Leave it to me always being in a rush, I threw a fox in the back of my truck Wednesday morning and while doing so I caught my index finger on the lower fang of a fox I had thrown in there less that ten minutes earlier. Was scared there was a chance for rabies in the saliva because the fox had only been dead for a few minutes.

Already played Russian Roulette about seven years ago when I was bit by a red fox while dispatching it so this time I called our county health department after skinning the fox and putting it's head in a plastic bag. Was told that because of the holiday it would be shipped out for testing on Friday morning and I'd get the results by Tuesday.

Phone rang a half hour ago and I was told the fox was tested and came back negative for rabies and any other diseases a human would have to worry about catching from a fox bite.

When I was bit seven years ago I read on-line that there is a 24 hour window to get the rabie shots started. Was told by the Health Department that we actually have two weeks to get shots started.

Anyway, what a relief!!!

I'm glad you dodged that bullet.

I was wondering why they didn't start you on the shots right away. I didn't know about the two-week window.

Glad you are OK. In time you will slow down. You don't cover the same amount of ground but you tear up far fewer hip boots!

In my mind you are still playing Russian Roulette. The test is not always 100% is what I am told. Sleep tight.

I got the shots a few years ago...they arent bad at all.
Now just a titer test every few years.

Thanks you guys..you especially MJM lol.

I hear ya Mac, my hip boots and chest waders both have leaks.

You're talking about the pre-exposure shots not the post correct? The post-exposure are not not fun from what I hear.

My wife got the post exposure shots a couple years ago. The Grand kids pony was sick and she was giving it a paste med and had to run it down its throat by hand. Since she works with glass her hands are always cut. After a few days she had the vet come out. He said he thought the pony had west nile or rabies. He took the pony to his shop to put it on IV's an it was dead in the morning. They sent the head in and the test came back negative. He called and told her to go in and get rabies shots because the rabies test is not 100% accurate. She said the shot were no different than any other shot. It seems like it was a series of four or five shot.

Been there too beachcomber! Tripped a few years ago at 4 in the morning and had a female yote use my left leg for a chew toy. Decided it was time for shots. Now I check titters every few years. Better safe than sorry.

Mark the spoiler! lol.

What is that?

I'm glad it came back negative beachcomber.

Lugnut, few years back when I got bit by a gray the drs I saw refused to start rabies shot unless the fox came back positive. They did however give me 4 shots which included tetanus. I got bit on a Saturday didn't get ther results until Tuesday. It was a long few days.

Dang, Pawny, that'll wake you up in a hurry!

Thanks, Adam, same here. Was told I wouldn't be authorized the shots unless test came back positive..Was also a Gray I caught my finger on..glad I'm not the only one!lol

My bite was 3 yrs ago, I gambled cuz I'd rather die than spend several thousand dollars.
If it happened again today I'd go get the shots. I'm older, and hopefully a bit wiser.
Also happens that rabies moved into the county about two years ago and the Foxes are full of it now...

I find that I am checking titters on a continuous basis, Titers, not near as often, nor with the same intensity...

Titers are the antibodies for a particular virus or set of viruses.

Thanks. Never heard of it.

Hahaha, I with you 52Carl!