my 18month old baby was slightly bitten by a puppy.the puppy had no anti-rabies vaccination.what should i do?

Question

the puppy is still alive.

Answer 1

Hurry and get that puppy to a vet before it contracts rabies! Sorry, j/k...I would get the kiddo to a doc to be checked out, better safe than sorry.

Answer 2

You need to take your baby to the ER and get a tetnus vaccine, not only can dogs transmit diseases but they carry the potential for tetnus (lockjaw) because they go outside to potty. The ER will probably record the bite and the health dept will be contacted, the puppy will need to be quarantined for 10 day to be sure it is disease free, there might be a fine for no shot depending on the age of the puppy. If the puppy has signs during the 10 days of disease, your baby might have to get rabies treatment. It's probably ok, I'm thinking that the puppy was just playful and nipped but you need to be safe rather than sorry.

Answer 3

Call the local health department - they can tell you about rabies in your area an make a recommendation as to what to do. They will ask about the situation. If the dog attacked and was unprovoked, that is a lot more serious than if the baby grabbed him or something like that. I work for the local health department, and we deal with this from time to time. The only way to test a dog is to euthanize it, but many places allow the dog to be put under observation for a dew days to see if it is acting strange, so that it doesnt have to be killed. Rabies is rare in dogs in the US, so it is unlikely that the dog is rabid, even if it hasnt had shots. Call your local health department as soon as you can, as they sooner they deal with it, the better. If there is deep wound, your baby should be seen by a doctor for a tetanus shot (if he hasn't had one), and antibiotics, to keep the wound from getting infected.

Answer 4

You need to take the baby to the doctor tomorrow, and the doctor will have to report it, I think. From there, they probably will have to destroy the puppy in order to test it for rabies. I know that is extreme - but once a person starts exhibiting symptoms, it is too late to treat it. Our dog was bitten by a rabid skunk (no people were involved) and we had to quarentine both of our dogs for 90 days in addition to getting them an immediate rabie shot, and additional shots every month. We had to have our cats put down. It is that serious. Probably, the puppy is alright - but your baby's life is worth much more.

Answer 5

You are probably fine. Rabies is not that common any more in Dogs.

The only thing you can do is se a doctor and get the shot treatment., Or have the puppy put down and his head removed to check for rabies ,or quarantine the dog for 10 days.

Answer 6

It's highly unlikely that the puppy had rabies (if it was rabid you would know!) they are like psychotic creatures that have lost thier minds, very aggressive for no reason, frothing at the mouth etc...

All that being said, if my baby was bitten by a dog I would take her to get checked out just in case. But honestly I think the baby will be fine.

Answer 7

Did the puppy break the skin?? If it didn't you dont have anything to worry about. And just because a puppy hasn't had their rabies shots yet doesn't mean they have rabies. But still take the kid to the doc's just to make sure, and get that pup's rabies vaccine asap.

Answer 8

Probably nothing! I am sure you cleaned the puncture wounds, and applied some cream of sorts. Puppies only have rabbies in the wild, and if this was a house pet, don't worry!

Answer 9

Yes I would definitely take the baby to a doctor as soon as possible. The baby will probably need a tetanus shot. Good luck.

Answer 10

did it break the skin? do you have any reason to think the puppy might have rabies? if you have any doubts (and by posting the question i think you do) take the baby to the er. its better to be safe than sorry!!