How to Identify Dogs with Rabies

Rabies is one of the earliest known infectious diseases, ^{[1] X Sources of study} it often affects wild animals such as bats, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, even cats. ^{[2] X Credible Sources Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to Source} This is an acute viral infection that affects the nervous system and can infect nearly any animal, including humans . If your dog has not been vaccinated against rabies, your dog is at risk from exposure to or being bitten by a wild animal. If you see signs of rabies in your dog, exercise caution and seek help. You also need to contact the vet clinic as soon as possible.

Table of Contents

Know the signs of rabies

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Look for early signs of rabies. The initial phase of the disease can last about 2-10 days. During this time, the dog seems sick with the usual symptoms. If your dog shows signs of illness, check it for any recent bites or signs of fighting (scabs, scratches, tangles of dried saliva). If you find a bite or any wound, take your dog to the vet immediately for an examination. Atypical early symptoms include: ^{[3] X Research Source The Merck Veterinary Manual 9th Edition (2005)}

Muscle pain
Confuse
Stubborn
Chills
Fever
Difficulty staying, feeling sick and debilitated
Fear of light
Anorexia
Vomit
Diarrhea
Unable to swallow or unwilling to swallow
Cough
Paralysis of the throat and jaw muscles may occur after other symptoms

Pippa Elliott, MRVCS

Veterinarian at Royal Cplege of Veterinary Surgeons

Dr. Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 and worked as a veterinary surgeon for 7 years. Then, Dr. Elliott worked as a veterinarian in a clinic for over a decade.

Pippa Elliott, MRVCS
Veterinarian at Royal Cplege of Veterinary Surgeons

Note: The incubation period (time from infection to onset of symptoms) can range from 5 days to 12 months, with an average of less than 3 months. Even if your dog doesn’t have a new bite, you can’t rule out rabies if your dog has the usual symptoms.

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Look for later symptoms of mild rabies. Mild rabies, (silent or paralytic rabies) is the most common and lasts 3 to 7 days. It’s called paralytic rabies because dogs can foam around their mouths or become paralyzed. Dogs also seem confused, sick, or lethargic. ^{[5] X Research Sources Dürr, S., Mindekem, R., Diguimbye, C., Niezgoda, M., Kuzmin, I., Rupprecht, CE, & Zinsstag, J. (2008). Rabies diagnosis for developing countries. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2(3), e206.} Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice other symptoms of paralysis, including: ^{[6] X Research Source Gadre, G., Satishchandra, P., Mahadevan, A., Suja, MS, Madhusudana, SN, Sundaram, C., & Shankar, SK (2010). Rabies viral encephalitis: clinical determinants in diagnosis with special reference to paralytic form. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 81(7), 812-820.}

Paralysis (inability to move) in the legs, facial muscles or other organs. This usually starts in the hind legs and spreads throughout the body.
Lower jaw down.
The strange barking is not like the usual.
Excessive saliva production causes foam to form around the mouth.
Difficulty swallowing
- In the silent rabies form, dogs are not aggressive and rarely bite.

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Look for later symptoms in aggressive rabies. Violent rabies also lasts 3-7 days. The dog will appear aggressive or excitable. ^{[8] X Research Sources Dürr, S., Mindekem, R., Diguimbye, C., Niezgoda, M., Kuzmin, I., Rupprecht, CE, & Zinsstag, J. (2008). Rabies diagnosis for developing countries. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2(3), e206.} The dog is behaving abnormally and foaming around the mouth. This is the type of disease that most people think of when they think of rabies, although it’s less common than silent or crippling rabies. When sick, dogs will be very aggressive, and you need to be extremely careful to avoid being bitten. Call animal control for assistance if you think your dog has aggressive rabies. Signs include: ^{[9] X Research Source Tepsumethanon, V., Wilde, H., & Meslin, FX (2005). Six criteria for rabies diagnosis in living dogs. J Med Assoc Thai, 88(3), 419-22.}

Saliva comes out profusely, looking like foam around the dog’s mouth.
Afraid of water. Dogs won’t go near water and seem annoyed or frightened by the sound of running water or touching it.
Has an aggressive attitude. The dog looked like it was about to bite and bared its teeth fiercely.
Restlessness or irritability. Dogs may also have no interest in food.
Stubborn. Even the slightest stimulus can cause a dog to bite or attack. Dogs can even attack even when not stimulated or for no reason.
Unusual behaviors such as gnawing on rocks or other objects, even gnawing on their own feet. When locked in a cage, the dog may also move with your hand waving in front of it as if it wants to bite.
The hyperactive puppy suddenly snaps when petted and becomes aggressive after a few hours.

