Rabies Doesn't Just affect Dogs

Rabies is one of the important Vaccines you will give your dog or cat. Reason being is there are several known vectors who can transmit Rabies to your dog or cat. Making sure your pet is up to date on this important vaccine is a must. Being bitten by a rodent or Bat can transmit Rabies and symptoms can take anywhere from 10 days to 8 weeks after the dog/cat becomes infected. You many times may not see the bite it can be very small. This disease is always fatal. So don't risk it vaccinate. I have a very personal story. I was out walking my dogs one evening in 2019 and a bat flew into my hair. The distinct humming sound I knew something was up. I reached up to get it out of my hair and the bat bit me on my finger twice. Because of this and the fact the bat was acting weak I had to have a rabies vaccine multiple shots in the bites 5cc in my arm and 5cc of rabies immunoglobulin in my other arm. This was not the end I ended up having to come back every few days for a total of 5 vaccines to prevent rabies. The side effects are hallucinations,night sweats,agitation,flu like symptoms,joint and muscle pain,head ache,nausea to name a few. This is extremely hard to endure and the shots are the least of it. Be mindful my bites were extremely tiny. Often people don't realize they have even been bitten. It is better to do the shots/immunoglobulin than to risk disease. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms start. It is best to get in within 24 hours of the bite/exposure. When in doubt take the shots to prevent infection. Not worth the risk for they can't help you once the virus is active. I feel very lucky I had recently read about a man in my area who died from being bitten by a bat and he became infected with Rabies. Nothing could save him. Prevention: Vaccinate your animals and be mindful of animals acting strange. Animals who are out at night that are out during the day. Bats that are weak, flying into you can mean their sonar detection is off due to illness. Yes bats can fly into people but as my DR put it it is not normal.

UPDATE: Second Encounter with rabies and a bat bite while taking my dogs out for potty in November 2022 just three years after my original bite same finger and the bat got stuck in my hair! Had to have two booster shots for rabies no JOKE! Be careful out there! Bats don't run into you if they are not sick! #rabies #batbite #humanrabies #rabiesshothuman #humanrabiesshots #batbiterabies