I was bitten by a dog...(update pg.#2)

[luvwinnie]

Well, I called Animal Control. An officer came to my home to take a report. He will be going to the owner's house to get more information on the dog's history. It turns out that the dog's rabies shots are NOT up to date. Even if a dog gets a 3 year shot, it still needs a yearly booster. The owners will be fined $55. The officer said that while the probability of getting rabies is small, I should get the shots. I'm waiting to hear from the health department on what I should do regarding the rabies shot.

This has been one lousy week, I hope it doesn't get any worse.

Rabies is NOT given yearly...unless this is the law in other states?

 

[Nana Annie]

 

[brerrabbit]

I don't know for sure if they can test for rabies without putting the dog down. I know that was the case when I was a kid. They may have new ways to test since then. I am so sorry you were bitten. I have very strong opinions about animal control because of dog bites. When I was a child my Mother was working in our front yard in the garden and a neighborhood dog attacked her and bit here several times. She had to go through the rabies shots because the dog had never been vaccinated. They could not test the dog without putting it down and the owner refused to do so, so she had to take the shots. The peoples insurance paid all the bills but it was still a very troublesome event for my family.

Fast forward to today: I have a four car garage and like to sit out there and watch TV and piddle around my workbench. One night a dog enters my garage starts growling at me and threatening me. I grab stick I had and hit it in the head and it runs off. I went to the owners of the dog who live two houses down and tell them the story and ask them to keep their dog in their yard. They say it has its tags and it is completely legal so what is the problem. I say because its against the law to let your dog wander free in the neighborhood thats why. They respond by saying how sweet it is and it would never threaten anyone and I must have provoked it. I say fine I am calling animal control filing a report and the next time it comes in my garage I am closing the door and calling animal control to pick him up. That was last week so we will see what happens this weekend.

Why do people think its okay if a dog or cats has its tags that its okay for them to run the streets?

 

[Nana Annie]

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Since, as you said and they can quarantine the dog, isn't that what's necessary to make sure the dog isn't ill?

I don't know how it works of course and you want to be safe and not sorry. What a pain (literally, on top of it all). So sorry that you're going through this!

 

[RitaZ.]

Since your Animal Control officer does not seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, if this is a home quarantine - remind him to make sure the owners do not vaccinate during the 10 day period. This could mask symptoms if the dog were to develop rabies (again - chances are slim to none.)

As somebody who has been bitten several times - I would not spend too much energy worrying. The dog did have the initial shot, so has some protectioon. Pets just don't catch rabies unless they are outside everynight wrestling with rabid raccoons.

That's good to know about not getting him vaccinated during the quarantine period. I'm going to call the mom in a little while, I'll mention it. I'm also going to ask her why she repeatedly told me that the vaccines were up to date when they are clearly not.

The raccoon part is my concern. Our city has had rabies warnings over the years, it's common around here. From what I was told by the mom, not that I believe a word she says anymore, he is mostly an indoor dog. Like I said, I think I'll be fine, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't concerned.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

The raccoon part is my concern. Our city has had rabies warnings over the years, it's common around here. From what I was told by the mom, not that I believe a word she says anymore, he is mostly an indoor dog. Like I said, I think I'll be fine, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't concerned.

I think that most people would be concerned, even if logically they knew that it was highly unlikely that there would be a problem. That's only natural and normal! At the very least you should be relieved that I think that you are natural and normal (but coming from me that might not mean anything... ). Hang in there and hopefully you'll found out some good news soon and can put this behind you!

 

[RitaZ.]

you are natural and normal (but coming from me that might not mean anything... ). Hang in there and hopefully you'll found out some good news soon and can put this behind you!

Hey, I'm normal!

Thank you all for the good wishes!

