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Confused if Dog bite or not ?
Hello,
I live in an area which is street dog infested. I visit my farmhouse where also street dog population is high, foxes and bats are also present. Last year in June, 5 puppies played with me and some bit me lightly on both my hands and left feet. As there was no bleeding, I didn't consult a doctor but I did go to my local medical store and got all 5 doses of Rabivax S. I developed very high fever after completing my vaccine but got better after 8 days. Now, this year in January 20, at my farmhouse I was walking past a dog and it made a scared noise and rushed away from me, close to my right leg. I didn't feel a single touch on my right leg. I was also wearing thick track pants at that time. After an hour my right leg started itching. I itched a lot and came home and checked my leg but didn't see anything. 3/4 days later, I saw these wound as shown in the picture. To me it looks I did it due to scratching. But worried as rabies is 100% fatal. It's 5 months 23 days since last dose.
Answers (17)
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I don’t think there are any chances of rabies from your description. If there’s still itching take some antihistaminic like T. Levocet once daily for 5 days. Keep the area clean and moisturised. If this does not help, we can opt for further consultation for assessment and management.
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Kindly consult your nearby hospital
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Needs proper evaluation.
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No direct contact or penetration: You didn't feel any touch on your skin. The dog made a scared noise and ran away close to your leg—likely just brushed past or near without teeth/claws making contact. Thick track pants act as a complete barrier. Rabies virus cannot transmit through intact clothing or fabric. Multiple sources (CDC, WHO) confirm: Rabies is not transmitted through contaminated objects like clothes, bedding, or indirect contact. Transmission requires direct introduction of infected saliva (or brain tissue) into broken skin, mucous membranes, or open wounds—none of which happened here.
WHO Exposure Categories (standard worldwide, including in India):
Category I: Touching/feeding animals, licks on intact skin, or contact through intact clothing → No PEP needed. Just wash if applicable. Your scenario fits here perfectly—no break in skin at the time, no saliva on broken skin.
Category II/III (minor scratches without bleeding, or transdermal bites/scratches) require vaccination ± RIG. But there's no evidence of any scratch or bite from the dog—only delayed marks from your itching/scratching.
Itching and delayed marks from scratching: It's very common for skin to itch after minor irritation (e.g., friction from pants, sweat, mild allergy, dry skin, or even psychosomatic from worry). Vigorous scratching can cause linear abrasions, red marks, or small excoriations that appear or become noticeable days later. These are self-inflicted skin damage, not dog-inflicted. Rabies doesn't cause delayed "mysterious" marks days after—no virus entry means no infection, and early rabies symptoms (if any) would be tingling/itching at the exposure site starting weeks/months later, not hours.
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Looks like bite, so don't take risk , please go for booster doses as required.
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Based on your description, this is NOT a rabies exposure.
Key medical points:
• There was no bite, no scratch felt, no skin breach noticed immediately, and no saliva contact.
• You were wearing thick track pants, which further protects against any unnoticed bite or scratch.
• The dog ran away from you; there was no attack or aggressive contact.
• Itching started later, and visible marks appeared 3–4 days later, which is not consistent with rabies exposure wounds.
• The wound appearance (as you describe) is very typical of excoriation from scratching, insect bite reaction, or minor dermatitis—not an animal bite.
Importantly:
• You had completed a full 5-dose rabies vaccination course previously.
• Rabies virus cannot penetrate intact skin.
• Rabies transmission does not occur through fear, proximity, air, or delayed itching.
From a clinical standpoint, there is no indication for rabies PEP or boosters in this scenario.
Next Steps
1. No rabies vaccine or immunoglobulin is required for this incident.
2. Manage the local skin issue:
• Apply a mild antiseptic if skin is broken
• Use a topical soothing cream (calamine or mild emollient)
• Avoid repeated scratching
3. Monitor the area for infection signs only (redness, warmth, discharge).
4. If anxiety persists despite reassurance, consider one structured consultation with a physician to close the loop—repeated reassurance-seeking tends to worsen fear over time.
Health Tips
• Rabies is transmitted only through saliva entering broken skin or mucosa—not through itching, delayed marks, or imagined contact.
• Rabies symptoms never begin as local itching months later.
• Your prior vaccination gives immune memory; however, in this case, there was no exposure at all, so immunity is not even being tested.
• Living in dog-dense areas can understandably increase vigilance, but constant hyper-monitoring of skin sensations fuels anxiety, not safety.
• Fever after vaccination, as you had previously, is a known immune response and does not indicate vaccine failure.
Your concern comes from being careful, not from being at risk. Medically speaking, this incident does not fit rabies exposure criteria, and there is no danger here. You have done the right things so far. Try to allow yourself to step out of the fear cycle—your body and history do not support a rabies risk in this situation.
If you ever want, I can also help you create a clear decision checklist for future animal encounters so you don’t have to relive this anxiety each time.
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Dr. Navajit Hatibaruah
General Physician
30 yrs exp
Guwahati
Rabies not spread if clothing is intact
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Dr. Gaurav Jaiswal
General Physician
7 yrs exp
Jhansi
Kindly do connect and consult
Avoid fried and spicy food
Water intake more
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Dr. Chaithra H
General Physician
5 yrs exp
Bangalore
Needs to be evaluted
Do consult
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Dr. Nimmi Mulwani
General Physician
10 yrs exp
Ahmedabad
This does look like a bite.
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Dr. Suraj Sharma
General Practitioner
4 yrs exp
Jaipur
Need some more details kindly consult
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Dr. Sajid Ali
General Practitioner
4 yrs exp
Kanpur
Get rabies booster
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Dr. Vetsa Sri Krishna Chaitanya
General Physician
7 yrs exp
Rajahmundry
Need a few more details please consult for further evaluation and treatment
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Dr. Anuj Mothsra
General Physician
6 yrs exp
Jhunjhunu
Can help you, kindly consult and provide detailed history for proper diagnosis and further management
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Dr. Rachna Pande
Internal Medicine
42 yrs exp
Bhopal
Difficult to say from the pic., but if scratch has occurred, take 2 booster doses of anti rabies vaccine.
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