Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Pregnant Got Scratched By Pet. Is It Safe To Take Rabies Vaccination? Taken TT Shots In Past
Question: hi i m 28 weeks pregnant my 4 month old puppy scratched my leg while playing though a minor scratch but blood was there and it hurts a little. Now what should i do? do i need any rabies vaccinations? i have alredy taken 2 TT shorts last month. the dog is also vacciated. Will it affect my baby?? I m really tensed plz reply as soon as possible thanks
Hello ,
Thanks for posting your query.
Please do not panic.
If you have vaccinated your puppy against rabies and thoroughly cleaned the wound there is negligible risk of rabies.
If you are not sure about whether the puppy is adequately vaccinated against rabies ,then it's advisable to get yourself shots of the anti rabies vaccine ( post exposure prophylaxis).
All the recent antirabies vaccines ( rabipur, abhayrab etc) are found to be safe both to the mother and the fetus and are not having any sideffects on the pregnancy.
Since you have taken the TT you do not have to repeat it.
However the next best step would be to get your wound assessed by your doctor and if it's not severe( as you mention) and the puppy is vaccinated then most probably the doctor may ask for a conservative policy . This includes , watching the puppy for signs and symptoms of illness for next ten days and vaccinate the patient only if there is any suspicion of the dog carrying rabies.
The second option obviously is to go for antirabies vaccine right away which too is harmless ,however personally I feel this can be decided only by a doctor after thorough evaluation of the wound and the clinical history.
There is no additional risk to the developing fetus in case of vaccination , so please do not worry.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards
Thanks for posting your query.
Please do not panic.
If you have vaccinated your puppy against rabies and thoroughly cleaned the wound there is negligible risk of rabies.
If you are not sure about whether the puppy is adequately vaccinated against rabies ,then it's advisable to get yourself shots of the anti rabies vaccine ( post exposure prophylaxis).
All the recent antirabies vaccines ( rabipur, abhayrab etc) are found to be safe both to the mother and the fetus and are not having any sideffects on the pregnancy.
Since you have taken the TT you do not have to repeat it.
However the next best step would be to get your wound assessed by your doctor and if it's not severe( as you mention) and the puppy is vaccinated then most probably the doctor may ask for a conservative policy . This includes , watching the puppy for signs and symptoms of illness for next ten days and vaccinate the patient only if there is any suspicion of the dog carrying rabies.
The second option obviously is to go for antirabies vaccine right away which too is harmless ,however personally I feel this can be decided only by a doctor after thorough evaluation of the wound and the clinical history.
There is no additional risk to the developing fetus in case of vaccination , so please do not worry.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
If I go with the first option of observing my dog for next 10 days will it be late if any signs of rabies are found later on and between how many days can the anti rabies vaccination shots be taken? If I wait for 5-6 days will I carry any risk between that period and if I go for the 2nd option do I need to take complete 3-5 shots of just one should be fine. Any prophylaxis till then?
Hello,
Thanks for the follow up.
Treatment after exposure, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), is highly successful in preventing the disease if administered promptly, in general within ten days of infection.
The risk is either all or none, ie waiting for 3-5 / 10 days is harmless if the animal is not rabies infected however is definitely risky if animal does have a chance of carrying rabies.
Hence I mentioned before that you may go for option 1 only if you are sure of the adequacy of vaccination status of your puppy .
Otherwise it's better to get the complete PEP as soon as feasible but unfortunately a single dose won't help.Anyways it does not cause any anomalies or any harm to the fetus as per studies.
So its advisable to take the 3/5 shots depending on your grade of exposure .
Hope I have answered your queries.
Regards
Thanks for the follow up.
Treatment after exposure, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), is highly successful in preventing the disease if administered promptly, in general within ten days of infection.
The risk is either all or none, ie waiting for 3-5 / 10 days is harmless if the animal is not rabies infected however is definitely risky if animal does have a chance of carrying rabies.
Hence I mentioned before that you may go for option 1 only if you are sure of the adequacy of vaccination status of your puppy .
Otherwise it's better to get the complete PEP as soon as feasible but unfortunately a single dose won't help.Anyways it does not cause any anomalies or any harm to the fetus as per studies.
So its advisable to take the 3/5 shots depending on your grade of exposure .
Hope I have answered your queries.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
