Rabies in Dogs

Rabies in Dogs, Cats and cattle are the most frequently reported rabid domestic animals in the United States.

Humans can also get rabies from infected animals.

But also we have to know that any mammal can get rabies. The most common are skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes.

But my concern here is to give the most available information to keep your Poodle out of rabies and also to understand what Rabies in Dogs is.

What is Rabies? Let’s answer this question.

It is a serious disease that is caused by a virus.

The word Rabies comes from a Latin word that means “to rage”

Rabies got his name because animals with rabies most of the time act as if they are angry.

Rabies attacks the brain and spinal cord, it kills if not prevented.

Humans can also get rabies from infected animals.

How do animals and humans get rabies?

An animal gets rabies from saliva not from blood, usually from a bite of an animal that has the disease.

Most humans get rabies from domestic animals (cats and dogs) who have not been vaccinated.

Each year, rabies kills more than 50,000 people and millions of animals around the world.

The best way to prevent rabies is to be a responsible Pet Owner.

How to do it?

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• Keeping vaccinations up-to-date to prevent rabies in dogs. This also provides a barrier of protection to you, if your animal is bitten by a rabid animal.

• Make sure your pet gets and wears their rabies vaccination tags.

TIP: They should also wear a tag with their name and your address and phone number.

And I recommend microchip your pet to insure his/her records can be found.

• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with strays or wild animals.

• Keep them in a fenced yard or on a leash.

If your pet is bitten by a stray or wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for your pet immediately and call the Animal Services in your Area to remove any stray dogs from your neighborhood. Strays may not be vaccinated and could be infected by the disease.

“Call Animal Services or an animal rescue agency for assistance”.

• Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated.

TIP: Do you know that Pets that are fixed are less likely to leave home?

• Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open trash cans or litter. Do not feed your pet outside or leave pet food outside. • Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.

• Do not try to nurse sick animals to health

• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly because rabies in dogs and animals can be very dangerous.

Where can I get rabies vaccinations for my pet?

Vaccinations may be obtained from a Veterinarian or at any Animal Services in your area.

What are the symptoms of rabies in animals?

• Animals with rabies may act differently from healthy animals.

• A pet that is usually friendly may snap at you or may try to bite.

• Animals in the early stage of rabies may not have any signs, although they can still infect you if they bite you

• The incubation period is the time from the animal bite to when signs appear.

In rabies, it is usually 1-3 months. But it can last as long as several years. Once the virus reaches the brain or spinal cord, signs of the disease appear.

Some signs of rabies in animals are:

• Changes in an animal’s behavior• General sickness• Problems swallowing• Increased drooling or saliva • Aggression – may bite at everything if excited • Wild animals that appear abnormally tame or sick• Difficulty moving or paralysis • Fear of Water (That is why Rabies is called Hydrophobia)• Death

What should you do if you're bitten by an animal?

If you are bitten by an animal that could have rabies, clean the bite wound with soap and water for at least 5 minutes and seek medical attention immediately.

In humans, signs and symptoms usually occur 30-90 days after the bite. Once people develop symptoms, they almost always die. Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of:

• Fever• Headache• General malaise

As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include:

• Insomnia • Anxiety • Confusion • Slight or partial paralysis • Excitation • Hallucinations • Agitation

Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms. This is why medical assistance should be obtained as soon as possible after you have been bitten.

If you are bitten will you have to have rabies shots?

A doctor will assess the risk for rabies in dogs exposure. If necessary, a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and five doses of rabies vaccine over a 28-day period will be given.

Current vaccines are relatively painless and are given in your arm, like a flu or tetanus vaccine.

What will happen to the dog or cat that bit me?

• If the cat or dog appeared healthy at the time you were bitten, it can be confined by its owner for 10 days and observed. Anti-rabies shots will probably not be needed.

• If the dog or cat does not have an owner, it will be quarantined at the shelter for up to a 10 day period.

“You should seek medical advice about the need for anti-rabies shots”

• If a dog or cat appeared ill at the time it bit you or becomes ill during the 10 day quarantine, it should be evaluated by a veterinarian for signs of rabies and you should seek medical advice about the need for anti-rabies shots.

• No person in the United States has ever contracted rabies from a dog or cat held under quarantine for 10 days. The quarantine period is a precaution against the remote possibility that an animal may appear healthy, but actually be sick with rabies.

If you love your Poodle and want to avoid Rabies in Dogs

”Please take care of all his needs in order to keep him healthy and happy”.

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