WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH AN APPARENTLY HEALTHY DOG OR CAT WHO HAS BITTEN SOMEONE?
A healthy dog or cat, whether vaccinated against rabies or not, who bites someone should be confined and observed for 10 days. If the animal develops any sign of rabies in that time, he should be quickly and painlessly euthanized. If no symptoms of rabies develop, the animal may be released after 10 days. If there is no proof of prior vaccination, the animal should be vaccinated before release from isolation. If the animal is homeless and unwanted, it is recommended by veterinary public health authorities that he be humanely euthanized and tested for rabies without delay. A person should not postpone post-exposure rabies vaccination pending completion of the animal’s 10-day observation period. If there is any reason whatsoever to suspect that the animal may have transmitted rabies, post-exposure rabies treatment should begin immediately. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY PET IS BITTEN BY A POSSIBLY RABID ANIMAL? When your pet has been in a fight with an infected wild or domestic animal, and the s