 

[pyrxtc]

well, my Ds got bit by my neighbors dog when he was 2. We came to the door and she opened it ,expecting us, and the dog ran onto the front porch and bit my DS's hand. I did need to go to the Dr's to get it checked and she swore he had never bitten anyone before. Found out later from her DS that she got the dog because it's old owners had a child that it would bite. This is the same dog she has to lock downstairs eveyr time anyone comes over and attatches himself to the back of my jeans leg if he is out while I'm there. he tries to bite evryone. My DD used to play over there a lot and does occasionally go there now. If her evre bit her, he would be gone. This neighbor also has the gall to breed this dog and sell the puppies. last/first litter, it took them months to get rid of the puppies and I just heard they had a new litter.

this dog is so bad tempered it should not be bred, it should be put to sleep. God forbid it ever got out of the house.

 

[Nana Annie]

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Hey, I'm normal!

Thank you all for the good wishes!

Of course I think that I'm normal!

 

[mylilnikita]

OMG, I am so sorry you have to go through all that. She needs to pay for your medical bills. I HATE STUPID DOG OWNERS!!!!!!! No matter what the breed, all dogs need to know who is the alpha dog, they need to be socialized with humans and other animals.
When I was about 6, we took a trip up to Maryland to see my aunt. She rented a house on this guy's property. He had 2 German Shepards and they were guard dogs in every sense of the word. This fool even bragged about how they would tear someone up. Well, you couldn't get out of the car until the guy put these dogs up, if they didn't know you. My aunt called up to the main house to say we would be outside and to put the dogs up, well, he didn['t put the dogs up properly and I was going outside to help my aunt with laundry handing stuff to her to put on the line and those dogs came after me. My aunt' s girlfriend swooped me up and got me into the house before they got me. A few months later, my aunt was in the hospital and they killed her dog and had to be put down.
Now, I cannot blame dogs that were trained that way, but the owners oh yea I can blame. My rot/hus and germand shepard are not guard dogs, I have not trained them to attack like this guy did, but I know from the other day, my rot/hus will protect DD, when he got in between her and a aggessive dog that was in our yard.
I hope you don't nave to go through a lot for someone else's carelessness.

 

[OzFan]

Yikes! I know that hurt! That's a sensitive area.

I got bit too, many years ago by a german shepard. (On the side of my leg.) Out of the blue. They quarantined the dog. I had to get a shot and I think the medical personnel made a call to animal control and that's how the dog was put under quarantine.

I didn't think you'd let your DD back there.
I can't believe the reaction of the owner. All the concern over the dog and none for you and what you had to go through? And the dog never bit, but when he DID bite her she didn't have to get antibx?

I'd be about done with them. For real.

Oh MY me too! Same kind of dog, same place! I still have a scar. That was 20 years ago. It took it FOREVER to heal. If anyone ask me if our dogs bite I tell them plain as day,"they have teeth don't they". No matter what kind of dog you have there is a poosibilty that it will bite. I hope all oges well for you!

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, I called Animal Control. An officer came to my home to take a report. He will be going to the owner's house to get more information on the dog's history. It turns out that the dog's rabies shots are NOT up to date. Even if a dog gets a 3 year shot, it still needs a yearly booster. The owners will be fined $55. The officer said that while the probability of getting rabies is small, I should get the shots. I'm waiting to hear from the health department on what I should do regarding the rabies shot.

This has been one lousy week, I hope it doesn't get any worse.

Not that I am sticking up for the dog or the owner, but the information about the rabies shot may be wrong.

My dog gets a 3 year shot and, according to my vet, doesn't need any kind of booster. Double check that before you go through all the rabies shots business.

 

[Mishetta]

Rose, I asked about that. The only way to test for rabies is when the dog is dead.

Well, I don't have a problem with that, do you?

 

[OceanAnnie]

Oh MY me too! Same kind of dog, same place! I still have a scar. That was 20 years ago. It took it FOREVER to heal. If anyone ask me if our dogs bite I tell them plain as day,"they have teeth don't they". No matter what kind of dog you have there is a poosibilty that it will bite. I hope all oges well for you!

Let me tell you, my shorts had a zipper on the side and he ripped it out!! It was painful. And scary! I was actually running to see my friend. I didn't even know the dog existed. The next thing I knew this dog was right beside me with his jaws attached to the side of my leg! I've been a little skiddish of dogs ever since.

RitaZ, Good luck! I hope you don't have to get the rabies shot. I was surprised to read about the shots not being up to date. That owner just hasn't been forthcoming at all. I'd be concerned too.

