Everything you need to know about rabies!

As a dog owner, you may have often come across the concept of ‘rabies in dogs’. Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system, and it can be found in any mammal.

The disease is caused due to the rabies virus and can lead to inflammation in the spinal cord and brain. If your dog starts to show symptoms, it could prove to be fatal and you need to see a doctor immediately. Rabies can be transmitted by the bite of an animal that already has it. After it enters the body, it takes weeks to show symptoms that it is there. Dogs develop the signs after 21 to 80 days of bite, but this time can change.

During this disease, your dog becomes visibly aggressive, and this is apparent in every animal that is diagnosed with it. Their posture becomes more anxious and their pupils are dilated. Even the slightest noise can make your dog attack, they can also become vicious when touched. Further on in the illness, the dog begins to experience seizures and a lack of coordination. Then, in fatal cases, it can cause death.

Another form of this disease is the paralytic one. It involves the paralysis of jaw and throat muscles, and your dog will not be able to swallow. Drooping is common, however, the dog may not be vicious and won’t bite. People can still get infected by examination of the dog’s mouth or giving it medicines. In this, your dog will die within some time.

The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians orders to euthanize dogs that are exposed to rabies. If you are unwilling to do this, your animal will have to be placed in isolation for six months, and be vaccinated against the disease a month before they are released. Rabies can also be transmitted to humans.

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