Oh my GOD!!!

[snowpaws]

O.K so today we had two cats in the grooming parlour, British blues very pretty but complete psychos! Anyway while we were attempting to trim ones nails, it flipped out and bit one of my workmates hand about 8 or 9 times while she was trying to restrain it from escaping. Later on, while she was having it cleaned up another of the girls came up and said that we should use tcp on her hand or she could get rabies... :o
Of course I thought she was joking, but apparently not-(I live in the UK by the way so you can see why I was a little confused) Anyway, thinking she was just kidding I just said-rabies? I think thats a little unlikely as it doesn't exist in this country, and she replied adamently Yes it does, you don't know whether those cats have been vaccinated or not..and my boss (the manager of the grooming parlour)!!! was nodding along in aggreement. Of course at this point I was in complete shock and just stared at her while she was explaining how apparently the cats catch it off foxes and hedgehogs...yes hedgehogs. :o She has two dogs herself for fuck sake
I have decided to print of a sheet of information explaining rabies to them, including its eradication in the uk in 1906...and stick it to their foreheads tomorrow.
I still can't believe it I am so angry! :evil:
How can someone who has worked in a pet shop for near on 3 years and another person who has done a 2 year college course on animal care and is the manager of a pet shop for almost 8 years believe that we have rabies in this country! It is madness!
I dread to think what advice has been given out to owners with new puppies who come into the shop asking about vaccinations, and diseases...
It really made me ashamed to work there..as much as I love my job.
GRRRR! Sorry about the rant guys I just had to get it off my chest, I was so dumbfounded by their stupidity that I didn't bother to argue back I just left, but they will find out tomorrow, I will make sure of that. :evil: :roll: :evil:

[mouseatthebusstop]

I think the vet only gives the rabbies shot if you want a pet passport to take the animal abroad

[sarahmyjoy]

I wish i could say that rabies was not here in the US I was talking with my hubby and he told me about some organ transplants that were done to about 4 people and 3 died of rabies and one of complactions so none of the people that got the organs from a man that no one knew had contracted rabies and was an organ doner. I was so shocked!

[__crazy_canine__]

sarahmyjoy napisał(a):

I wish i could say that rabies was not here in the US I was talking with my hubby and he told me about some organ transplants that were done to about 4 people and 3 died of rabies and one of complactions so none of the people that got the organs from a man that no one knew had contracted rabies and was an organ doner. I was so shocked!

Oh yeah, I heard about that. Scary! :o

[courtnek]

I am curious to know why where you live there is NO rabies. It's a very common disease in mammals. bats carry it, foxes, dogs cats, possums, etc, once infected carry and transmit it. bears get it, people get it.....

I dont know if herbivores can carry it, but almost any predatory animal can. The rabies laws around here are so strict they can shoot an animal they think has it on sight. it can only be transferred through a bite, it has to be introduced into the bloodstream, but its common among wild animals. thas why this surprised me so much....

[EmmeAndCharley]

I am very concerned about your coworker who got bitten by the cat. Cat bites are some of the worst bites a person can get because of the bacterial infections that they cause. It doesn't matter how well the person cleans the wound, either. Infection is extremely likely.

Has your friend been to the emergency room or a doctor yet???? She will need to check with the doctor, to see if she will need antibiotics, as soon as possible!

[imported_Debbie]

My groomer has never asked me for proof of vaccinations. :-?

I would also like to know how Rabies is eradicated from wild animals ?
If the UK can do it, why can't it be done here ?

We've had several cases of rabies here in N.Y already this year.
It included fox , raccoon, and a bear. :(

[bk_blue]

Rabies doesn't exist in Australia or New Zealand either (I think). I am pretty sure it used to though.

Cat bites and scratches are soooo nasty- a patient of David's had her eye scratched by one of her cats and it got infected and she had to have an operation to save her eye. another one had scratches on her hands and they got infected and it lasted for weeks. :-?

[Horsefeathers!]

Debbie napisał(a):

I would also like to know how Rabies is eradicated from wild animals ?
If the UK can do it, why can't it be done here ?

The way my vet explained it to me (or at least my interpretation) is that is has something to do with islands. The nations that are rabies free are usually surrounded on all sides by seas. From what I understand, in many of them, there have never been reported cases of rabies and they have very strict quarantine laws for dogs and cats entering these countries, so it's been more of a preventive thing rather than eradication. As far as I know, even in the US, Hawaii is rabies free.

