That was my previous understanding too, but this was the protocol of a large healthcare system. Their logic was that only symptomatic animals can spread rabies

That was my previous understanding too, but this was the protocol of a large healthcare system. Their logic was that only symptomatic animals can spread rabies, and once symptomatic they tend to die within a week and display obvious symptoms even earlier. I guess the risk of delaying 5 days is extremely low, or perhaps nonexistent. At least with immediately recognized contact?