⌛ Dumaguete Dog Pound

Too true. Rabies is big time nasty. Twenty years ago I was bitten on the leg and thigh by a rabid pitbull in the grounds of a hotel in Belize. A C130 crew staying in the same hotel cleaned me up and then bundled me in to a car and got me to the British base at Airport camp. They had phoned ahead so the Doc and the medical team were waiting. While the team stitched up the wounds, the Doc prepared a concoction that had the consistency of treacle and injected it, with a very long and thick needle, directly in to the stomach. Very painful. Then followed a nail-biting 24 hour wait to see what happened. If the serum won, it was a series of further painful injections. If the rabies won, it was strap me down on a bed and watch me die over three days. I had a further five injections in the first month and then one a month for the rest of the year before I got the all clear. I'm told that the "through the stomach" injection is no longer used and there is one available now that is put in to the arm. That's a great improvement in the treatment of the disease if you can get the treatment in time, but if not then the horrible outcome remains the same. Incidentally, the dog was killed by the Military Police and the brain was examined by a military veterinarian. It was found to be rabid.

So please, don't regard rabies as trivial, or treat the prospect of it with anything other than the utmost seriousness. When it happened to me I had recently left the military after 27 years service and didn't think that very much in the world would bother me. This did. It scared the crap out of me. It's a frightening experience of scrotum shrinking proportions, not to be dismissed or disregarded at any cost.

I can smile about it now. Just don't show me a glass of water :D

Roger

 

Broadside, thanks for sharing that, a chilling story to say the least. That is the first time I heard the impact of the fear that all of us have when we see a dog like that. This week my miniature pinscher turned 3 months and had his first rabies shot, didn't seem to bother the dog and didn't cost that much so I hope everybody does the same. On my street, lots of big ugly strays. That first shot you had sent chills down my spine. Glad you recovered.

 

Thanks pat. If knowing about my scary experience helps to raise other peoples awareness of this horrible disease then that can only be a good thing. It doesn't take a bite from an animal to pass it on, just a scratch is sufficient. Even if you already have just a scratch anywhere on your skin and the animal licks it or passes saliva on to it, thats more than enough for it to gain entry and start attacking your nervous system.

 

Wheiles Disease!

Guys & gals, while we are on this particular Subject, I had a friend some years ago that Died from Wheiles! Rats! WATCH THEM. Apparently, it can lay dormant for up to 10 years, Rats are the Culprits, so lets keep up to speed with both for a healthy life! Rats don't even have to bite you! Just an open wound and contact with the urine is all it needs,

Jack P.

 

The son of my friend got bitten by a stray with rabies. Normally I don't help anyone's medical expenses, but rabies is scary. Set me back over P20,000. People are more important to me than dogs, and money is too. So I'm all in favor of strays being shot.