# Regarding Rabies



## alphatyson (Oct 28, 2011)

Hey guys,

I'm pretty new to the world of GSDs and dogs in general. I have a 12 week old puppy and hes been biting me a lot, in fact hes made me bleed plenty of times. After reading about rabies I'm getting a bit paranoid that he could have them and could infect me since he draws blood so often.

I've read several posts about the landsharking phase and it seems that everyone has been bitten to the point of bleeding at one point or another, and was wondering if this has ever been a concern for anyone (rabies, not the biting). He still hasn't had his rabies shot yet.

I know I might be a little paranoid but any input would help. Again, this post is not really about his landsharking but the possibility that he could have rabies!


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## Razzle J.Dazzle (Sep 8, 2011)

I haven't thought twice about it and Razz is 18 weeks with no rabies shot yet (waiting one more week). The Center for Disease Control writes:

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.

I'd say you are probably safe unless your 12 week old puppy has been brawling with raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes


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## WhiteWolfBeauty (Oct 11, 2011)

I never worried about rabies. I think the symptoms are pretty obvious anyways aren't they?

Like Razzle said, unless your dog is fighting wildlife I don't see why you should be concerned.


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## alphatyson (Oct 28, 2011)

Thanks a lot guys, I certainly feel a lot better


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Nah, you just have a GSD puppy.

You do, however, need to read up about bite inhibition.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I don't think there has been a case of canine rabies anywhere in the US for quite a while, save for a couple of puppies brought in by shelters from Mexico or Puerto Rico a few years ago. It is rare, very rare. And puppies bite, hard. I would not worry about it, unless the pup starts showing outward signs of rabies.


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## TaraM1285 (Sep 24, 2009)

I agree with the other posters, it is quite unlikely that your puppy has rabies. It sounds like typical GSD puppy behavior. 



selzer said:


> I don't think there has been a case of canine rabies anywhere in the US for quite a while, save for a couple of puppies brought in by shelters from Mexico or Puerto Rico a few years ago. It is rare, very rare. And puppies bite, hard. I would not worry about it, unless the pup starts showing outward signs of rabies.


Actually, according to the CDC, 60 dogs were diagnosed with rabies in the US last year (not including Puerto Rico). 

JAVMA Rabies Article
CDC - 2010 Surveillance: Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States during 2010 - Rabies


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I guess I was going with this article: CDC In the News - US Declared Canine-Rabies Free

But it does say that dogs and humans can still get the disease from wildlife. And thus they drop these raccoon baits all over the place. 

In our neighborhood, they usually have a few raccoons, a skunk or two, a bat, and maybe a squirrel with the disease.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Here there is a PDF document that gives the numbers by state
CDC - Rabies Surveillance in the U.S.: Domestic Animals - Rabies

Interesting - Oregon had one case of Rabies in a domestic animal in 2010.....under Goats/sheep!


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

alphatyson said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm pretty new to the world of GSDs and dogs in general. I have a 12 week old puppy and hes been biting me a lot, in fact hes made me bleed plenty of times. After reading about rabies I'm getting a bit paranoid that he could have them and could infect me since he draws blood so often.
> 
> ...



Just to let you know, my arms looked like meatloaf for a while. It was the sharp puppy teeth and landshark phase. I am a professional and had to wear long sleeves during the summer so people didn't see the cuts/scars/bites... It was awful!! I can tell you that my Sasha is 6 months old. I have NO bites on me or bleeding sores any longer. Is she still mouthy sometimes? Yes, she is. She is still learning. Does she temper her bite? Yes. Do her teeth cut me? NOPE. Are her jaws very strong? Heck, she could probably break my arm and crush the bone and tear the skin at 6 months...if she wanted to. She doesn't want to and she is still learning that I am fragile. So, your baby pup is just being a baby pup. It is sort of frightening to understand that a 12 week old baby can tear you apart. It's true. But, Sasha at 12 weeks, I could still pick up and toss around if I had to. Sasha at 6 months. Not so much. You have to have faith in your leadership and love for your dog. And no, your dog doesn't have rabies. He just has the zoomies. :wild:


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

Oh, btw, if I were you, I would do the same thing I did at 12 weeks. I suited up with long coat sleeves and whatever armor I could find including gloves and just chased Sasha all over the yard and tackled her. We rolled around and play fought for a long time. We still do this sometimes. It's fun and your pup will love you for pretending that he is the zombie dog with rabies. Trust me on this one.


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## sharkey19 (Sep 25, 2011)

Your puppy is just being a pup!

First, your pup should be covered still by the maternal immunity, assuming the mother was vaccinated for rabies.

Second, if your pup had rabies, it would be biting because of aggression (not play biting), and show other signs, such as fear of water, salivation, neuro signs, etc. 

Third, your pup would have had to have been bit by a rabid animal.

Fourth, assuming your puppy has been biting for over a week, if it had rabies, it would probably been dead by now (not to sound too harsh).

Usually it is pretty obvious when an animal is showing signs for rabies. They look really wonky...


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## prophecy (May 29, 2008)

Barb E said:


> Here there is a PDF document that gives the numbers by state
> CDC - Rabies Surveillance in the U.S.: Domestic Animals - Rabies
> 
> Interesting - Oregon had one case of Rabies in a domestic animal in 2010.....under Goats/sheep!


ANY mammal can get rabies.Deer,livestock,canids/felids,humans,etc. It's odd to think of a rabid deer,goat or cow-but it happens!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

selzer said:


> I don't think there has been a case of canine rabies anywhere in the US for quite a while,


Actually, there were quite a few canine rabies cases in 2010 in the US ... and even more feline rabies cases:

CDC - 2010 Surveillance: Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States during 2010 - Rabies


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

Never been worried. Dogs do not get rabies shot till 4 months old or more. I have been eaten alive by my GSD pup. So unless your GSD pup has been hanging out with foxes, bats, skunks etc I would not worry one bit


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

JulieBays said:


> Oh, btw, if I were you, I would do the same thing I did at 12 weeks. I suited up with long coat sleeves and whatever armor I could find including gloves and just chased Sasha all over the yard and tackled her. We rolled around and play fought for a long time. We still do this sometimes. It's fun and your pup will love you for pretending that he is the zombie dog with rabies. Trust me on this one.


I wore long double layer pants, ski gloves and hiking boots and sometimes a jacket and then I would throw a towel over his head to catch him...did I mention this was during August in Las Vegas? (100 degrees). My arms turned into raging cuts like sandpaper bruised so bad they ached.

He is now Mr Soft Mouth.


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

JulieBays said:


> ...... He just has the zoomies. :wild:


Mine still gets the zoomies..funny as heck!


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

Your puppy should have some protection against certain diseases from it's maternal antibodies.

A few years ago, we rescued this young feral kitten and I was all freaked out about getting it to the vet quickly so it could get it's rabies shot.Then the Vet told me not to worry as kittens usually can't get rabies until they were 3-4 months old. I was told if it did have rabies, it would show signs and symptoms quickly.


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## shaner (Oct 17, 2010)

When I got my GSD pup, I thought she had something wrong with her. I knew it wasn't a disease, but I thought maybe she was naturally aggressive or just borderline retarded. I couldn't believe how much she bit me. I couldn't even pet the pup. She could be in a deep sleep and if I touched, she would wake up and bite me as hard as she could. I've never seen anything like it. Twice I bent down to say hi to her and she bit my nose, causing me to pour blood. 

Then one day it just stopped and she was suddenly a loving, affectionate puppy. Not looking forward to doing it again when I get another GSD, but I'll know what to expect this time around and will be more prepared.


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