I’m probably being paranoid here, but thought it’s better to be safe than sorry. Any advice people can give me is much appreciated.
Me and my friend were walking around Kaohsiung, in the streets around Monkey Mountain, when this dog appeared next to my friend. It startled him and he jumped, and the dog did the same and backed off.
The dog was big - it came up to our waists - and it was drooling a lot. Like, an unusual amount. It was also a bit cock-eyed, and (if I recall correctly) there looked like there was some redness around the whites of its eyes. It seemed to be acting a little dopey as well, but I’m not sure if this was just a product of it jumping, and the image of it with the drooling and the eyes.
Anyway, we didn’t really worry about it at the time (although we stayed away from it) but since then my friend’s begun to worry about rabies. And now, partly since I swigged from the same beer as him later on, his anxiety has become mine. The concern is that some of the dog’s saliva might have spattered onto his hand without him noticing (when it jumped backwards), which had quite a few insect bites - some of which might have been fresh, some of which were scabbed over.
Obviously, we realise the chances of infection are pretty slim. We initially convinced ourselves there was nothing to worry about. But there’s still that nagging doubt which I think we’d both like to live without for the next year or so. Sooo, can anyone give me some advice about this? Is an infection even possible this way? Does rabies seem most likely, or could the dog have had something else? Would you get the vaccine/get tested or would you leave it?
It would be better to catch the dog/locate the dog in order to be certain. Moreover, if it was really rabies, it would be better not to wait too long for treatment.
While Taiwan had a rabies scare recently, it is not widely spread… so far. Do not become part of the initial Z wave!
[quote=“tango42”]Had myself a scare recently from a deep scratch from a wild animal claws. Saw a doctor who said nothing to be afraid of if not bitten.
If you’re the slightest bit worried, go to a doctor. Cheap visit anyway.[/quote]
Do not trust the doctors here.
I have visited doctors here and told them what I wanted doing and what tests I wanted after some research online. They would not have bothered otherwise.
I remember one doctor telling me some test was impossible in Taiwan and told me to see another doctor (he recommended) and she suggested I do the test which was possible.
I recall a report - an English woman contracted rabies and died from a scratch from a puppy in India.
A simple websearch warns you can contract from scratches.
[quote=“cake”][quote=“tango42”]Had myself a scare recently from a deep scratch from a wild animal claws. Saw a doctor who said nothing to be afraid of if not bitten.
If you’re the slightest bit worried, go to a doctor. Cheap visit anyway.[/quote][/quote]
Do not trust the doctors here.
I have visited doctors here and told them what I wanted doing and what tests I wanted after some research online. They would not have bothered otherwise.
I remember one doctor telling me some test was impossible in Taiwan and told me to see another doctor (he recommended) and she suggested I do the test which was possible.
I recall a report - an English woman contracted rabies and died from a scratch from a puppy in India.
A simple websearch warns you can contract from scratches.
The OP dog sounds like a Great Dane. They have sloppy mouths and their eyes can droop making them look ill.
