Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Rabies

This past Saturday at work, I had to shoot a fox that was out in the middle of the day, unafraid of people and acting extremely strange. I shot it in the head and unfortunately, it began to convulse and threw bodily fluids onto me, to possibly include blood and brain matter.

Anyways, the fox was sent for testing and today I got the results. It was positive for rabies, so lucky me I get to go through the process of getting rabies shots. I gets shots on day 1, 3, 7 and 14. I am not looking forward to this at all. Has anyone else had the bad fortune of being exposed to rabies and have to go through this?

Man that is not cool. Please tell me they came up with a better method of shots then 20 years ago? You don't have to get stomach shots...do you?

I pitty you in the worst way cause I've gone through the shots and know how much they suck only I was scratched by a stray cat in our barn. Your lucky that the shots arn't in the stomach any more I can't even imagine how much that would hurt the butt was bad enough!

Sorry to hear this Travis, fox are one of the most high-risk species around here for contracting rabies. Personally having worked lots of rabies cases for the health department in my county, I think you did the right thing - only you were unlucky to get splashed as a result. If allowed to run off, it may have infected other animals, wild or domestic, or even bitten somebody.

The shots are not the gruesome ones in the stomach we all heard about when we were kids. Rabies is almost always fatal, but I've never heard of anyone dying from the shots.

Travis,

Good luck and glad you're getting the shots. I'll bet you won't get that close to a suspected rabied animal again! Next time maybe a shot gun from a safe distance?

Dang it Travis! How's that going to affect your upcoming trip?

Never had the pleasure of going thru the shots.......

Yeesh! With all the crazies you have to regularly deal with, it is ironic that a wild animal does something like this to you.

Stay safe.

Sooo did you like get it in your eyes or mouth or something? Can you get rabies through your skin without a scratch or bite? I am just asking as I have no idea how you get rabies I thought it was from a scratch or bite type of thing?

RC

The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system. It is most commonly transferred by saliva or the infected animals nervous tissue coming into contact with your mouth, eyes, nose, or an open cut. After initial contact with the virus it hitches a ride up the nerves directly to the brain. It then can spread throughout the body to other organs, via the CNS, but will not enter the blood stream. Rabies is not a blood borne virus. However if the infected animals head should be "damaged" then you may be spattered by blood and infected brain tissue, thus transferring the disease.

This is exactly what went through my head when I read Travis's post.

My wife works for our local Humane Society and has yet to have to go through this surprisingly. Sounds like it's a precaution that definitely should be taken though. Good luck Travis!

Dang it man! Next time u do something like that if there is one a shotgun for real from about 30 feet!!!

Keep us posted Travis hope all goes well!!

RC

I can't imagine this being anything but a Oh S*** moment.

Travis, glad it is only A$$ pain you will be going through. Keep your sense of humor and it will turn out fine.

I've been pretty careful lately just because of what Travis is going through. For the last couple of weeks I've been thinning a serious overpopulation of raccoons that are causing one heck of a lot of problems. Damn, they can be expensive nuisances. I go through this every 3-4 years.

Much like what happened to Travis, I was a little concerned about one I dealt with the other day. I usually catch them in live traps and then shoot them while still in the trap. I shot a really big one between the eyes on Sunday morning, and that thing slung blood and saliva everywhere. I sprayed the trap, my UTV, the area where I shot him, and my boots with bleach. I hung my leather gloves in the sun. Then I took a shower. I've done this many times before, and I've never seen one go into such violent convulsions before. I have no reason to believe this one was rabid -- just angry.

I also came upon a really awful looking coyote early last week that was staggering down the middle of a dirt road. I was fairly certain I was on the Virginia side of the border, but I wasn't exactly sure what state I was in (I pass five state-line signs in seven miles on my way to this friend's farm.) I had a .22, in a case, in the truck, but I just knew I'd get caught for shooting out-of-state if I shot the darn thing. I thought I'd just contact the local animal warden when I got to where I had cell service.

Even better, I ran into a Virginia county animal warden a couple miles down the road coming out of a farm driveway. I told her about it. She told me I should have shot it. I asked about being a West Virginia resident, and not a Virginia resident. She said nobody would take action against me for doing that. I just don't trust how true that is.

A friend shot and killed a half-dead deer near here a few years ago. It had been hit by a car and was struggling in the road. He was on a road that divides WV and VA. About the time he shot the deer, a VA county sheriff's deputy arrived. My friend ended up missing a lot of work days explaining to Virginia authorities about killing a deer, out of season, out of state, and without a license.

Travis -- I'm calling you next time!

You would hope law enforcement would use their common sense but some are so by the book, all common sense goes out the window...

I got my first round of shots today. 1 in the shoulder which was the regular vaccine and then 4 shots, 2 in each of my upper legs of the immune globulin. Those 4 shots were nasty, they had the consistency of Vaseline and burned like hell. The one in my shoulder didn't hurt going in and is just a bit sore now. My legs still hurt.

Some of the brain matter may have gone into my mouth, or possibly my eyes via sweat even though I had glasses on. So the health department said the risk is low, but still possibly there. I am not taking any chances... The department is going to issue us protective face masks for future events where we have to put animals down and may get blow back thrown on us.

Travis don't use the grenade launcher next time O.K.? Less blow back that way.

HAHA, I honestly didn't think a .40 S&W would be an issue. The amount that came back at me was minimal. Just a handful of extremely small droplets, but it was a enough to put me where I am now...

I've never won Megamillions or PowerBall, but hey I would sure win the rabies lottery if I didn't get these shots.

Sorry to hear that, Travis. Hang in there!

That is the reason in Indiana those of us in the wildlife control business get vaccinated regularly, so when its time for my dogs to get their rabies booster I do to LOL, then let me suggest you forgo head shots on suspect critters, shoot through heart and lungs whenever possible, lessons the risk considerably. Even with face shields, if you have any type open wound, scratch, nick, paper cut, thorn etc. the virus can enter and travel to the central nervous system.

Dang! Thanks DF.

I didn't even know there was a rabies vaccine for humans. I'm going to call my doctor's office to see if they offer them.

Also, the heart/lung shot makes a lot of sense. Why didn't I think of that?! However, with the shortage of .22 shells I've gone back to dispatching my trapped raccoons in a way that PETA probably wouldn't approve.

PETA hey Im a member of PETA

People Eat Tasty Animals

decided I did not want animal rights nuts burning down my house, if anyone needs other dispatch methods pm me

Just where a bear suit and they'll take you home and feed you. Later you can eat them...

Ha Ha! That's funny. I really like that!

When a bunch of citizens are standing there watching you shoot the animal, heart/lung shots aren't immediate kills and lead to people calling and complaining on you.

Our normal animal control officers all get their rabies vaccinations, since I only fill in as an OT assignment, I didn't get a vaccine. Having gone through this series of shots, I am now vaccinated though. They also are issued .22 rifles to lesson the blow back risk. Again, no real need for a normal patrol officer to have a .22 rifle, so I don't have one and my department is too strict about training and liability so I can't just borrow one from an animal control officer. Many will just catch pole the animal and blue juice them.

Ken, check and see what the cost is for the vaccine. From what I have heard, it is not cheap...