Cat bites are very serious business and can be dangerous. Even seemingly minor cat bites can cause permanent damage if not properly taken care of... anything from infection to permanent nerve damage to, in some cases, amputation. There is a groomer near me who has been hospitalized twice and put on IV antibiotics because of cat bites sustained at work. I used to think all the horror stories about cat bites were just a bit of urban legend until I began networking with other groomers and found that cat bites are truly not something to mess around with. It's one reason I don't groom cats. I don't consider myself a cat person, meaning I don't "speak" cat very well, so it's not worth the risk to my career to mess with them. Some people love it and never have a problem. It's just not a chance I want to take.

[Guest Anonymous]

My sister worked in the dog grooming business for 10 years and was bitten 4 times over the years and the only one that got infected was the cat bites. One of the employees neglected to go to the doctor and she lost some use of one of her arms.

[Cairn6]

Oh darn the above post was me I didn't realize I wasn't logged in. :oops:

[snowpaws]

Yes it is to do with it being a smaller land mass I believe..I guess the reason it still exists in the us is to do with the sheer size of the place, and the greater and more varied wild animal population.
I think the vaccination for rabies was developed in the late 1800's, that combined with destruction of stray dogs, licensing dogs and muzzling was what eradicated it from the uk and the same for the other places.
Apparently Austrailia has never had rabies introduced I am not sure whether that goes for any other places, but I read that the EU is close to total eradication, so hopefully US next!

By the way, my coworker was back at work today with only some small swelling on her hand, but I think (hope) :roll: she is getting it checked out by a doctor on monday. She won't listen to any advice I give her, her best friend who works in the pet shop is the only one she'll listen to, so she has been walking around all day with ice on her hand...fat lot of good that will do.(yes that was the one who thought rabies exists here) :-?
But it did bleed alot, which reduces the chances of serious infection, but even so I will keep nagging before she has to have her hand amputated. :roll:

[courtnek]

well, heres some US history about it. It is carried, without succumbing, by bats. they are carriers, but dont get it. Once they bite an animal, (and yes, there are vampire bats here, who often settle on cows and such and suck blood) they have transmitted it. same with raccoons, possums, fox, etc.
once the wild animal has succumbed to it, it becomes rapid, and dangerous. it has no fear of anything. a raccoon with it may decide, in its ultimate insanity, to try to defend itself from a coyote, or wolf, or fox.
remember Ol Yeller? the bear was rabid, and that's why it attacked.

once the animal has bitten another, it gets transmitted again. that's why the rabies laws here are so strict. A pet that gets bitten by a wild animal
usually (not ALWAYS) who has been vaccinated will not get it. there are exceptions. that's why every pet bitten by a wild animal has to be quarantined, for 14 days, unless they can catch the animal who bit it.
they will then kill it and do blood work from its brain. If its not rabid, your pet will be released. If it IS, it will have to remain in quarantine to guarantee the symptoms dont show up. since humans are not vaccinated, if we get bit, they wont even wait the 2 weeks. if they cant catch the biter, you get started on a series of painful multiple times a day/week injections to fight it. Once the symptoms show up, its then too late. there is no cure.

it amazes me that where you are it has been eradicated. Are there no bats? or wild animals with the potential to get it?

[Malamum]

Courtnek, there seriously is no rabies in Australia. We don't give our animals rabies vacinations because the condition/disease (not sure what the best term is) just doesn't exist here. We haven't eradicated it - we never had it in the first place.

Due the the fact that Australia is an island no animals can get to our land mass unless introducted by humans. That is why our quarantine and customs procedures are very very strict. A dog coming to Australia from the US has to stay in quarantine for 3 months. Our customs process is also a lot more stringent than the US. I have been to the U.S quite a few times and going through customs on my return to Australia is alway so much more of a big deal than when I go through it on arrival in the U.S.

[SizzleDog]

hmm that brings up an interesting question...perhaps some of our U.S. groomers can answer...

Do you or your empoyer require that all clients show proof of vac. before taking them on?......I had never really given it much thought, but perhaps something to think on!!

Yes - here in Iowa, we need to see proof of Rabies, Distemper - Parvo, and Bordatella vaccinations. The state of Iowa does not accept the 3 year distemper parvo shots, which has been a problem since many local vets are administering them now.

If a groomer is caught grooming a dog without shot records - or with expired shots - the groomer faces a $1000 fine.

[courtnek]

WOW Malamum. GLAD TO HEAR IT!! here,rabies is still a threat, but we are not an island and have links to countries where our rules are not as stringently enforced. Mexico is one. (sorry Izzy)...we cant make them obey our rules. all we can do is hope to catch stuff before it happens.

I really wish it could be eradicated here as well. it is a HORRIBLE thing.
painful, emaciating, for dogs and people. Infected, eventually you can no longer drink. for a long time it was called "aquaphobia"...the infected appeared afraid to drink. they simply couldnt swallow....