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My dog bit me 10 years ago. Should I still worry about rabies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bulldog | Female | spayed

SHARE My dog bit me when it was just 3-4 weeks old puppy. I did not take any vaccination/rabies shot at that time. Now it has been 10 years. My puppy has developed into a healthy and a happy dog. She got all her vaccines on time.Recently i read about the long incubation period for rabies and thinking about that bite makes me nervous. What should do i do now? I am loosing sleep over the thing.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 9th, 2017

The incubation period for rabies in humans is typically 1-3 months, but can very from between 1 week to 1 year according the the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 90% of cases of rabies in humans develop within 6 months of exposure to rabies, and it extremely rare to have rabies appear in humans after an incubation period of 7 years. A CDC study done in 2008 found in only one girl in Australia who had an incubation period of 6.5 years after exposure to rabies. Finally, you could have only gotten rabies from AA if she had it, and given that she hasn't shown any signs in 10 years and she is healthy, there is no chance she had rabies or given it to you from a bite years ago. I have seen you have posted this question numerous times with experts reassuring you this is not something to worry about or lose sleep over. At this point, I suggest to speak with a doctor about your concerns.

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    You likely don't have rabies. The incubation period is actually pretty short, and dogs that have a questionable history are usually only quarantined for a period of ten days to determine if they may be a carrier after a bite. However, if you are feeling ill or unsure of your health it is always best to talk to a healthcare professional.

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