The story I am about to tell you is all true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. I'm only kidding, but that was fun to type out. Seriously though, what I am about to tell you actually happened just recently and it rocked my world.
Only 12 days ago, while sitting at my kitchen table staring at my back deck where my tiger cat lay sleeping, I realized as he woke from his slumber, his face was extremely swollen. Once I was able to get a closer look I realized he had a very bad open wound on his upper neck just below his jaw bone. It looked awful and it was shocking to see. I called to make an appointment at our vet and because they knew, they may need to put him under in order to work on his neck they asked that I keep him in his kennel for the night and away from food. I did as they asked but the next morning, prior to driving him to the vet, I let him out of his his kennel in case he needed to use his liter box. He did and upon his return to check on me, as I waited for him, he began his affectionate ways and wanted my attention. He is so cute, he likes to put one paw on each of my shoulders and touch my nose with his, so we did this and I told him what a good boy he was and then as I opened his kennel to pop him back in it so we could head out to the vet, he nipped me. Some cat owners call this a, "love bite." Basically, he wanted me to keep loving on him and petting him and when I stopped, he nipped me as though to say, "Mom! More petting please." He is literally one of the most loving cats I have ever encountered but needless to say, I wasn't thrilled when I looked down and saw he drew blood.
We had been downstairs in our basement so I came upstairs immediately and as I passed my husband on the way to the kitchen sink, I showed it to him and he gave me a frown. I agreed with his non-verbal statement. I washed it and sprayed it with anti-bacterial spray and that was that. Literally the marks on my hand were tiny, but nonetheless, he did draw blood. Darn.
As we drove to the vet's office I mentioned to my husband that I hoped Tommy, was up to date on his rabies shot. I was pretty sure he was because he's nearly three and the rabies vaccine is good for three years. We arrived at the vet's office and moved into an examination room. When the nurse came in she examined his neck. She agreed it looked pretty torn up. We asked if she could see any bite marks, or could she at least give us an idea how he'd been injured. By another animal? Got caught up on something and tore it open? She said she could not tell what had happened to him.
I looked at my husband concerned and he looked back at me as though to say, "Well, let's hope he's up to date on his shots."
My husband asked the nurse to check his records to see if he was up to date on his rabies vaccination. She looked through his file and said, "No, I'm afraid he's not. He was due for a shot almost two years ago."
I was in shock. I mentioned that I was under the impression his vaccine was good for three years. She explained that after the first initial vaccine it is, but the first one is only good for one year. The boosters from there on-out are good for three years. My husband said, "Well, the reason we are asking is because he nipped her this morning." The nurse looked at him alarmed, "Did he draw blood?" In unison, my husband and I both said, "Yes."
Her face turned red and she said, "That's not good." I showed her the tiny bite marks, and explained that they are just tiny and I washed up, and even used anti-bacterial spray. No good. That wasn't going to change their protocol. "So what does this mean?" My husband asked calmly. Meanwhile I have tingles going through my entire body and I'm sure I've turned as white as a ghost. The nurse said, "Well, if he has rabies, you, (as she pointed to me) will have to start on shots right away." I looked at my husband and said, "Chad." He said, "It's okay. Don't panic." The nurse continued to explain that my cat would have to be put in quarantine for ten days and that she would call animal control and she'd be right back. She left the room and I said to my husband, "If only I had him up to date on his shots this wouldn't be happening." I felt terrible. I felt like an idiot. I had no idea what shots we were talking about for me, all I knew was the tale that had lasted the test of time, twenty shots in the stomach. I really didn't care, I certainly didn't want to die from rabies so I'd have the shots if need be. After all, I hear that rabies is a very bad way to go.
When the nurse came in she brought the doctor with her, they proceeded to tell me that I needed to call my doctor right now and find out what their protocol was. They then continued to tell me I would have to go to the health department because by law, any animal who has possibly been injured by a rabid animal, who has then bit a human, has to be reported. Then the, "shots" would be something I would be referred to start by the health department and those shots are available through, "Infectious diseases" at the hospital and at the cost of $800. All of this information is flooding my panicked brain and again I look over at my husband sitting in a chair across the room from me and I say, "Chad." Again, he is so kind and so reassuring, he says, "It's okay." I literally get up and crawl onto my husband's lap. I've now officially time traveled backwards and it's a though I'm five. He hugs me. The doctor says, "I don't want to scare you, but this is serious because we don't know what happened to Tommy." I feel my body asking to collapse in my husbands lap and at the thought of this emergency. I decide to leave my husband and the doctor with the cat while they wait for animal control and I go out to our car and call my doctor. I explain what has happened to the nurse and she gasps. Then she says, "Well, amazingly we had this same situation not long ago so let me see what our protocol is." She puts me on hold and I wait. When she comes back on the line she says I have to get to the health department. I start to cry and she feels bad for me and says, "I'm so sorry." I reply with, "Well, I have two kids, I can't die." She responds with, "Oh Honey, we will NEVER let you die." I said really? As though she has the power of God in her pocket, and she says, "Yes."
