How can you notify if a dog been immunized against rabies?
If a person is bitten by a pet dog, it is necessary to ask the owner of the house whether the dog has been vaccinated against rabies or not in case of a community dog bite.
KATHMANDU: A dog is not only a pet, but also man’s best friend. Dogs are now regarded as family members by many people.
Dogs can cause problems when riding a motorcycle, going to a friend’s or relative’s house, running hurriedly, or walking alone at night.
Dog bites should not be taken lightly because they can lead to rabies. Rabies is a potentially fatal disease. There is currently no cure for rabies. As a result, it appears that caution is required when dealing with dogs. You should avoid dog bites for this.
How to give first aid when bitten by a dog?
Despite taking precautions, the dog may attack or bite. According to infectious disease specialist Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, the first thing to do after a dog bites is to clean the bite wound with soap and water.
It is also important to know whether or not the dog has been vaccinated against rabies at that time. If not, you should go to the hospital right away.
Who vaccinates community dogs against rabies?
If a person is bitten by a pet dog, it is necessary to ask the owner of the house whether the dog has been vaccinated against rabies or not in case of a community dog bite.
The householder is responsible for vaccinating pet dogs against rabies, according to Sneha Shrestha, Chair of the Animal Welfare Association, while the local body is responsible for vaccinating community dogs.
According to him, the local authorities have been immunizing community dogs against rabies.
How do you know if a community dog is vaccinated against rabies?
When animal welfare organizations vaccinate: Community dogs have been vaccinated against rabies by local authorities and various animal rights organizations.
Vaccinations are being administered by organizations dedicated to animal care and protection in collaboration with various municipalities. ‘We are giving vaccinations to community dogs in coordination with various municipalities,’ says Sneha Shrestha, chairperson of the Animal Welfare Association.
The Animal Welfare Association, he claims, uses an online app to vaccinate dogs. You can use this app to find out where the dog has been vaccinated. Community dogs in the app’s locations can thus be distinguished as vaccinated or unvaccinated.
She stated that she is unaware of how other organizations and local governments distribute vaccines.
When the local government administers the vaccine: According to Dr. Awadhesh Jha, Head of Animal Health Department, dogs should be vaccinated against rabies every year. According to him, since the vaccine is given every year, it cannot be permanently identified. He says, “Since we give vaccination every year, we cannot do permanent marking.”
Dr. Jha said that the Animal Health Department is going to every ward to vaccinate community dogs. According to him, green color is applied to the body of vaccinated dogs. Green color is used as a symbol until vaccination is done in the ward. They say, ‘We paint green color on the collar of vaccinated dogs in the ward. So that the green color does not go until we reach that ward.
The Animal Health Department uses the same paint used on buses to mark vaccinated dogs. The color is applied to the horns even when monitoring the cattle in the market. Dr. Jha says that after painting all the dogs in the ward, vaccination is done.
Use discretion
The local government and various animal health associations have been communicating the information that community dogs have been vaccinated in their own way. This method does not seem reliable and trustworthy.
Therefore, as soon as the dog bites, you should make sure that the dog is vaccinated or not. If there is any doubt, you should go to the hospital immediately. You can avoid rabies if you go to the hospital and take the rabies immunoglobin vaccine.
According to Dr. Awadesh Jha, not all people need rabies vaccine. He says that if a person comes 10 days after being bitten by a dog and the dog is also healthy, then there is no need for vaccination. But if the dog is not seen immediately after the bite, if the dog has run away or is not found, it is suggested to vaccinate.
-Tenzing Dolma Tamang
