Urgent care centers can provide rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes wound cleaning, tetanus shots, and the rabies vaccine series. However, because not all urgent care locations stock rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG), it is essential to call ahead to confirm availability or go to an emergency room for the initial treatment.

Can I go to urgent care for rabies vaccine?

The CDC offers a great handout you can give to patients to educate them about the rabies vaccine and also remind yourself of the rabies vaccine schedule. Primary care clinics and urgent care clinics do not offer the rabies vaccine; patients must go to their local emergency department or health department.

Can I go to urgent care for a dog bite?

Immediate first aid for dog bites

If your wound is bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth or sterile bandage to control it. Elevating your hand or wrist can also help minimize swelling. If you can't stop the bleeding, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest urgent care or emergency facility.

What to do immediately after a dog bite?

Treatment. To care for a minor animal bite or claw wound, such as one that only breaks the skin, take these steps: Wash the wound with soap and water. Apply an antibiotic cream or ointment and cover the bite with a clean bandage.

Does insurance cover rabies vaccines?

Many health insurance plans cover much of the rabies vaccine cost for humans and an injection of HRIG antibodies if treatment after suspected exposure is required. Pre-exposure rabies vaccine may not be covered by your health plan.

Rabies, Causes, SIgn and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

What is the 10 day rule for rabies?

The 10-day observation period for a biting dog, cat, or ferret is a standard public health practice to determine rabies risk: if the animal remains healthy for 10 days after biting someone, it wasn't shedding the rabies virus in its saliva at the time of the bite, meaning the exposed person usually doesn't need rabies post-exposure shots (PEP). This quarantine ensures the animal is available for monitoring, preventing unnecessary euthanasia for brain testing and avoiding expensive PEP for the bite victim if the animal stays healthy.
 

What are the first signs of rabies?

Early rabies symptoms often mimic the flu (fever, headache, weakness) plus tingling/itching at the bite site, followed by anxiety, confusion, and difficulty swallowing, which progresses to delirium, paralysis, coma, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, making prompt treatment crucial.
 

When is it too late to treat rabies in humans?

Usually you can wait for test results from a healthy domestic animal to see if rabies shots are needed. Bites and verified exposures from wild animals should be treated as if the animal were rabid until rabies has been ruled out. Once a person develops rabies symptoms it is too late for treatment!

What are the odds of getting a rabies bite from a dog?

The risk of infection following an exposure to a rabid animal is about 15%, but it varies (from 0.1% to 60%) depending on the exposure factors of the bite. These factors include the number of bites, the depth of the bites and the stage of illness in the infected animal.

When to go to urgent care for a bite?

Any insect bite that results in hives, major swelling, difficulty breathing, nausea, and vomiting requires emergent intervention. Oftentimes, your medical provider will give you an antihistamine and a steroid to help with your immune system response.

What does a level 1 dog bite look like?

LEVEL 1—AGGRESSIVE BUT NO SKIN CONTACT

The dog is aggressive, showing its teeth, snapping and growling, possibly snagging clothing, without actually making contact with the victim's skin. In the case of Level 1, the dog may be showing fear or insecurity rather than true aggression.

What does urgent care do for dog bites?

Animal Bite Treatment at an Urgent Care Center

They will assess the underlying tissue damage through an X-ray, if necessary, and ensure you are given proper treatment, such as proper wound cleaning and dressing, antibiotics to prevent infection, as well as pain medication for relief from discomfort and swelling.

How much does a rabies test cost?

Cost: $79 per sample. (price is subject to change). Turnaround Time: 7-10 business days from date of sample receipt.

Can stage 1 rabies be cured?

Once a rabies infection is established, there's no effective treatment. Though a small number of people have survived rabies, the disease usually causes death. For that reason, if you think you've been exposed to rabies, you must get a series of shots to prevent the infection from taking hold.

How do I tell if I had rabies?

You'd know you might have rabies if, after an animal bite, you develop flu-like symptoms (fever, headache) plus tingling/itching at the bite site, then progress to severe anxiety, confusion, hydrophobia (fear of water), agitation, hallucinations, and paralysis, leading to coma and almost always death; seek immediate medical care if exposed, as there's no cure once symptoms start. 

Is 3 days too late for rabies vaccine?

Even if you have been bitten a few days, weeks or months ago, it is never too late to start. The rabies virus can incubate for several years before it causes symptoms. If you wait until you get symptoms, it will be too late – there is no treatment for established rabies … rabies is fatal.

How rare is non-bite rabies?

Can I get rabies in any way other than an animal bite? Non-bite exposures to rabies are very rare. Scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious material (such as brain tissue) from a rabid animal constitute non-bite exposures.

Am I safe if the dog that bit me survives 10 days?

A 10-day quarantine is necessary because a rabies-infected animal can only transmit the disease after clinical signs have developed. If no signs have developed after the 10-day confinement, this means the dog could not have transmitted rabies to you at the time of the bite.

Why is a rabies shot so expensive?

PEP is especially expensive because the immunoglobulin that's needed to curb the progress of the virus is derived from human blood, and therefore requires multiple careful screenings to ensure that it is free of disease.

Who pays for rabies shots?

California's strict liability laws are designed to protect victims, and dog owners are generally responsible for the medical care their animals make necessary, including the evaluation and treatment for possible rabies exposure.

---