Do all dogs have rabies?

A dog can transmit rabies only if infected, yet appearance alone cannot reliably exclude infection. Do not wait for symptoms in yourself before seeking advice after a concerning bite, scratch or saliva contact.

Risk can arise when saliva from a potentially infected mammal enters broken skin or the eyes, mouth or nose. Bites are the clearest concern, while scratches may matter if contaminated with saliva. Touching fur or saliva contacting intact skin is not handled in the same way.

Assessment considers the animal species, its behaviour and health, vaccination information, whether it can be observed or tested, where the encounter occurred, and the location and depth of the wound. A familiar dog still needs a proper assessment if the contact meets exposure criteria.

Immediately wash and flush a bite or scratch thoroughly with soap and running water, then apply an available antiseptic. Seek urgent medical advice the same day so a clinician can decide whether wound care, tetanus protection and rabies post-exposure treatment are needed.

Do not attempt to capture an unfamiliar or agitated animal yourself. If it is safe, record where the animal was seen, its description, the owner's contact details and known vaccination information. Follow local public-health or veterinary instructions about observation; do not delay your own care while trying to obtain records.

Treat a possible rabies exposure as time-sensitive even when the wound looks minor. Go promptly after a bite from a stray or wild mammal, unexplained contact with a bat, saliva exposure to broken skin or a mucous membrane, or contact with an animal behaving unusually.

Emergency wound care is also appropriate for uncontrolled bleeding, deep or extensive injury, loss of movement or sensation, or bites involving the face, neck or hand. If some time has passed since the incident, seek assessment now rather than assuming treatment is too late.

Ask whether the contact counts as a rabies exposure, what wound and tetanus care you need, whether post-exposure treatment should begin, and how previous rabies vaccination changes the recommended plan.