I get off the phone and go back inside the vet's office. Animal control is on their way so we head to the health department. During the drive we talk and I cry. We go into the health department and my husband helps me out by doing all the talking. As the receptionist is fed the information and situation at hand, she looks alarmed but says she'll have to call back to someone within the office. She does so and then gets on the phone with a nurse in Gaylord who handles these situations. As my husband and she begin to talk a man comes out from behind a door holding a piece of paper and introduces himself. Then he asks why I'm crying. I of course tell him I'm scared. He hands me the paper which contains a flow chart. He expresses to me to take a deep breath and let's go through this chart together. "Was the animal that bit you a wild animal?" I answer, "No." He follows the flow chart with his finger. "Was the animal who bit you a family pet UN-vaccinated?" I answer, "Yes." He continues down the flow chart, "Ten days in quarantine. If he doesn't die, he is rabies free and you don't need to do anything. If he does die, you will start the shots." My husband who has sat down beside me and started following along with the flow chart says, "Well, if the cat dies in ten days, what's happening inside of her?" As he points at me. The man explains to us that the situation is considered an urgency, not an emergency. "It doesn't take affect in a human with haste like it does in an animal. We have time."
I'm still obviously shook up. He says to me, "Do you buy a lotto ticket ever?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Now, you buy that ticket because you hope to win, you want to win, but do you really think you'll win millions of dollars?" I said, "No." He said, "That's your chances of having rabies. It's like a lotto ticket, there's a chance but really... it's not likely. Okay." I shook my head. My husband put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed my shoulder.
Tears are still streaming down my face. The cat has been taken to a pet resort to be put into quarantine and we head home with my flow chart in hand. The next ten days I go and visit my Tommy. He perks up at my voice each and every time and reaches his paw out for me through the bars as though to say, "Hi Mommy! Why can't you take me home?" I bring him treats and his favorite food. I bring him a teddy bear and his bed. Each time I visit the employees tell me how sweet he is. I wait out the ten days in prayer. The Lord and I discuss Tommy daily. He continues to improve from the antibiotic shot they gave him at the vet's office before being transported. I tell nearly no one as I wait out the ten days. A few know and tease me, they ask if I'm foaming at the mouth yet? Am I growling at my husband yet? Afraid to drink water? I laugh along with them. I'm relieved that Tommy seems to be doing fine in quarantine. Ten days feels like a life time when you are anxious for the days to pass quickly.
I'm happy to say, Tommy came home yesterday. Of course he had to make a trip back to the vet's office for his rabies shot, good for three years!! I'm am now considered, "fine" too. Thank you God.
The most important thing I want you to know is... have your pets vaccinated. Don't wait, don't hesitate and don't go through the stress I went through. It is not worth it. If you have an animal that gets a terrible gash or injury and you have no idea if it was caused from an animal or not, if he is vaccinated, no worries, no bells, no whistles, and no alarms go off if you've been bit by that animal. However, if he isn't vaccinated or up-to-date on his rabies vaccine and you get bit, and the bite draws blood, you are going to travel the same road I traveled and let me tell you, it's no fun.
I'm grateful for my husband. The man was never shaken, never worried, only caring and loving as were the few friends and family I shared my story with. Thank you for your kindness.
Some info you should know:
1. If you are bit by a wild animal and you can capture that animal, do so.
2. If you are bit by a wild skunk, dog, bat, or raccoon, you will probably start shots immediately.
3. If you are bit by a pet that is UN-vaccinated, the animal is put in a ten day quarantine and you wait. If the pet is fine after ten days, you are fine and you are both considered rabies free. Then have your pet vaccinated. If the pet dies within the ten day quarantine, you start shots.
4. The shots are not twenty in the stomach at this time. The shots consist of 1 initial shot, and 4 additional shots over the course of 5 or 6 days. They are put in your arm like a tetanus shot. You will have a sore arm but side affects are rare and you should be fine. Also, you will have saved your life.
5. Don't panic. It is NOT an emergency, it's an urgency.
6. According to statistics from across the Entire country, only 2-3 people die every year of rabies.
7. In Michigan rabies is rare. In fact, it is most prevalent in bats, most other animals the numbers are extremely low.
8. If your pet has ever been vaccinated against rabies, even if you are behind on his or her shots, there is still protection from any shot that your pet has already had. In fact, my Tommy was probably 70% vaccinated still by having only had one shot, but still, his body would have fought off the rabies and most likely would have won.
9. Take deep breaths, relax and follow the flow chart from the Health Department.
10. The health department did tell me, they have containers and canisters to send any animal who has bitten you to the State of Michigan labs to determine if an animal actually does test positive for rabies. The containers are free of cost. Sending the item will cost you shipping through the postal service but the test conducted by the State of Michigan is free of charge as well. If a vet takes care of sending in a specimen they will charge you anywhere from $100.00 to $150.00 to do this. Bat's of course are the easiest to capture, kill and send in. Otherwise, unfortunately you only need to send the head of the animal in suspicion into the State of Michigan. Kind of a gory job I'm guessing but still this is information you need to know.
S.
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