Rabies is a severe, often fatal, virus that affects an infected animal’s brain and nervous system. The most common way pets contract rabies is by being bitten by an infected carrier, such as foxes, skunks, raccoons and bats. Infectious viral particles are harbored in the carrier’s salivary glands to better transfer it through their saliva.
Once the virus enters your pet’s body, it replicates itself to the muscle cells and spreads from there to the closest nerve fibers, including peripheral, sensory and motor. From there, it travels to the central nervous system through fluid in the nerves.
The rabies virus can take up to a month to develop to the point of symptoms showing. Once the symptoms do begin to show, the virus rapidly progresses.
The virus can also be spread to humans through infected carriers, as well.
Symptoms
There are two types of rabies: ‘paralytic’ and ‘furious’. The pet will show signs of mild central nervous system abnormalities in the early stages of the virus, lasting one to three days. Most dogs will either escalate to the furious stage or the paralytic stage, or even a combination of the two. Others can die from the infection without displaying any major symptoms.
‘Furious’ Rabies is characterized by extreme changes in behavior, such as over-aggression and attack behaviors. ‘Paralytic’ rabies is characterized by loss of coordination and weakness, followed by paralysis.
Symptoms of rabies include:
- Fever
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Hydrophobia
- Inability to swallow
- Lack of muscular coordination
- Unusual shyness or aggression
- Excessive, or ‘frothy, saliva
Rabies Causes and Diagnosis
Rabies is a virus transmitted through the exchange of saliva or blood from an infected animal. Very rarely is it caused by the escaping gasses of decomposing animal carcasses infected by the virus, which can be a concern for hunting dogs.
If you suspect that your dog has rabies, call your veterinarian immediately. If safe to do so, subdue your dog and take it to the veterinarian to be quarantined. If your pet is acting violent or is trying to attack you, you must call animal control to restrain your dog. The only suitable method for confirming suspected rabies infection is by having your veterinarian quarantine your dog for 10 days.
Since rabies can be confused for other aggression-causing conditions, a laboratory blood analysis must be conducted to confirm the virus’ presence.
Treatment
If your dog has had a rabies vaccination, provide proof of it to your veterinarian. Notify anyone who may have come into contact with your dog’s blood or saliva, or were bitten by your dog, immediately so they can seek treatment.
Rabies is always fatal for unvaccinated animals, usually dying from it within 7 to 10 days from when the initial symptoms began.
If your dog does test positive for rabies, you must report the case to your local health department. An unvaccinated dog that is bitten or exposed to a rabid animal must be quarantined for up to six months, or according to state and local regulations. A vaccinated animal that has bitten or scratched a human should be quarantined and monitored for 7 to 10 days.
Management
Disinfect any area the infected animal may have infected (especially with saliva) with a 1:32 bleach dilution of household bleach solution to inactivate the virus quickly. Don’t come into contact with your dog’s saliva. Saliva can enter into your skin through an accidental scratch or wound, leaving you at risk for contracting the virus.