Hey and I hope you are keeping a running log of your medical expenses. I would send her the bill. I don't think it's mean or anything to do that. You were minding your own business resting in a chair. You shouldn't have to pay for her neglect.

 

[Disneyrsh]

when I took my DD to her friend's house. The dog is a white german shepherd and literally jumped on me while I was sitting down.

My DD and her friend were playing in the living room and when the dog was allowed out of a bedroom, he ran straight for me in another room. We don't have any pets right now, so there was no scent of another animal on me. Thankfully, I turned to the side when the dog jumped on me and it bit my upper arm. The dog didn't tear or rip my flesh, but his sank his teeth into my arm, it was NOT a good sensation. My arm is swollen, painful and bruised. I went to the ER where I had a tetanus shot and a strong antibiotic shot in the posterior; something called Ancef (I think). I handle medical procedures well, but the medicine from that injection caused me so much pain that I almost passed out. Anyway, I'm really sore today. The bite hurts, but the tetanus shot site is really really sore, I always have a reaction to those shots.

I have known the mom for 2 years and I must say that I'm very disappointed with her reaction. My DH called her when we got home from the hospital, her request, and the focus of the conversation was her dog. Today, she called me and, again, the focus of the conversation was the dog. She said something about me sitting in her DH's chair and I had my feet in the spot where the dog sleeps. I guess I did all the "wrong" things. A warning would have been nice! She assured me that the dog has never done anything like that before. When I told her that I'm taking antibiotics for 14 days and had a strong antibiotic shot yesterday, she asked if my family is prone to infection. I told her that this was the course of action prescribed by the doctor, as in protocol for an animal bite. She then said that the dog has bit her many times, even left scars on her forearms, and she never needed antibiotics. Remember, he has never bitten anyone before. Again, I'm upset over her reaction.

Despite all that, I'm sooooo glad that the dog bit me and not my DD. I don't even want to think about what could have happened.

I would have called the police and reported the dog bite.

It's absolutely unacceptable that you were bitten and this woman did nothing.

You need to call the police and file a report, so the next time this stupid dog bites someone (let's pray it's not a kid), the miserable beast can be euthanized.

 

[Disneyrsh]

Rose, I asked about that. The only way to test for rabies is when the dog is dead.

Now THAT sounds like an excellent idea...


I'm not anti dog; I have two dogs, one is a certified therapy dog (my standard poodle). I am, however, militantly anti-BAD dog. There are too many good dogs in the world needing a home to keep the bad ones around. And really, I don't care why it's bad, bad owner, bad temperament, bad luck, whatever.

They still need to be gone.

 

[RitaZ.]

At this point, it doesn't matter whether the dog needs a yearly rabies booster or not. Perhaps I was given erroneous information or I misunderstood the officer. Either way that info is irrelevant to me, I don't have a dog. If I did have one, I would have the pertinent information. The fact is that its shots ARE NOT up to date, plain and simple.

The mom came to see how I'm doing. The humane officer did tell her about NOT having the dog vaccinated during the quarantine period. I still got to hear about what a sweetheart the dog is and how he has never done this before, blah, blah,... Even her teenage daughter had to tell me about how sweet their dog is. Dang, I'm too nice! I told her that I called animal control, which, of course, she knew about. She was fined $55 for not having the shots up to date and $260 for an unprovoked bite. It would have been a lot cheaper and safer to get those shots according to schedule.

She is concerned about legal action and told me so. She knows that my brother is an attorney. I just want to put this behind me, that's all.

 

[Disneyrsh]

She is concerned about legal action and told me so. She knows that my brother is an attorney. I just want to put this behind me, that's all.

You bet she's worried about legal action, and that's why she came to see you, not out of concern for your health, I'm willing to bet!

Even if you don't plan on suing her, I'd let her sweat a little bit. At the very least, it will encourage her to perhaps behave differently in the future in regards to her dog.

The woman is lucky; my FIL's an attorney, and if my MIL ever was bitten by a dog, oh, boy, the owners would be living in a cardboard box before she was through with them...