• @agent_flounder
    link
    310 months ago

    Either that or get lots of shots in the stomach? (They still do that right?)

    • @holmesandhoatzin@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      610 months ago

      According to the CDC, it’s four doses, preferably in the arm, over a two week period. I think I remember reading about someone who worked at a rescue or rehab that had to get several shots in the shin, around the bite site, but I don’t remember why.

      • @wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        1
        edit-2
        10 months ago

        Four~five shots is just immunization, there’s also two shots of immunoglobulin… That one is usually in the affected area if it is known, otherwise it’s in the bottocks. And also probably tetanus shot if you’re not up to date…

        Source, had a bat in my house a few years ago… Good times!

        • @holmesandhoatzin@slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          210 months ago

          Yikes! I had no idea about the immunoglobulin. It’s better than the alternative, but I hope you never have to go through that again.

          • @wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            110 months ago

            I would rather it not happen again, but if I ever had a doubt I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Not a pleasant experience, but I’m not gonna lie it’s a great story to recount at parties!

            What I found really crazy is thinking of the anxiety it would have caused us if we had been south of the border (my partner is from the US). Even the co-pay might have been thousands of dollars and, being pretty broke at the time (they were a student and I had lost my job to COVID), we might have thought twice about getting treatment. Out of pocket, being that I no longer had insurance, it would have been probably tens of thousands for the two of us.

    • @russjr08@outpost.zeuslink.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      310 months ago

      I believe that only works if you manage to catch it extremely early. Once it advances past a certain point, they don’t have a treatment to my knowledge (though I’d be happy to hear I’m out of date on that…).

      • @Landrin201@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        610 months ago

        If you get bitten by a rabid animal and go get the shots immediately after your chance of actually dying from rabies is very, very low. The studies I know claim it’s very close to 100% effective, which is understandable because of the very long incubation period rabies has, if you have antibodies it doesn’t stand a chance.

      • Raistlin
        link
        fedilink
        2
        edit-2
        10 months ago

        There is the Milwaukee protocol, but that is almost never successful, usually results in brain damage, and has only been used a handful of times. Also it’s banned in many locations from the inherent risk and lack of evidence for it working at all.

    • @Wahots@pawb.social
      link
      fedilink
      210 months ago

      You get two in the arm, and one or two in the ass. Then a fifth later iirc. We had to get our rabies vaccines about a decade ago. A decent number, but none in the stomach.

      Nice thing is, for the next five years, you are almost immune, and only need a booster if bitten again.

      I’d always get the booster though. Rabies ain’t worth gambling on.