I was volunteering at our local humane society yesterday and one of the dogs bit me. I'm just slightly concerned about the possibility of rabies. Each dog that comes into the shelter gets a rabies shot and upon receiving the bite I immediately asked if that particular dog did. The manager confirmed that it did. However, I hadn't been there for 2 weeks prior to my visit yesterday so I don't know if the dog had been there for one day or ten.

The dog wasn't salivating and although it barked a lot at other dogs, many of the dogs had the same behavior that day so I didn't consider it to be special. I think it bit me because I was trying to take its kennel mate for a walk and accidentaly squeezed its neck by closing the door on it as it tried to escape. Right after I got the bite I wiped the blood off with paper towels, rinsed it under the sink with soap, swabbed it for a minute with antibacterial wipes and applied a triple antibiotic cream that was in the first aid kit.

I went to my pediatrician today and she said that since dog had its vaccine, I don't need one. She prescribed amoxicillin, which I am currently taking. The bite is on my shin and isn't deep, painful, or swollen. My only concern is, how long after receiving a rabies shot is a dog considered to be "protected?"