Rabies Risk - help

[dra6onpit]

I am just beside myself.

Two of my dogs met up with a raccoon that got in the yard yesterday morning. No apparent bite wounds and both were up to date on their vacs but still the cdc and animal control recommend a 45 day quarantine. My vet thinks that it is way long but I feel like I have to comply, not by law, because it feels like the responsible thing to do. Not to mention that I have a newborn and a two year old in the house. Vet says they would be ok with 10 days but I just can't take any chances. Unfortunately the raccoon left the yard so it couldn't be tested for rabies. Ugh.

There is so much conflicting information on the internet most concerning is that it takes 3-8 weeks for symptoms to develop and in some odd cases up to 6 months. My vet mentioned that this was primarily in non vac'd dogs and while I am no doctor, I can't figure out how that works.

I am quarantining one at the vet and one at home.

Vet is very encouraged(and encouraging) that they will be but only time will tell for sure.

Can anyone add any insight or have similar (hopefully good) stories to share.

I will fall apart if anything happens to either one at him.

[dra6onpit]

noticed a left out word:

Vet is very encouraged(and encouraging) that they will be OK but only time will tell for sure

[heartbullies]

In CA, it's a 30 full day quarantine if a currently-vaccinated dog contacts a wild animal, and the wild animal is gone or tests positive for Rabies. If the wild animal tests negative, no quarantine.

It's a ten-full-day quarantine for dogs if they bite a human, whether the dog is vaccinated or not.

And if the dog tangles with a wild animal and the dog is NOT currently vaccinated, then it's a full six months' quarantine, unless the wild animal can be tested and tests negative.

Generally after an "altercation" the vet will booster the dog's Rabies shot depending on how long ago the most recent, yet still current, Rabies vaccination was given.

[BabyReba]

oh no--that's scary. good luck, hopefully someone on here will chime in with more info. maybe misskiwi will know something about how likely it is that a vaccinated dog can get rabies.

[Misskiwi67]

Ten days is the time needed between having virus in the saliva and development of clinical signs, so the 10 day quarrantine only applies to the animal that did the biting.

I would also quarrantine for the recommended 45 days, but it doesn't need to be outside your home. It only means being extra vigilant and keeping your dogs on house arrest. No playtime outside your own yard, and no large gatherings of visitors during that time, and an immediate veterinary visit for any unusual behavior.

If your dogs were up to date on their vaccinations, chances are slim to none that they will develop rabies, but it never hurts to go the extra step to ensure the safety of your friends, family and neighbors.

[HollyJoy]

My dogs chased an opposed who lodged himself into the chain link fence, ugh! He had one puncture wound, and I think I know which dog it was, but I don't know for sure. My dogs were both UTD and received additional booster shots but no one mentioned any quarantine. The possum, well... my dad fixed him so we could open up the fence and get him out. It would have been smart to get it tested but no one thought of that.

[dra6onpit]

thanks everyone. No new information yet but everyone is still very healthy so I will take it.