Do I Need To Take An Anti-rabies Injection Again After Contact With Dog Excrement In The Open Wound?

Posted on Tue, 19 Jun 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 Answered on

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi,

Yesterday, by mistake, I stepped on the excreta of a dog. There is a wound on my foot and the excreta entered my open wound. Do I need to take an anti-rabies injection again? I was scratched by a dog a week ago and have already taken 2 out of the 5 recommended anti-rabies injection.

Do I have to start from the beginning if I am scratched or bitten by a dog or cat in middle of my vaccination period?

Please clear my doubts.

Answered by Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (-3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
You do not need to restart the course. Just continue the existing one.

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

Let me assure you that dog excreta contains numerous bacteria but rabies is not one of them. You need not take anti-rabies vaccine for the act of stepping on dog excreta even if you had a raw wound on your sole. Additionally, you are already on a course of anti-rabies vaccines and so any extra vaccine would not have been needed anyway.

Feel free to write back.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj