Other people afraid of rabies

[RecurringThoughts]

Some of you have posted about being afraid of rabies in the past. How are you doing now? Did you end up getting vaccinated, or what?

[Enduronman]

I just read your other post, this has you really concerned. I also really like Artaud's idea of checking to see if that dog is still around, even though you say that you've moved. If you filed a report, you could simply call the authorities that you filed this report with and explain your concerns. It then becomes an issue that they could/should/will address and they're local-in the same area. They could do a "welfare check" of sort for the dog, which will put your mind at ease if you no longer live nearby or they are possibly gone too.

Also, I don't know if a blood test could be done to see if it is and or isn't in your system as I'm not real well versed in such cases, like rabies.

I'm also just guessing that considering you mentioned that your partner saw the owner walking the dog a time afterwards, most people that actually care for and walk their dogs, (care for them like family) would have their pets properly vaccinated, treated, cared for, shots, etc, etc...

In all honesty, if you think that you have this rabies, then getting a vaccine now is some what late. But I also highly doubt that these things you're mentioning has anything to do with rabies at all..I think you can relax....

Is this your Recurring Thought?

Is this what your 59 posts are about???...

What country are you in, if I may ask???...:)

E-Man..

[Enduronman]

Ok, I reviewed your other posts since you became a member. You're a hypochondriac..What medications do you have and which do you take and which have you tried?...

Let this rabies issue go please..and answer the questions when you can..

Thank you RC!

E-Man..:)

[JLBnole68]

Do you live in Asia or Africa? That's where 95% of all 55,000 human cases per year occur. Think about how incredibly rare your chances of contracting rabies really are.

[Enduronman]

Do you live in Asia or Africa? That's where 95% of all 55,000 human cases per year occur..

Excellent point, but I'm guessing neither...just a guess. :)

[acetone]

I posted in one of the rabies thread. I had a bad habit of cuddling with stray dogs and fell prey to this rabies scare.

[RecurringThoughts]

I live in the U.S. and was in Portland, OR at the time of the dog bite.

I just started taking Effexor XR at 75 mg (starting dose) last night. I've taken it before and it seemed to help.

I didn't file a report because the owners said he had his shots, and at the time I was embarrassed for making a big deal out of rabies because no one else seemed especially concerned...so I didn't ask to see his certificate either.

I know I am a hypochondriac, but as with all other health fears, I think this one is it.

[artaud]

...I think this one is it.

Seriously, therapeutically, post to this thread why you think this one is it. I suspect you have OCD (you're not alone ;-)

Symptoms are meaningless without supportive tests or responses to a questions. For example, chest pain can be the heart, but it can be 100 other things as well. The doctors would ask questions and do tests, chest pain alone doesn't reveal anything.

A dog without rabies can't transmit rabies. A dog with rabies in the blood does not express the virus in the saliva during incubation, so that even if bitten by said dog you wouldn't contract rabies. Three days before a dog incubating rabies begins to show symptoms (foaming, fear of water, serious disruptions in behavior) the rabies finally appear in the saliva. If the dog survived 10 days, and I know that you know it did, you don't have rabies.

I've posted why I can virtually guarantee why you do not have rabies, post in a similar fashion why you believe you do.

You're torturing yourself over nothing, I've done the same 100's of times. Also, if you have physical symptoms (not rabies) and are avoiding the doctor because you're convinced you have rabies, you may be ignoring something that needs addressed.

[RecurringThoughts]

I think this one is it because I didn't go through the necessary precautions to really make sure the dog didn't have rabies. (1) I didn't ask to see the dog's certificate of vaccination, (2) I can't remember if I actually checked up on it 10 days after the bite or not, I just know I went back to talk to the owner at some point, and (3) I didn't go to a doctor to have it looked at and discuss treatment, I just called an advice nurse, told her my story, and didn't do anything more when she told me that dogs in the U.S. aren't big vectors for the disease anymore. When I went weeks without symptoms, I decided "yay, I guess that dog wasn't rabid!" but then I recently read (like other people worrying about this) that the disease can incubate for a year. It's only been about 8 months!

