Rabies

as i thought about this i am a bit confused, when we called to see about MH,
he was going to be sent to the bridge after attacking both DH and myself on
seperate occasions, the vet said i would have to wait ten days to pts
because they would want to make sure he wasn't rabid... but after ten days
we could do it, it turned out we were able to work it out with a snip and
some behavoir traning that so far he is still with us, but during this time
i am just sure the vet said they would show up in ten days, Lee


"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote in message
.46...
If I wrote my autobiography, people would think it belonged in the
fiction section. Not all these things could *possibly* happen to one
person -- except for me.

Last Monday, I stepped out into the hall to find a group of the cats
surrounding something that looked to me like a weird double hair ball.
I looked closer; it wasn't a hairball, it was a bat. A very dead bat.

I grabbed a paper towel and put it in a grocery bag. Then I used the
paper towel again to put it in a zip-lock bag.

I called around, and my vet's office found the address and phone number
of the place they send questionable animals.

I called them. They gave me their courier's phone number, who told me
how to package the bat and send it to the lab.

The Health Department called yesterday.

The bat tested positive for rabies.

My cats are under "house arrest" (quarantined) for the next six months.
They must get a rabies vaccination in five months. They are allowing
Floyd to return home with his daddy, who is getting out of rehab on
Monday.

The Health Department guy is coming Monday to observe/check out my
cats.
I do not know what he will do or what he is looking for. There is a
lot I don't know or understand.

I talked to my vet, terrified I would not be able to get veterinary
care if one of them got sick in the next six months. She said I could
bring them in. But they've said they won't touch a cat without a
rabies shot, and I cannot get them rabies shots for five months. I am
terrified Internet will end up dying horribly painfully here, because I
could not take him to the vet to be euthanized, if that time comes in
the next six months. I also don't want him to have a rabies shot. He
is so weak, I am not sure the shot itself wouldn't kill him.

I am afraid for myself, too Even though the vet and the employee of
hte Health Department said that it wasn't likely I was exposed, they
didn't sound 100% sure. I did handle the bat without gloves or tongs
I don't know if I had any open cuts or bites on my hands at the time.
I usually have at least a scratch. I don't think I had anything, but I
can't remember for sure. I am trying to reach my doctor to ask
questions, and/or I may talk to a doctor at the Health Department.

I am scared I am just this side of having a nervous breakdown. If
anyone looks cross-eyed at me, I feel like I will turn into a little
pile of jelly.

Please, please, you wonderful, caring people: I need your purrs and
prayers badly that all my cats and myself will be okay.

Thank you so much.

Ginger-lyn
shattered

Soothing purrs are on their way. What an awful thing to happen! Please let
us know what your doctor says.

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote in message
.46...
If I wrote my autobiography, people would think it belonged in the
fiction section. Not all these things could *possibly* happen to one
person -- except for me.

Last Monday, I stepped out into the hall to find a group of the cats
surrounding something that looked to me like a weird double hair ball.
I looked closer; it wasn't a hairball, it was a bat. A very dead bat.

I grabbed a paper towel and put it in a grocery bag. Then I used the
paper towel again to put it in a zip-lock bag.

I called around, and my vet's office found the address and phone number
of the place they send questionable animals.

I called them. They gave me their courier's phone number, who told me
how to package the bat and send it to the lab.

The Health Department called yesterday.

The bat tested positive for rabies.

My cats are under "house arrest" (quarantined) for the next six months.
They must get a rabies vaccination in five months. They are allowing
Floyd to return home with his daddy, who is getting out of rehab on
Monday.

The Health Department guy is coming Monday to observe/check out my
cats.
I do not know what he will do or what he is looking for. There is a
lot I don't know or understand.

I talked to my vet, terrified I would not be able to get veterinary
care if one of them got sick in the next six months. She said I could
bring them in. But they've said they won't touch a cat without a
rabies shot, and I cannot get them rabies shots for five months. I am
terrified Internet will end up dying horribly painfully here, because I
could not take him to the vet to be euthanized, if that time comes in
the next six months. I also don't want him to have a rabies shot. He
is so weak, I am not sure the shot itself wouldn't kill him.

I am afraid for myself, too Even though the vet and the employee of
hte Health Department said that it wasn't likely I was exposed, they
didn't sound 100% sure. I did handle the bat without gloves or tongs
I don't know if I had any open cuts or bites on my hands at the time.
I usually have at least a scratch. I don't think I had anything, but I
can't remember for sure. I am trying to reach my doctor to ask
questions, and/or I may talk to a doctor at the Health Department.

I am scared I am just this side of having a nervous breakdown. If
anyone looks cross-eyed at me, I feel like I will turn into a little
pile of jelly.

Please, please, you wonderful, caring people: I need your purrs and
prayers badly that all my cats and myself will be okay.

Thank you so much.

Ginger-lyn
shattered

Quarantine for rabies here was always six months. I assume there was a
reason for it not being less than this.
If you brought a dog/cat in from abroad it would spend 6 months in
quarantine to ensure it didn't have rabies. That's perhaps why we don't
have rabies here.

Tweed


Granby wrote:
I never heard of such a thing. I always thought Rabies showed up
with in two weeks, not six months. You need to look this up further
and call around to a couple of vets. Six months, that is crazy. I
am almost positive it was 10 days to two weeks.
"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote in
message .46...
If I wrote my autobiography, people would think it belonged in the
fiction section. Not all these things could *possibly* happen to one
person -- except for me.

Last Monday, I stepped out into the hall to find a group of the cats
surrounding something that looked to me like a weird double hair
ball. I looked closer; it wasn't a hairball, it was a bat. A very
dead bat. I grabbed a paper towel and put it in a grocery bag. Then I
used the
paper towel again to put it in a zip-lock bag.

I called around, and my vet's office found the address and phone
number of the place they send questionable animals.

I called them. They gave me their courier's phone number, who told
me how to package the bat and send it to the lab.

The Health Department called yesterday.

The bat tested positive for rabies.

My cats are under "house arrest" (quarantined) for the next six
months. They must get a rabies vaccination in five months. They are
allowing Floyd to return home with his daddy, who is getting out of
rehab on Monday.

The Health Department guy is coming Monday to observe/check out my
cats.
I do not know what he will do or what he is looking for. There is a
lot I don't know or understand.

I talked to my vet, terrified I would not be able to get veterinary
care if one of them got sick in the next six months. She said I
could bring them in. But they've said they won't touch a cat
without a rabies shot, and I cannot get them rabies shots for five
months. I am terrified Internet will end up dying horribly
painfully here, because I could not take him to the vet to be
euthanized, if that time comes in the next six months. I also don't
want him to have a rabies shot. He is so weak, I am not sure the
shot itself wouldn't kill him. I am afraid for myself, too Even though
the vet and the employee of
hte Health Department said that it wasn't likely I was exposed, they
didn't sound 100% sure. I did handle the bat without gloves or tongs
I don't know if I had any open cuts or bites on my hands at the time.
I usually have at least a scratch. I don't think I had anything,
but I can't remember for sure. I am trying to reach my doctor to ask
questions, and/or I may talk to a doctor at the Health Department.

I am scared I am just this side of having a nervous breakdown. If
anyone looks cross-eyed at me, I feel like I will turn into a little
pile of jelly.

Please, please, you wonderful, caring people: I need your purrs and
prayers badly that all my cats and myself will be okay.

Thank you so much.

Ginger-lyn
shattered

Christina Websell wrote:

Quarantine for rabies here was always six months. I assume there was a
reason for it not being less than this.
If you brought a dog/cat in from abroad it would spend 6 months in
quarantine to ensure it didn't have rabies. That's perhaps why we don't
have rabies here.

Rabies is also in wildlife populations in the US, which apparently isn't
the case in the UK. But I don't think there has ever been an option to
keep rabies out of North America because it was probably here before
Europeans got here.

Joyce

--
audiophile, n:
Someone who listens to the equipment instead of the music.

wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote:

Quarantine for rabies here was always six months. I assume
there was a
reason for it not being less than this.
If you brought a dog/cat in from abroad it would spend 6 months
in
quarantine to ensure it didn't have rabies. That's perhaps why
we don't
have rabies here.

Rabies is also in wildlife populations in the US, which apparently
isn't
the case in the UK. But I don't think there has ever been an
option to
keep rabies out of North America because it was probably here
before
Europeans got here.

Joyce

True. The reason we can't get rid of it in the US is because we
have several native species that can carry rabies without it killing
them, so there is always a population in those species to keep it
active. I know bats can live with it, and have a fairly high
incidence. Not at all unusual that Ginger-lins bat was rabid. Lots
of skunks also have it as well as quite a few raccoons.

However, I don't think it originated in the Americas. There are
many places in Asia and Africa where tourists are advised to get
rabies vaccinations before visiting.

Lots of information at WHO.

Jo

Rabies is also in wildlife populations in the US,
which apparently isn't the case in the UK.

Almost. There are some populations of bats with it, but
they rarely manage to spread it to any other species.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2508043.stm
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/dise...t-research.htm

but it's much more complicated than you'd think:

http://tinyurl.com/mwo8ef
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/View...ArticleId=1969

The implication seems to be that "rabies" is really several
different viral diseases, and immunity to one type does not
necessarily give you immunity to any of the others. You need
to know exactly which kind of "rabies" you're dealing with.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ====
Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557
CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts
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wrote:
Christina Websell wrote:

Quarantine for rabies here was always six months. I assume there
was a reason for it not being less than this.
If you brought a dog/cat in from abroad it would spend 6 months in
quarantine to ensure it didn't have rabies. That's perhaps why we
don't have rabies here.

Rabies is also in wildlife populations in the US, which apparently
isn't the case in the UK. But I don't think there has ever been an
option to keep rabies out of North America because it was probably
here before Europeans got here.


Yes. We are fortunate in being a small island so have been able to keep
rabies out by stringent regulations in the past.
Before rabies innoculations and pet passports no mammal could enter Britain
without spending 6 months in quarantine.

Tweed

"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...
wrote:
Christina Websell wrote:

Quarantine for rabies here was always six months. I assume
there
was a reason for it not being less than this.
If you brought a dog/cat in from abroad it would spend 6 months
in
quarantine to ensure it didn't have rabies. That's perhaps why
we
don't have rabies here.

Rabies is also in wildlife populations in the US, which
apparently
isn't the case in the UK. But I don't think there has ever been
an
option to keep rabies out of North America because it was
probably
here before Europeans got here.


Yes. We are fortunate in being a small island so have been able
to keep rabies out by stringent regulations in the past.
Before rabies innoculations and pet passports no mammal could
enter Britain without spending 6 months in quarantine.

Tweed

Now see, that's funny.

Pretty sure I'm a mammal.

Jo