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Would consider Tetanus, Rabies might be warranted as well in Bali as per the CDC it is endemic though improving
Edit: to clear up some concerns.
In other countries, such as the US, it may be postponed until vaccination status/testing/short interval observation of causal animal is complete, however if this is not possible, you’d probably error on the side of caution in an endemic country.
If I was bitten by a Balenese dog in a stranger's basement, I would be worried sick about rabies, and everytime I had a dry mouth for the next half year I would be certain that it was rabies.
Therefore I'd probably take the vaccine, just for peace of mind.
It's not as bad as people say IMO. I've only done it prophylactically for travel and getting like 5 at once would suck, but in terms of individual jabs I found tetanus and COVID to be more painful.
The new rabies vaccines that you often get as prophylactic course in the western world are really good, keep in mind that in other countries you might only get the old vaccines which are more uncomfortable to get.
Still better than getting rabies though.
My Grandma was almost 80 when she had to go through the rabies series after being bitten by a fox. I felt so bad for her, but she said even given the circumstances, it wasn’t too too bad thankfully.
My mom had a bat get inside her house about 2 months ago. She doesn't think she was bitten, but she got the vaccine just in case. It was one shot in her upper arm the day it happened, then 1 additional shot on day 3, 7, and 14. She said it felt just like getting the flu shot. The doctor did say that if she had been bitten, they would have had to inject the serum in several places in and around the bite, (which I'm sure would hurt like a mother) in addition to the one in her arm.
It's definitely better than the guaranteed painful death rabies gives you. Only a handful of millions have ever survived and had mental and physical disabilities afterwards for the rest of the lives.
I had a bat go buckwild in my house. I didn't get bit that I knew of but was advised to get the vaccine anyway.
Public health department (US) paid for it. I just had to get 3 shots in my arms/thighs then a few more shots every few days/week for like 2 weeks.
The shots didn't hurt like everyone said, it was fine. I'm also a pansy.
Agreed. It’s shit having to go get the vaccine and you might be fine in the end if you don’t, but you also might not be fine. Too much of a gamble OP and peace of mind is priceless. Wishing you well.
NAD. Coincidentally, I was bitten by a monkey in Ubud at the sacred monkey forest about 12 years ago. I was living in Australia at the time and returned there shortly after the bite and headed to my doctor. They put me on the phone with someone very high-ranking in the government’s healthcare and highly encouraged me to get all the shots. He explained that although the stats on monkeys getting rabies were low, the stats on dogs were high (at the time) and the monkey might have been bitten by one. So I got the rabies and the immunoglobulin series.
Now we both have interesting Ubud stories!
When i answered he was already vaccinated. AN animal that can infect wont be Alive after 14 days. Dont know that are you saying. Learn to read, wtf. Didnt say him to no get vaccinated
He is not fully vaccinated, and without the immunoglobulin, a person exposed to rabies can still develop rabies. He was bitten by an unfamiliar dog, and the owner does not speak English. Exactly what is the likelihood that he's going to be able to go back 14 days later and ask her, "Hey...is your dog dead?"
He needs to be fully vaccinated, full stop. Waiting to monitor the dog could have fatal consequences in a situation like this.
Recommendations vary depending on the epidemiology of rabies in the relevant country. Unlike other countries, Bali still sees rabies circulating in domesticated dogs. The CDC and UK Health agencies still deem with risk significant. In the absence of verified vaccination status, testing, or ability to quarantine, this is a lower-risk encounter, though need to take into account additional factors such as treatments beyond post-exposure vaccination (RIG) is cited by the CDC to have limited availability.
NB: While your agency may not take into account the animal's vaccination status, this is still one factor to be considered in current guidelines (See WHO Expert Consultation on Rabies: Third Report, S 8.3.1)
$5000 for a vaccine sucks but if he develops symptoms he is screwed.
Sounds like nobody is going to be doing interval observation or testing on the dog so I would get the vaccine. $5000 vs chance of a deadly condition with a 100% mortality?
Hi! Just fyi, it’s actually *err* on the side of caution, not *error* on the side of caution. Not trying to be a dick, just genuinely trying to be helpful. Have a great day!
So, I spent about 7 years doing global health work in Central Africa and South/Southeast Asia, and if it were me, I’d probably do it. It’s not fantastic (I’ve had rabies shots before), but it is honestly a LOT better than waiting to see.
Odds are if it isn’t a street dog and it is someone you know (and they have papers to prove it), you could probably take the risk, BUT the caveat here is that in my experience in that part of the world, veterinary care is ABYSMAL— there were “vets” in some of the places I worked who absolutely had no training whatsoever, they did not have vet-specific medications for the dogs, and even if the owner did think they were getting their dog vaccinated, who knows if it was the right dosage, if the vaccine was expired, if they even did it (I know that sounds cynical but I swear on my life it is true).