I was feeling nauseous yesterday, my legs have been cramping for the last week, and my head and neck have been really achey for weeks now. I'm convinced these are early symptoms of the illness. I got bit in the leg and it was a small bite; it seems that small wounds that are further from the brain can take longer to progress to a rabies infection...

And I'm avoiding the doctor because I've seen them a lot lately and it's expensive being a hypochondriac.

[Enduronman]

Ok, I just did some quick research for you..
There are on average, only 1 to 2 reports of human rabies cases in the US each year....40,000 worldwide. (in villages)
In 2009, there were only 300 dogs that were reported as having rabies.
More than likely, 90% of which, were stray dogs and not cared for...
The odds of you getting rabies in the US, are that equal to, me being able to throw a rock..and hit the moon.
I applaud and admire your acknowledgment, acceptance, and openess in admitting that you are a hypochondriac, most do not....they just pretend it's something else.

E-Man. :)

[RecurringThoughts]

Yeah, I read on the CDC website that human cases are very low in the U.S., and Oregon wasn't even on the list of cases that occurred between 2009-2011, so that probably indicates it's exceptionally rare there. The CDC also mentions that successful vaccination campaigns have eliminated dogs as vectors, which I wonder if that is just an oversimplification of facts, because I'm sure some dogs have to get it in the U.S., especially strays, unless they pick them up off the street and vaccinate them.

Anyway, I still want to see about a welfare check, just to ease my mind. I think not being able to check on the dog myself makes me more paranoid.

The dog was a Weimaraner, by the way. Those are pretty expensive dogs, right? So it should have been vaccinated. Plus, the owner claimed it was a rescue, so maybe I just honestly scared it
by jogging up beside...

But the fear still exists despite my ability to rationalize!

[Enduronman]

And yes, you can make that "welfare check" call to the local Animal Control in that city, they are then required to file a report and go check it out for you...

You will make this call, correct?

:)

[RecurringThoughts]

Yes, I definitely will :) I'll let you know how it goes.

[RecurringThoughts]

Of course everyone is closed until 10:30 am :/

[Enduronman]

Oh yes...sounds like a familiar life that I know of..Nothing works right!! :D

[RecurringThoughts]

So the animal control said they couldn't do anything about it because I didn't report it and it isn't an emergency. Ugh, I'm so nervous and depressed :(

[RecurringThoughts]

I'm a mess. I just bawled my eyes out on the phone with my partner as he tried to console me on the irrationality of my fears and reassure me that we saw the dog again long after the bite. Rabies aside, I feel like my anxiety is a serious burden and that I am ruining other people's chances of happiness by exposing them to my burden. I honestly thought during my conversation with my partner that I don't deserve to live. I'm not doing anything worthwhile, just wasting resources and fearing death. Maybe I'm only afraid of rabies because it sounds slow and painful.

[Enduronman]

You don't have rabies you terd!!! OMGAWWDDD!!!

You're not the (1) in (300,000,000) fuuuudddgggiiinnnnn people!!!!

ggrrrrr....:)

[RecurringThoughts]

I said rabies aside! I'm tired of this health anxiety in general...

Thanks for the reassurance, though I understand how frustrating people like me can be u_u

[Enduronman]

Honestly, not really although I express it in words.

It "used" to be maybe last year but now, I'll just do my best and let you be you...

I'm not frustrated at all..I'm more frustrated with my damn car that I can't seem to fix!! (no tail lights, went through everything, and tore the interior out grrr) :)

[RecurringThoughts]

Ah, I'm sorry about the car :( That is frustrating when things do not work the way they are supposed to.

Yeah, I'm surprised my doctors haven't put me in some type of blacklist for how often I call the advice lines or make an appointment. This is torture for me just as much as it is to some people who don't have familiarity with the illness. And it's so much easier for them to walk away from it. I've tried CBT and now am starting meds, but I always seem to relapse, no matter how distracted I make myself.

Anyway, thank you for talking me through this and sticking around! It's so nice to have someone around when I'm panicking.