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Is Pre-exposure Vaccination Required In Children Instead Of Having A Dog At House?

Posted on Tue, 19 May 2015

Question: we have a stray dog that has been hanging around our house for a couple of months playing with our dog. The dog seemed to have been severely abused, in that he would not let anyone close enough to pet him, but seemed to be gentle. My concern is that for a couple of days he has been acting very strange, and this evening he tried to attack my grandchildren. If he happens to have rabies how concerned should I be about my 3 year old grandson, who was not bitten, but has been playing in his dog food, and putting some in his mouth.

Answered by Dr. Arun (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
yes you need to vaccinate

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for writing to us.
It is of utmost importance that you vaccinate your kids even if they have not been bitten.
Having a dog at house requires pre exposure vaccination with two shots atleast.
If there is any scratch or lick on mucous membrane like lips then five dose schedule is recommended.
Vaccinate soon and stay safe
Wishing your family good health.
Regards
Dr Arun

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar