Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Jun 7

Identifying Dogs With Rabies. 

There are 2 recognised forms of rabies - although both are from the same virus - they just react in the animal in different ways and so show different symptoms. They are known as either:

Furious rabies
Dumb rabies

In ‘furious rabies’ as it’s name suggests, the dog will become progressively more and more excitable, to the extreme in some cases. These episodes usually last only a short time, but may last several hours.

During these episodes, the dog may become aggressive and may snap and bite, sometimes this is just at imaginary objects. They may also develop a depraved appetite and as a result will chew and eat anything. In some cases the dog runs away, and will walk or run many miles before returning home, and may seem very calm during these treks.

Initial clinical (identifiable) signs include pyrexia (raised temperature) and a change in temperament, for example a placid dog becoming grumpy or to start growling. Some dogs may go the other way, and become more placid and seek affection, or they may hide away in corners or under beds. The site of the infection - the bite wound - may become pruritic (intensely itchy or irritated).

As the disease progresses and begins to attack the nervous system and brain, signs of paresis (muscle weakness) occurs, mainly of the legs and tail, although the dog may still have some control over it’s movement. It may also start to have difficulty swallowing, and possible asymmetry and distortion of the face. In dogs or cats there is NO evidence of hydrophobia (fear of water) that is a well publicised feature of human rabies.

Eventually the animal will die during a violent seizure.

Dumb rabies is far more common of the two, but with little or no signs as with furious rabies.

In dumb rabies there will be progressive paralysis of the limbs and distortion of the face with drooping jaw and eyelids. There can also be squinting of the eyes, drooling of saliva and difficulty in swallowing, due to the damage to the nerves.

The animals will eventually become comatose and die.

Although there are 2 categories of symptoms recognised by vets, the distinction in real life is not always so clear. In all cases though, death usually occurs within 7-10 days following the onset of clinical (identifiable) signs.

Is there a treatment for rabies?
There is no current treatment recommended or practised for dogs with rabies and as a result, it is always fatal.

The only way to protect your dog from death is to have it vaccinated prior to infection with the current program of rabies vaccine (speak to your vet for exact details).

This is not because there is not enough known about the virus, but because it is such a direct and often fatal effects on humans. Basically, due to this high risk to humans - The Department for Environment & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)  in the UK, advise that any animal found to have the virus is isolated immediately and that they are informed. When the animal dies (usually within a week or two), it is sent to them for testing to confirm the virus was responsible.

A rabies outbreak is just too much of a risk, so this disease is taken very seriously.

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