Rabies Shots - After Exposure

All,

Back in June of 08 we had a scare with Rabies. We were given two kittens that were only about 8wks old.

To make a long story short one of the kittens developed rabies by the end of the her second wk with us.

Our cat that we have had for years was an indoor cat and of course as most are guilty of was late on his rabie shots.

We are now into the 10th wk of the time they say rabies takes to develop in cats.

My question though is:

When humans are exposured to rabies like us we had to get shots within a certain time to protect us from contracting rabies. Our cat hershey was given a booster in June to help him.

Does the same rule apply for animals? Since he was not current on his rabies and lets say the cat had bitten him(she didn't)but he was given a shot within days of finding out the kitten had rabies can they still develop rabies?

Our cat was not bitten or scrtached or anything by this kitten. They did however share the same water bowl and litter box.

Thanks for any info anyone can provide!!

Rachel

I wouldn't be overly concerned about the shot being overdo. From some of the tests that they are doing and some of the results it seems like rabies vaccine protects a lot longer then what the vets will say. If the cat isn't showing any difference in temperament, appetite or attitude I'g guess everything was ok.

I don't know what country you're in so I'm not sure how things work there.

Here in the US we have a 10 day quaranteen for Rabies exposure (unless it's a bat, then it's a 6 month quaranteen). If the animal shows no sign of rabies then we vaccinate them against it. If there was a bite or fight wound it's a bit more serious and I think the quarenteen is longer though. I have a flow chart at work I refer to normally so I don't have more memorized than that sorry.

If I may ask - how did the kitten get rabies? And do they know for a fact that it was rabies? Did you and your family have to take anti rabies shots, since rabies could be transmitted thru something as simple as a scratch?
In Delaware if an animal is ONE DAY past due on a rabies shot, it will be quarantined, and if it hasn't had the vaccine at all and rabies is even remotely suspected, then it will be cage quarantined for 6 months! Believe me - I just went thru this less than 6 months ago.

If they are vaccinated against it, they should be ok; HOWEVER, some vets like to play it safe and suggest revaccinating if they've been exposed to it.

The reason why we have to get rabies shots is because we aren't vaccinated against rabies yearly/tri-yearly like our pets are :)

Also, yes are you for certain that the kitten indeed had rabies? Rabies DOES NOT take a long time to develop in animals, its around 10 days give or take before you'll start seeing severe clinical signs, its a pretty quick onset. If its been a few weeks and none of your pets are showing signs, you're probably in the clear. I've been taught that rabies clinical signs are typically fairly quick; 10 weeks since possible exposure seems like a VERY long time, clinical signs of the disease should certainly have developed by then.

There is NO way to test for rabies except euthanization, decapitation, and sending tissue samples off to a lab.

From the CDC website:

http://www.cdc.gov/RABIES/qanda/general.html


What happens if my pet (cat, dog, ferret) is bitten by a wild animal?
Any animal bitten or scratched by either a wild, carnivorous mammal or a bat that is not available for testing should be regarded as having been exposed to rabies. Unvaccinated dogs, cats, and ferrets exposed to a rabid animal should be euthanized immediately. If the owner is unwilling to have this done, the animal should be placed in strict isolation for 6 months and vaccinated 1 month before being released. Animals with expired vaccinations need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Dogs and cats that are currently vaccinated are kept under observation for 45 days.


Can I get rabies in any way other than an animal bite?

Non-bite exposures to rabies are very rare. Scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious material (such as brain tissue) from a rabid animal constitute non-bite exposures. Occasionally reports of non-bite exposure are such that postexposure prophylaxis is given.

Inhalation of aerosolized rabies virus is also a potential non-bite route of exposure, but other than laboratory workers, most people are unlikely to encounter an aerosol of rabies virus.

Other contact, such as petting a rabid animal or contact with the blood, urine or feces (e.g., guano) of a rabid animal, does not constitute an exposure and is not an indication for prophylaxis.

I got the final rabies shots on my last dog at 16 mos. I don't intend to get another shot for life. I follow this protocol for all my dogs and did the same for my horses. The side effects are just too risky . Our vets work with us on this since it's been proven that rabies shots can last a lifetime in a dog - we can get titer shots instead.