I was bitten by my hamster. Is there a chance that I would be infected by their rabies?

Question

I was about to place their food inside the cage and I wasn't aware that she would bite the tip of my ring finger. It did not bleed but I'm just really scared.. Need your help..

Answer 1

You only need to be scared if the animal actually had rabies to begin with....just to be safe, go see your doctor!

Answer 2

No not likely..... Rabies probably would have killed your hampster before he could have bitten you (takes about 10 days in dogs). So don't worry, just make sure its kept clean.

Rabies is spead from salivia entering, a bite, cute, any opening into the skin, and eye (mucus memberane) and the goal of this virus is to get to the brain. So if the infectied saliva was to be spit into your eye, you have a big problem, but if you were bit on the big toe, soap and water ASAP will usually kill this fragile virus, and will take it a while to get all the way up to your brain.

So in you little hampsters case, it would have already been there and done that, before your hampster nipped you given the size of your hamspter, and the probably bite from the rabid animal that passed the virus to him ( probably would have died from blood loss from the bite of the rabid animal).

There are two ways of diagonosing rabies, aggression ( the typical ol' yeller) and dumb rabies (which is the most common form).

Dumb rabies is where the animal acts like its impaired, drunk, stumbles often, just wants to hide in a corner and be alone. In both forms of rabies the salivary glands are engrossed with the virus as they move along to the brain, causing the salivary glands to swell. They swell so much the poor animal can't swallow, (unable to eat or drink), and that gives you the typical foaming at the mouth, the saliva has no where esle to go but out the mouth, which is great for the virus, because they are shed in the salivia waiting for a new host, a new warm body to invade.

Now some animals like the Opposum, Raccoon, and Bats can live with rabies, and not show any signs or symptoms. They carry this virus dorminat, but eventually the virus wakes up and takes hold, however, dorminant or not, it can still be passed to other animals when bitten, and when it is passed to another warm blooded animal, the virus wakes up, and attacks.

Rabies is very interesting your vet will know much more about this virus and other zoonotic diseases.

Answer 3

Don't worry about rabies. You probably scared her and that is how she reacted. Just clean it and put some antibiotic ointment on it and you will be fine. (Been bitten by hamsters and a rat and I still haven't gotten anything) :) They are not wild animals and are raised in (usually) pretty good settings. So don't worry about rabies.

Answer 4

If you hamster has rabies, then yes. But animals don't just all naturally have rabies. How is your hamster acting? If he's healthy, then you have nothing to worry about. =)

Answer 5

I understand your concern, but you can't contract rabies from something that doesn't have rabies. And I believe the bite has to break the skin in order for rabies to get contracted. The animals spit needs to get in your blood stream.

Answer 6

You won't have rabies. But wash it really well. Females can get cranky when they are in heat so use caution for the next few days. Good luck.

Answer 7

DOnt worry Hamster dont have rabie my sister got bitten many time nothing ever happen

Answer 8

You might turn into a Giant hamster on the full moon, better watch out for that, wouldn't want a knew species being formed like the warewolves! *gasp*

Answer 9

No, you'll be fine. Don't worry, hamsters don't carry rabies.

Answer 10

you say it like all hamsters have rabies, there's nothing to worry about.