Cat bitten by raccoon - vaccinate or no?

[Penpal]

When my dog was bitten by a skunk my vet gave him a rabies shot, even though he was vaccinated.

I have not had experience with an unvaccinated animal getting bitten by a (possibly) rabid raccoon. I think it was smart to start antibiotics with any bite. I read that dosing with vitamin C cured dogs of rabies. I don't know if that would work for the kitty, but maybe the rescue lady has information.

 

[Folly's place]

Antibiotics and whatever do not treat rabies! Cleaning wounds very well when fresh is the most important other thing, but vaccinations, pre and post, are the real saviors here.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Look up the CDC proticol for dogs, cats, or ferrets bitten by a possible rabid animal;
Should be euthanized immediately.
Or if the owner isn't willing to do this, then the animal is vaccinated and under strict quarantine for four months, and tested if it becomes ill. Ferrets are quarantined for six months. And the vaccine should be administered as soon as possible, preferably within 96 hours of the exposure.
This is on the CDC website.
Previously vaccinated critters get a booster.
Mary

 

[KRack]

Thanks all. I found a vet who vaccinated her and gave her an antibiotic shot as well! My plan is to quarantine her for 6 months and pray she’s healthy and happy, because statically that seems very likely.

I didn’t think of exposure to myself. So I’ll have to look in to that further. Thanks for bringing up that point for me to consider, too.

 

[cassie]

Antibiotics and whatever do not treat rabies! Cleaning wounds very well when fresh is the most important other thing, but vaccinations, pre and post, are the real saviors here.
Mary

The antibiotics will have no effect on the rabies but it will treat infections, if any, caused by a bite.

 

[Magda12]

Antibiotics and whatever do not treat rabies! Cleaning wounds very well when fresh is the most important other thing, but vaccinations, pre and post, are the real saviors here.
Mary

I was going to say this. Rabies in a virus. The rabies vaccination is the ONLY one that works after exposure/contraction of a virus. This is what people are given if they have been bitten by something rabid or potentially rabid. Remember hearing about that course of shots you have to get in the stomach? It's rabies vaccine.

I'm not sure why it's not given to animals in the same manner when they have potentially been exposed, but I have always been told the animal needs to be put down or carefully quarantined unless you can locate the animal that bit it for testing. Maybe animals metabolize faster and the post exposure window is much smaller for them? Just speculation on my part.

All antibiotics will do is keep the wound from becoming infected.

 

[Magda12]

Thanks all. I found a vet who vaccinated her and gave her an antibiotic shot as well! My plan is to quarantine her for 6 months and pray she’s healthy and happy, because statically that seems very likely.

I didn’t think of exposure to myself. So I’ll have to look in to that further. Thanks for bringing up that point for me to consider, too.

I really hope that you were not exposed to rabies. I also hope that you acted as if you were and got treatment immediately. Once symptoms appear, it's untreatable.

 

[KRack]

I really hope that you were not exposed to rabies. I also hope that you acted as if you were and got treatment immediately. Once symptoms appear, it's untreatable.

I don’t really think I was exposed. The cats been fine, and so have I. I believe everything will end up being ok. Thank you for replying!