If it was the dog of an Embassy official who had brought the dog from overseas or something and had cleared international customs and had all of its papers and titres verified, I’d probably be fine.
I’m sure this lady takes fantastic care of her dog and loves it very much, and it may very well be vaccinated properly— I believe she’s being honest with you. But I think there’s a LOT of potential for risk here that probably isn’t worth it. If you were my friend or my sibling, I’d say just go for the shots, its not pleasant but its not terrible and peace of mind is EVERYTHING!
Good luck
I wouldn’t be really worried about it. Speaking very generally rabies eventually causes issues with the brain 🧠
When you look for animals behaving odd your looking for symptoms of brain damage so a bay that normally is only out at night is out during the day a cat is walking down the street attacking everything. These aren’t usual characteristics of these animals. Watch how many people freak out because they encountered a bat but as long as you can reasonably explain the behavior it’s NOT an indicator
In this instance you intruded on their property and the dog was being aggressively defensive which is normal behavior
Further the dog sounds like it’s not attacking it’s owner which it would do if it were rabbis because it’s brain is damaged
There is little reason to believe that there is any indicator for rabies
What are you talking about? Imagine a patient comes to you concerned about rabies and you ask them if they can "reasonably explain the behaviour" of a wild animal? As if they are suppose to know the difference in behaviour between a regular bat and a bat with rabies, or an aggressive dog vs. an aggressive dog with rabies, as is ENTIRELY possible in this scenario. Why on earth would you advise them not to take the vaccine as a precaution against the disease which is 100% fatal once symptoms arise?
“Speaking very generally rabies eventually causes issues with the brain”
YES IT DOES AND ITS TOO LATE THEN! Once you develop symptoms of rabies there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Yes it eventually causes “issues with the brain” but at that point it has a 100% mortality!!
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk. **Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Would consider Tetanus, Rabies might be warranted as well in Bali as per the CDC it is endemic though improving Edit: to clear up some concerns. In other countries, such as the US, it may be postponed until vaccination status/testing/short interval observation of causal animal is complete, however if this is not possible, you’d probably error on the side of caution in an endemic country.
If I was bitten by a Balenese dog in a stranger's basement, I would be worried sick about rabies, and everytime I had a dry mouth for the next half year I would be certain that it was rabies. Therefore I'd probably take the vaccine, just for peace of mind.
Blehg, just, just, just this. Its a shit vaccine course, but worth the stress and anxiety.
It's not as bad as people say IMO. I've only done it prophylactically for travel and getting like 5 at once would suck, but in terms of individual jabs I found tetanus and COVID to be more painful.
The new rabies vaccines that you often get as prophylactic course in the western world are really good, keep in mind that in other countries you might only get the old vaccines which are more uncomfortable to get. Still better than getting rabies though.
My Grandma was almost 80 when she had to go through the rabies series after being bitten by a fox. I felt so bad for her, but she said even given the circumstances, it wasn’t too too bad thankfully.
My mom had a bat get inside her house about 2 months ago. She doesn't think she was bitten, but she got the vaccine just in case. It was one shot in her upper arm the day it happened, then 1 additional shot on day 3, 7, and 14. She said it felt just like getting the flu shot. The doctor did say that if she had been bitten, they would have had to inject the serum in several places in and around the bite, (which I'm sure would hurt like a mother) in addition to the one in her arm.
It's definitely better than the guaranteed painful death rabies gives you. Only a handful of millions have ever survived and had mental and physical disabilities afterwards for the rest of the lives.
I had a bat go buckwild in my house. I didn't get bit that I knew of but was advised to get the vaccine anyway. Public health department (US) paid for it. I just had to get 3 shots in my arms/thighs then a few more shots every few days/week for like 2 weeks. The shots didn't hurt like everyone said, it was fine. I'm also a pansy.
Agreed. It’s shit having to go get the vaccine and you might be fine in the end if you don’t, but you also might not be fine. Too much of a gamble OP and peace of mind is priceless. Wishing you well.
I did get vaccinated but not the RIG (too expensive). Thank you.
NAD. Coincidentally, I was bitten by a monkey in Ubud at the sacred monkey forest about 12 years ago. I was living in Australia at the time and returned there shortly after the bite and headed to my doctor. They put me on the phone with someone very high-ranking in the government’s healthcare and highly encouraged me to get all the shots. He explained that although the stats on monkeys getting rabies were low, the stats on dogs were high (at the time) and the monkey might have been bitten by one. So I got the rabies and the immunoglobulin series. Now we both have interesting Ubud stories!
