Do you need rabies shots after bitten by a pet like dog?

Answer 1

If you are in a country with rabies, it would be far safer to get the injections after you are bitten by a dog, especially a dog whose vaccination status is unknown, a particularly aggressive dog, or a stray dog.

The rabies incubation period is 1 - 3 months, therefore a dog can be infected with rabies (and infect you), without showing ANY external clinical signs of being infected with rabies. Chances are, during this incubation period, the virus will NOT have entered the saliva glands. It is only after the dog is affected with neurological signs that the virus tends to be excreted in the dogs saliva. However, this is not a risk worth taking.

I would, of course, consult as quickly as possible with your local doctor if you have been bitten for the best advice.

Answer 2

Generally, yes.

Unless you can be 100% sure that the dog's rabies vaccines are up to date, when you are bitten by a dog, the hospital will tell you to get rabies and tetanus shots. There is still no cure for rabies once it onsets: if you are exposed, all you can do is try to treat you with antivirals to prevent you from developing the symptoms. They may also give you a shot of a really broad spectrum antibiotic. The biggest risk that dog bites pose to your health is not likely rabies, at least not in North America; it's infection.