help!

[lweyatt78]

okay so one of my dogs escaped (who is a cattle dog) the fence and came back with a roadkill squirrel... im worried that he could get sick as well as other people... i read on the cdc that squirrels and other rodents rarely ever carry rabies but still.. the day after that one of the 3 dogs licked (it wasn't the cattle dog but the other 2 have been in contact with him) me on the mouth while i was sleeping, they have been vaccinated last year but haven't gotten a second one this year yet, could i have rabies now? Im so scared i think im developing symptoms, or could it all just be in my head? I asked my dad to take me to the hospital but all he says is "stop worrying about it, squirrels can't get rabies remember? now stop whining about it"
here is a screenshot of the article. I looked up recent rabies outbreaks in my area and the only one i could find was from 6 or 7 years ago, the most recent one being 4 years ago. i didnt see any of them that have to do with squirrels though.

 

[cavemanrich]

I can Understand you being scared/frightened. I don't think you are developing symptoms, but are making yourself super scared, and stressed. That can make you feel sick.
Read up a little more about rabies transmission. I believe the most common way, is when animal bites you, and the rabies is in the animals saliva. That gets into your blood stream. I did not think that ingesting the rabid saliva was a way to transmit the disease.
I have read articles that in some rare cases, bats did spread the disease when their rabid portion , (saliva ) ended up in peoples eyes when they were sleeping.
I don't have any links to that article, and it was many years ago that I read it.
Your dogs, if they get rabies, will die quite soon. That is the way the rabies vaccine works. It makes the possible carriers die before they can transmit the disease.
I know you are scared,,,,,,
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[lweyatt78]

I can Understand you being scared/frightened. I don't think you are developing symptoms, but are making yourself super scared, and stressed. That can make you feel sick.
Read up a little more about rabies transmission. I believe the most common way, is when animal bites you, and the rabies is in the animals saliva. That gets into your blood stream. I did not think that ingesting the rabid saliva was a way to transmit the disease.
I have read articles that in some rare cases, bats did spread the disease when their rabid portion , (saliva ) ended up in peoples eyes when they were sleeping.
I don't have any links to that article, and it was many years ago that I read it.
Your dogs, if they get rabies, will die quite soon. That is the way the rabies vaccine works. It makes the possible carriers die before they can transmit the disease.
I know you are scared,,,,,,
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

oh okay, thanks i guess
i read that getting rabies from a squirrel is very unlikely (because they don't interact with vector species and if they get attacked they dont usually survive or they die before they can transmit the disease.) ... the most common animals that are infected with rabies are racoons, skunks, foxes, bats, ect. woodchucks are something to worry about since they can carry the racoon strain of rabies, but this wasn't a woodchuck. I haven't seen any woodchucks where i live.
the squirrel was already deceased so i had no way to tell if it was acting strange. i also read that rabies is a super fragile virus that cant survive in dead animals for more than 24 hours when the temperature drops i think or if its exposed to direct sunlight. its been cooler than usual (like in the mid 80s or 70s, usually this time of year its close to 100°) here so the virus may have already been dead. i brushed my teeth right after the dog licked me in an attempt to kill the virus if there even was any but i dont know if it transmit this way or if it can even be cleaned after that...

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

oh okay, thanks i guess
i read that getting rabies from a squirrel is very unlikely (because they don't interact with vector species and if they get attacked they dont usually survive or they die before they can transmit the disease.) ... the most common animals that are infected with rabies are racoons, skunks, foxes, bats, ect. woodchucks are something to worry about since they can carry the racoon strain of rabies, but this wasn't a woodchuck. I haven't seen any woodchucks where i live.
the squirrel was already deceased so i had no way to tell if it was acting strange. i also read that rabies is a super fragile virus that cant survive in dead animals for more than 24 hours when the temperature drops i think or if its exposed to direct sunlight. its been cooler than usual (like in the mid 80s or 70s, usually this time of year its close to 100°) here so the virus may have already been dead. i brushed my teeth right after the dog licked me in an attempt to kill the virus if there even was any but i dont know if it transmit this way or if it can even be cleaned after that...

Honestly if you're that concerned go to the minute clinic at CVS and ask them. In my experience it is blood to saliva contact but a doctor can advise you better. The minute clinic can at least give you a rabies vaccine. It is important to get it before symptoms arise because otherwise it is far more difficult to treat. Honestly I'd be more concerned about the dog.

 

[cassie]

Rabies is not an issue. Other diseases may be. You will have to look up what rodents can carry. I believe listeriosis is one but if your dog has had his shots he should be protected. By the way, rabies takes weeks or months to manifest itself, not a couple of days.

 

[lweyatt78]

Rabies is not an issue. Other diseases may be. You will have to look up what rodents can carry. I believe listeriosis is one but if your dog has had his shots he should be protected. By the way, rabies takes weeks or months to manifest itself, not a couple of days.

i looked it up on the cdc website and i didn't see rabies anywhere but i saw a bunch of other illnesses that rodents can carry. squirrels may have listeriosis or a roundworm brain infection after eating racoon feces that can mimic rabies but the website also said rabies in squirrels is really rare so i think it should be okay at least for now.

 

[lweyatt78]

also i was playing with her on the day it happened and her teeth scraped my skin a little, a tiny scratch... there was no blood or anything she just scratched the surface but i still saw it scabbing over. could i get rabies this way? she has been vaccinated but is overdue on a booster. im not sure how long her vaccine lasts..

 

[DaisyG2317]

For what it's worth, I have a cat who is an absolute beast when it comes to hunting creatures outside. Squirrels, rabbits, rats, chipmunks, birds, moles, shrews, voles, you name it she has probably gotten it. She eats everything she catches, and she eats all of it. And I do mean ALL of it. She has yet to experience any ill effects for 4 years. She just gets her normal kitty vaccines. You and your dog are probably fine

 

[lweyatt78]

For what it's worth, I have a cat who is an absolute beast when it comes to hunting creatures outside. Squirrels, rabbits, rats, chipmunks, birds, moles, shrews, voles, you name it she has probably gotten it. She eats everything she catches, and she eats all of it. And I do mean ALL of it. She has yet to experience any ill effects for 4 years. She just gets her normal kitty vaccines. You and your dog are probably fine

my mom was planning to take her to the vet in a few weeks-
she needs to get all of them vaccinated and up to date on their shots though. its very important. however its been a week and none of the dogs seem sick so i guess they're fine. i havent noticed any of them being ill or acting strange. i thought i was becoming sick for a little while but i guess it was from worry and stress.

 

[cassie]

You are not going to get rabies unless your dog has rabies. In that case the dog would be showing signs before you would and then you would have time to get the vaccine. Just curious. Of all the things there are to worry about, why pick rabies? I really am curious.

That said, you would have reason to be concerned if you had close contact with or were bitten by a bat. I followed two cases of people who contracted rabies and were treated for it after symptoms appeared. One was a girl who was bitten by a bat and unfortunately neither she nor her mother thought anything about it. This girl was treated shortly after she developed symptoms. It was a very long recovery but she did survive. The other case was a little boy who had been playing with a bat. The parents didn't take him to the doctor because he hated shots. He was treated but he died. Essentially rabies has a 100% mortality rate once symptoms appear.