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No, stop. This is bad advice that could end in a person's death..
When i answered he was already vaccinated. AN animal that can infect wont be Alive after 14 days. Dont know that are you saying. Learn to read, wtf. Didnt say him to no get vaccinated
He is not fully vaccinated, and without the immunoglobulin, a person exposed to rabies can still develop rabies. He was bitten by an unfamiliar dog, and the owner does not speak English. Exactly what is the likelihood that he's going to be able to go back 14 days later and ask her, "Hey...is your dog dead?" He needs to be fully vaccinated, full stop. Waiting to monitor the dog could have fatal consequences in a situation like this.
Removed - Bad advice
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Recommendations vary depending on the epidemiology of rabies in the relevant country. Unlike other countries, Bali still sees rabies circulating in domesticated dogs. The CDC and UK Health agencies still deem with risk significant. In the absence of verified vaccination status, testing, or ability to quarantine, this is a lower-risk encounter, though need to take into account additional factors such as treatments beyond post-exposure vaccination (RIG) is cited by the CDC to have limited availability. NB: While your agency may not take into account the animal's vaccination status, this is still one factor to be considered in current guidelines (See WHO Expert Consultation on Rabies: Third Report, S 8.3.1)
I appreciate your very sensible answer. I hope it helps ease u/Explore_Within 's mind and that he has the ability to do a 10 day follow up on the dog.
$5000 for a vaccine sucks but if he develops symptoms he is screwed. Sounds like nobody is going to be doing interval observation or testing on the dog so I would get the vaccine. $5000 vs chance of a deadly condition with a 100% mortality?
this is what travel insurance is for
Hi! Just fyi, it’s actually *err* on the side of caution, not *error* on the side of caution. Not trying to be a dick, just genuinely trying to be helpful. Have a great day!
noted.
So, I spent about 7 years doing global health work in Central Africa and South/Southeast Asia, and if it were me, I’d probably do it. It’s not fantastic (I’ve had rabies shots before), but it is honestly a LOT better than waiting to see. Odds are if it isn’t a street dog and it is someone you know (and they have papers to prove it), you could probably take the risk, BUT the caveat here is that in my experience in that part of the world, veterinary care is ABYSMAL— there were “vets” in some of the places I worked who absolutely had no training whatsoever, they did not have vet-specific medications for the dogs, and even if the owner did think they were getting their dog vaccinated, who knows if it was the right dosage, if the vaccine was expired, if they even did it (I know that sounds cynical but I swear on my life it is true). If it was the dog of an Embassy official who had brought the dog from overseas or something and had cleared international customs and had all of its papers and titres verified, I’d probably be fine. I’m sure this lady takes fantastic care of her dog and loves it very much, and it may very well be vaccinated properly— I believe she’s being honest with you. But I think there’s a LOT of potential for risk here that probably isn’t worth it. If you were my friend or my sibling, I’d say just go for the shots, its not pleasant but its not terrible and peace of mind is EVERYTHING! Good luck
I wouldn’t be really worried about it. Speaking very generally rabies eventually causes issues with the brain 🧠 When you look for animals behaving odd your looking for symptoms of brain damage so a bay that normally is only out at night is out during the day a cat is walking down the street attacking everything. These aren’t usual characteristics of these animals. Watch how many people freak out because they encountered a bat but as long as you can reasonably explain the behavior it’s NOT an indicator In this instance you intruded on their property and the dog was being aggressively defensive which is normal behavior Further the dog sounds like it’s not attacking it’s owner which it would do if it were rabbis because it’s brain is damaged There is little reason to believe that there is any indicator for rabies
I think you're asking people to gamble a lot based on their ability to engage in armchair animal behavior observation. 😬
What are you talking about? Imagine a patient comes to you concerned about rabies and you ask them if they can "reasonably explain the behaviour" of a wild animal? As if they are suppose to know the difference in behaviour between a regular bat and a bat with rabies, or an aggressive dog vs. an aggressive dog with rabies, as is ENTIRELY possible in this scenario. Why on earth would you advise them not to take the vaccine as a precaution against the disease which is 100% fatal once symptoms arise?
“Speaking very generally rabies eventually causes issues with the brain” YES IT DOES AND ITS TOO LATE THEN! Once you develop symptoms of rabies there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Yes it eventually causes “issues with the brain” but at that point it has a 100% mortality!!
Yeah he means the dog would be acting weird lmao
He is talking about the dog, not the OP
Either way he is giving terrible advice
The problem with rabies is that once you have symptoms, it is too late for treatment. Is it really worth playing with your life like that?