Hello doctor,I came here for a second opinion and to get answers to some questions. I spoke to a doctor of general medicine today for my rabies anxiety. The incidents were as follows. Four years ago, a German shepherd of my friend's scratched my hand. The dog died one and a half years after he bit me. I was scared but calmed down a bit as a dog cannot live very long. Eight months ago, some stray pups tried to climb onto my leg. Their claws poked me but I did not receive any scratch. So, the doctor told me that rabies symptoms appear in three to eight weeks and since it has been eight months, there is no need to worry. He prescribed me a pre-exposure prophylaxis just for my peace of mind and future protection. He said that if I got bitten in the future, then I do not need to have extra doses of post-exposure prophylaxis. Today, I got day-0 shot of Vaxirab.My questions are: If there was no history of rabies or rabid dog in our locality, is there any chance of those pups getting infected? Some pups died, but some are still alive. What are my chances of getting rabies? Is it really that rabies symptoms occur in three to eight weeks? Are German shepherds aggressive by nature? Will pre-exposure prophylaxis really protect me? Please answer.
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