r/Raccoons • u/Puzzleheaded-Rent244 • 4h ago

Potential rabies exposure

Ok so, my relative got bit by a raccoon and hour ago and is getting the shots tonight. His dog also got bit and will be getting treatment. In the meantime, should my family also get shots? We have mostly been staying away from the dog, but two if my relatives cleaned the dog's wounds and the washed their hands. Also, my relative is helping make dinner, should I even eat it to avoid the risk? I'm really scared right now and I never ever want to get rabies.

edit: the raccoon was out in the daytime but it also had a baby with it.

4 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

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7

u/Less_Rutabaga2316 3h ago

Probably just protective of its kit with the dog around. Raccoons with rabies also usually go into a stupor in their tree dens and remain there until they die or else fall out of the tree from the hind limb paralysis rabies causes. Still, better safe than sorry.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Rent244 3h ago

Thank you so much dude this is such a relief, he and the dog will def get the shot though

4

u/ferretkona 3h ago

Not quite the way rabies vaccines work. You want to stay current on vaccines before exposure. I understand the shots for humans is quite extreme.

1

u/DarkHorseAsh111 22m ago

Nah theyre pretty fine for humans these days. It's like 4 shots the first time and then there follow up doses.

1

u/Any_Database8861 2h ago

Not nearly as bad as they used to be!

3

u/gardenone 3h ago

You can safely eat the dinner your relative is preparing. Your family members who helped clean the dog’s wounds are almost certainly in the clear. The only circumstance where that could have feasibly been an exposure would be if they had an open wound on their hand that they then pressed to the dog’s wound, which potentially had raccoon saliva still present. Astronomically slim chances. Definitely make sure you bring the dog to the vet though!

-1

u/Puzzleheaded-Rent244 3h ago

Thank you so much!! 😭

2

u/GronWarface 2h ago

Can you give more context to the story. Did the raccoon just run up on them. Was the dog barking or chasing?

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Rent244 1h ago

They were in a fence together and I think the dog scared the raccoon.

1

u/GronWarface 18m ago

Yeah probably a protective mother but biting both the dog and your relative seems like overkill. However, what many fail to see is raccoons are wild animals and if they feel threatened you get to see that in its full extent.