten: there is a related timeline for a dog. They are infective well before they start dying. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063/60 "2017-08-09T20:31:19Z")
> **[8 things you may not know about rabies – but should](https://www.elsevier.com/connect/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-rabies-but-should)** > > Two experts share less-known facts about rabies in humans and animals and how to prevent it This web site said we are more likely to get rabies from our pets than wild animals . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-bitten-by-a-dog-need-answer-fast/793063.md?page=4)