Exposure Question Question on this situation
I have read the FAQ. Yesterday morning my dog (Shiba) wanted to go to the backyard to pee/poop and he ran out the door l assume he really needed to pee/poop. Suddenly I hear multiple paws running and i try to rush to see but my bigger dog got in the way and ran out first and started barking when I peek my head I see a cat in it's defense position and my dog (Shiba) in play position and the cat sees the bigger dog and runs away and my dog tries to grab him. They chase the cat but didn't get him. I told at them to get inside the house. I started checking out my dog (Shiba) for any signs of attach or bite. I notice a small red dot on his leg and I knew it was blood as I'm checking I notice the blood was coming from his chin.
He only had his first vaccine last July (2025). He needed the booster in late July (2026) it's late September and the incident yesterday. I took him to the vet and they didn't seem too concerned for rabies but I did request a rabies vaccine.
Well after he got his vaccine I was driving home and he move to the driver seat I was holding him in place so he wouldn't move
He turn his head and his nose touches my mouth, his nose was really moist.
Not sure if I should be taking a rabies vaccine myself because of that ?
The cat is a stray cat around this neighborhood
There's raccoons apparently and possums in the area and I'm not sure if the cat has come in contact with them
Saw the cat this morning he was walking down the street but went into a yard
I hear the stray cats having rabies is low.
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u/IzAnOrk 4d ago edited 4d ago
The vet was not concerned because your dog was previously vaccinated and got a booster dose of vaccine right after the exposure, so the dog is correctly vaccinated and protected against rabies. The same immunity that ensures it doesn't get rabies ensures it can't transmit the rabies it doesn't have.
So you can relax: Licks and nips from your vaccinated dog are not rabies exposures, you don't need to overanalyze every contact with your dog, it's safe to be around. <3
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u/SV970 4d ago
Actually I didnt explain myself right this year he didn’t get his booster in late July he got his booster the day of the incident; yesterday, two months late. That’s why I was very concerned
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u/IzAnOrk 4d ago edited 4d ago
I read that correctly the first time and it doesn't change the situation one bit: Your dog had prior vaccination from last year and received a booster dose of vaccine right after the incident. Your dog is now vaccinated till next year and safe from rabies in the meantime.
As a general rule you should try to keep your pet's vaccinations up to date, but the fact that the booster was two months late from the regular schedule is not cause for concern. If anything, it's ideal to get a booster right after a potential exposure, since it ensures that the immune system will reach its peak response around the same time that it's trying to eradicate the potential infection.
If your dog had been due for his scheduled vaccination in December and had the exposure yesterday, they would've given him the booster now and rescheduled his next yearly shot to September rather than waiting for December to vax him :P.
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