Not every bite wound from a rabid animal leads to infection and certain factors such as whether the bite was through clothing and the number of viral particles entering the wound can affect this. Further, the amount of time it takes for the virus to reach the brain can vary and depend on certain factors such as the distance of the wound to the head and the amount of virus present.
Following a bite, fresh, exposed bites should be quickly and thoroughly washed with water to help wash out viral particles. If a pet is the biting animal, the vaccination status should be immediately established. If a wild animal, the head of that animal should, if possible, be submitted to the health department for rabies testing. Treatment typically involves a flushing of the wound with a hyperimmune serum and daily injections for fourteen days.
Vaccination against rabies is extremely important for pets. It's strongly recommended that even indoor cats be vaccinated as wildlife exposure is still possible within a household as with bats or raccoons.
Regional laws may determine the protocol following any bite from a dog. In most cases, some amount of confinement of the pet is required, anywhere from 10 days to six months, and euthanization may be required in some instances.
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