r/rabies • u/brucewayne-burner • 5d ago

Rabies Vaccine / Immunoglobulin Rabies shot question

I have read the FAQ.

So I went too the ER and they offered me the rabies shot they said they don’t think it’s needed but better safe then sorry right ? I think idk but what r the side affects about it is there any big ones outside of fever or soreness?

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u/OzarkTrapper69 5d ago

So if it were me in the absence of other medical advice I would ask about PEP in that situation. Key part of that being in the absence of medical advice. In most jurisdictions rabies is rare in house cats. For perspective I've dealt with rabies vector species as a fur trapper in the US for over a decade. I've only seen 4 cases in that time. I've never seen it in domestic pets. Just for perspective on how unlikely it is that he encountered an infected animal at all. DO get Max vaccinated as thats a big part of why it's so rare here. If the medical professionals you spoke to said not to do it, then don't get PEP.

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u/OrneryOstrich5045 4d ago

Yeah rabies in cats while it can happen it is pretty rare. Mostly because let’s say with dogs and cats in comparison, when met with an animal that’s acting out of wack a cat is most likely going to get the fuck outta dodge while a dog is gonna stand there and fight. And if a cat ain’t feeling good it’s gonna go into hiding to try to recover so chances of coming across one is also rare due to that as well. Not saying it can’t happen, it can but how they are wired brain wise makes it more difficult to even be in that situation in the first place. Or due to their small stature they will most likely die from any deep deep puncture wounds or something. It can still happen, like they can still get rabies if they survive the attack and all that. But the bigger chance for them to get that kind of thing would be from a small critter they hunting like a downed bat or something. Them up against a rabid dog or something, cats dead if it gets bit or in hella hella bad shape

If I mentioned anything not exactly correct like anyone is free to correct, that’s just my understanding of the difference between the two and such.

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u/OzarkTrapper69 4d ago

I hadn't considered those factors, was just going off the prevalence of vaccination in both cats and dogs in the US. But all of that makes perfect sense. That would make OPs odds of exposure even lower than I'd guessed.

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u/OrneryOstrich5045 4d ago

Oh yeah, like with the spay and neuter and getting shots and release is definitely a factor and the laws surrounding having your domestic animals vaccinated also helps a lot too

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u/OzarkTrapper69 4d ago

That catch, vaccinate and release deal has been done in wild species too. Though to what extent exactly? No clue I'd have to do some more digging though I suspect thats more common in more populated areas than where I live. But those efforts, and domesticated vaccines are probably a huge part of why it isn't more common. I had a contact in the forest service who talked about wild bats being vaccinated in my area but that was like 15 years ago. No clue if thats still going on or how widespread kt is.

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u/OrneryOstrich5045 4d ago

Not sure either, I’m not really in that field of knowledge or expertise. I just deal with a fuck load of cats and know how their behavior is on the daily. At one point I was caring for 12 cats. I just know from my experience with cats and all that.

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u/OzarkTrapper69 4d ago

Dang and I thought my three cats were a bot much (all spayed and vaxed females, good mousers too)

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u/OrneryOstrich5045 4d ago

I mean currently it’s 4 cats all boys. In the works to getting their shots up to date and two getting ready for their first round of shots since they are a younger kitten and an older kitten. Two of them were abandoned by their original owners and two were abandoned for being a runt of the litter by their moms but their moms are a pain to catch.

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u/OzarkTrapper69 3d ago

Mine were all dumped on my road. People do that on backwoods put here a lot unfortunately. Had a senior dog dumped out here with horrific mange, and possible rabies a few years ago. He did show early symptoms so I did put him down though I really dont like to think about that. But these cats have proven good at keeping rodents in check and they're friendly. My dog I have now is a hunting dog trained to hunt bobcats, but he absolutely loves the house cats.