My fathers dog, who is a 15 pound poodle, is about 10 years old and this morning he got out of the fence. Someone saw him roaming around and called the cops. 3 Police officers and one good samaritan tried to capture the dog, the dog ended up falling into a stream, could not keep himself afloat and began to drown. The good samaratin jumped in to grab him and the dog nipped his thumb and broke skin. He has never bitten anyone in the 10 years my father had him. The Dog was brought to an Animal Shelter on Long Island and is being held. The shelter wants proof of rabies vaccine. Looking through my dads paperwork he has the dog with shots from May 21th of 2015 (they want proof of vaccine within the last 3 years). My dad had an appointment to take the dog to the vet in May to get reupped for his 3 year vaccine but my father got seriously ill and is still in the Hospital.
Long story short, They said if his vaccine was up to date they could release him to me (it is expired by a month) and I would have to moniter him for 10 days. If I dont have current vaccination paperwork they are unsure of the next step. A friend told me he could be euthanized and tests done to see if he has rabies. I am unsure of how true a statement that was. He is a house dog, only goes outside in the yard and on walks. If true this would surely break my father. I think he loves the dog even more then he loves his own son.
I guess my question is does anyone know the proper protocol? Is there a way I can get the dog back even with the expired rabies vaccine? The people at the shelter don't seem to have a straight answer for me ans I don't want to get my father worried.
”If you were bitten by a cat, dog, or ferret that appeared healthy at the time you were bitten, it can be confined by its owner for 10 days and observed. No anti-rabies prophylaxis is needed. No person in the United States has ever contracted rabies from a dog, cat or ferret held in quarantine for 10 days.”
I was bitten by a dog in Peru and had to go through the shits in the US. It really isn’t a big deal any more. Expensive maybe, but just a series of shots.
CDC Website - ( New Window )
Last dog in us to transmit rabies was probably about 1972
So medically we still regard dogs as high risk - like I. India, zimbabwe, etc that isn’t accurate for us
So-
Now protocol is to observe the dog for 10 days- if da ID ( unlikely? Dog will become obviously aggressive , hydrophobic and diagnosed rabid , then sacrificed and brain biopsy the. Proves presence of rabies virus on immjnohistochemical staining.
If dog is normal after 10 days, No rabies clinically:: all good , dog released- Normal