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Is Rabies Vaccination Required After Being Scratched By A Cat?

Posted on Thu, 27 Jul 2017

Question: Hi, my brother got a little scratch from a back claw about 3 inches from his elbow from my sons cat. He went missing for almost 3 weeks, and suprisingly came home Saturday. However, he was in very bad shape. His kidneys were damaged, along with his liver, and had alot of maggots around his backside with swelling and redness. He also had a very bad infection around his nose and face along with sever dehydration. I had to make the choice of putting him down. He wouldnt drink but would sit in the sink at the vets office and just let the water run on him. He also had a hard time swallowing. The scratch did break the skin, but not much. My brother got it from picking the cat up. Does he need to get a rabies shot? The vet said Thunder, the cat, didnt show any signs of rabies, and animal control told them that for a scratch, my brother didnt have to follow any procedures. Is that right?

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Anti rabies vaccine is not indicated, need to get started on Augmentin

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for trusting HealthcareMagic.

Domestic cats are vaccinated. So anti-rabies vaccination following cat scratch is not needed.
However, antibiotics is required following cat scratch. Augmentin is the antibiotic of choice. Please be advised to follow up with your primary care provider to get started on Augmentin.
Also, keep the area clean.Wash thoroughly with soap and water.

Hope this answers your question
Please address further questions here
Regards
Dr.Lekshmi

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana