State sets procedures for exposure to rabies
In reply to Francine DiMicele's letter (June 26) requesting clarification of requirements when a vaccinated pet encounters a potentially rabid animal, the following is from the North Carolina Manual for Rabies Prevention and Animal Bite Management (April 2007):
When the local health director reasonably suspects that a dog or cat has been exposed to the saliva or nervous tissue of a proven rabid animal or animal reasonably suspected of having rabies that is not available for lab diagnosis, the dog or cat is considered exposed to rabies and shall be destroyed immediately by its owner, the county ACO or a peace officer unless the dog or cat has been vaccinated against rabies in accordance with this Part and the rules of the Commission more than three weeks prior to being exposed and is given a booster dose of rabies vaccine within three days of the exposure. As an alternative to destruction, the dog or cat may be quarantined at a facility approved by the local health director for a period up to six months.
Linda East
Greensboro
The writer is a veterinarian.
Comments (3)
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I keep seeing article upon article upon article about getting your pet its rabies vaccination, but what all of these articles DON'T tell you is that all a vaccination is is a PRECAUTION. If your pet should nip or bite someone (breaking the skin), it is THE LAW that the animal be quarantined for 10 DAYS at the veterinarians or the county will do it. Either way it will cost you. Just because the animal has had its vaccination does not mean it does not have rabies or can't get rabies. Just ask Animal Control or your veterinarian.
How do I know, you ask? It happened to me. We were walking our dog and some little darling from the neighborhood, who had been told countless times to leave the dog alone, decided she was going to hug him. He didn't want to be hugged and he snapped at her breaking the skin. Next thing we knew there was a notice on our door to contact animal control. When I did I was told that the animal had to be quarantined for 10 days after the incident. Luckily we had been out of town for 3 of those days, so he only had to stay at the vet's for another week - at OUR expense of course. So just because you have them vaccinated it doesn't mean nothing will happen if the animal bites someone. As I was told by the veterinarian "It's just a precaution. There is no guarantee an animal won't get rabies." They said it was like the flu shot - just because you get one doesn't mean you won't get the flu.
Posted on July 1, 2007 7:18 AM
TJ, thanks for that information. Did you have any conversations with the parents of the "little darling from the neighborhood" after the incident? It would seem that they hold some degree of responsibility in your situation, IMHO.
Shalom
Posted on July 1, 2007 7:33 AM
I had something similar happen to me once.
I told Animal Control that I could not find the animal. They threatened to do fine me and worse but in the end, they didn't do squat. That would mean getting of their fat arses and doing something and that is easier said than done.
Posted on July 2, 2007 12:50 PM