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Look for new bites or open wounds on the dog’s body. When an infected animal bites another animal, the rabies germ is transmitted through the saliva of the infected animal. When their saliva comes into contact with the blood and mucous membranes (mouth, eyes and nasal cavity) of an uninfected animal, the disease is transmitted to that animal. The appearance of bites or open wounds can help you determine if your dog has been exposed to the rabies pathogen.

Once in the body, the disease will follow the nerves to the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain). ^{[10] X Research Resources Kayali, U., Mindekem, R., Yemadji, N., Oussiguere, A., Naı̈ssengar, S., Ndoutamia, AG, & Zinsstag, J. (2003). Incidence of canine rabies in N’Djamena, Chad. Preventive veterinary medicine, 61(3), 227-233.} From there, the disease spreads to the salivary glands and prepares to infect other victims.

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Seek immediate medical attention. If your dog is bitten, take him to the vet as soon as possible. The rabies virus can live on a dog’s skin or fur for up to 2 hours, so you should wear gloves, long sleeves, and long pants before touching your dog. Your veterinarian will ask you about the possibility of your dog being exposed to rabies (for example, if you smell skunks in the yard, or if your dog has been exposed to raccoons or bats). They will also examine the dog.

If you see signs of rabies in a dog that is not yours, call animal control. This way, the dog will be taken to the vet, which you also avoid the risk of being bitten.
There is no test to determine whether a living animal has rabies. The only test is to take the animal’s brain and look at a small part of the brain under a microscope for signs called Negri bodies. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Washington State University Cplege of Veterinary Medicine Go to source}

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Know about the medical measures that apply to dogs. Your dog will receive a booster shot if he has been vaccinated before. This measure will support the dog’s immune system against the virus. The dog will also be closely monitored for 45 days, usually at home. Dogs need to be isolated from people and other animals indoors and out during this time. ^{[10] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source} If a dog is unvaccinated and bitten by an animal with confirmed rabies, euthanasia is usually recommended .

The euthanasia of dogs will help prevent the risk of serious infection for people and avoid the case of the dog completely developing the disease.
If you do not want to euthanize your dog, it will have to be isolated and monitored for 6 months in a veterinary facility at your expense. If your dog is not sick, he will be vaccinated 1 month before being released.

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Note that some diseases have a similar appearance to rabies. If your dog hasn’t had any bites but you’re concerned about his symptoms, remember that there are other diseases that show signs of rabies. Take your dog to the vet immediately if it seems sick and has strange symptoms. Other diseases or conditions that can be mistaken for rabies ^{include: [14] X Research Sources Dürr, S., Mindekem, R., Diguimbye, C., Niezgoda, M., Kuzmin, I., Rupprecht , CE, & Zinsstag, J. (2008). Rabies diagnosis for developing countries. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2(3), e206.}

Infectious hepatitis in dogs
Meningitis
Tetanus
Toxoplasmosis
Brain tumor
Aggressive behavior of mother dog after birth
Poisoning with chemicals such as diminazene or organophosphate

Rabies prevention for dogs

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Get your dog vaccinated against rabies. This is the most effective and least expensive way to prevent rabies in dogs. Schedule regular vaccinations at your veterinarian’s office so your dog can get a booster shot on time. Your dog may need to be vaccinated every year, every 2 years, or every 3 years, depending on the vaccine manufacturer’s instructions or local regulations. ^{[15] X Research Resources Rupprecht, CE, & Gibbons, RV (2004). Prophylaxis against rabies. New England Journal of Medicine, 351(25), 2626-2635.}

Many countries have regulations requiring dogs to be vaccinated against rabies.

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Limit your dog’s contact with wild or roaming animals. In addition to vaccinations, the best way to keep your dog safe is to avoid contact with wild animals. You can put a fence around your yard, limit your dog’s exposure to when wild animals are active (such as early morning, evening, or night), and put your dog on a leash when you take it out for a walk. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Be careful when you take your dog on a picnic or walk through areas where wildlife is common.

Advice

Monitor your dog and leash it when in areas with cases of rabies.
Make your yard less attractive to wildlife by keeping trash cans covered, cleaning up so there’s no hiding place for skunks or raccoons, and consider installing fences around the yard.
If you see a bat in the house and your dog is in that room, be careful to catch the bat without touching it. Take the animal to animal control to have them tested for rabies.

Warning

Treat the wound by washing with soap and water, then contact your doctor, even if you don’t think the animal has rabies. Bites can become seriously infected if not treated promptly.
Do not approach a stray dog or cat that appears ill. You should also avoid young wild animals as they can also carry rabies. Call animal control so they can send a qualified person to capture the animal with specialized equipment.

Steps

Know the signs of rabies

Rabies prevention for dogs

Advice

Warning

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