Rabies is one of the most deadly diseases affecting mammals, and all pets including dogs are no exceptions. The disease is spread by a viral agent secreted in the saliva when an animal bites the nerve, resulting in death within 2 days. In most cases of rabies in dogs, and many humans, the disease is brought about by a prior bite from an infected mammal. Rabies is highly transmissible, so it is possible for the virus to be transmitted from one pet to another. Even if there is only one case of rabies in dogs, however, it still is a very serious disease that can be avoided if you have your dog checked thoroughly on a regular basis.
Symptoms of rabies in dogs include muscular weakness, loss of vision, seizures, breathing problems, aggression, mania and fatigue. As previously mentioned, the disease is transmittable, so there is a risk that it will get into the animal’s system through the bite of another diseased animal or person. Rabies is usually diagnosed in dogs when clinical signs and symptoms are apparent. Some of these clinical signs are abnormal behavior, drooling, excessive licking of the lips, severe inflammation of the head and neck, difficulty swallowing, loss of body movement and balance, and in the most extreme cases, paralysis.
If your dog has been bitten by another infected animal or person, the first thing you need to do is to bring it to the vet. Rabies in dogs is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms of rabies mimic those of various other diseases. Rabies symptoms normally include high fever, seizures, muscle weakness, mouth ulcers and loss of appetite. It is vital that you bring your dog to the vet promptly after being bitten so that the early stages of rabies can be treated.
The treatment for rabies in dogs includes both medications and prophylaxis, which is the administration of medicine to prevent further infection. Prophylactic treatments are given to dogs several days before they become ill. The first rabies symptoms that you should notice are severe headache, lethargy and depression. Some of these dogs might also display signs of seizures. Although the rabies symptoms in dogs can initially be very mild, if left untreated for a long time, the disease could develop into a more serious rabies infection that would require very strong medications such as anti-rabies vaccine, a series of rabies shots and pentoxifylline.
It is highly recommended that you vaccinate your dog every year even if you are not living in areas where the infection occurs. However, since the rabies symptoms in dogs can mimic those of many other diseases, you should also educate yourself about the proper procedure of administering the vaccination. Proper administration of the vaccination is highly important to prevent the risk of complications from vaccination. Rabies vaccination is currently only available for dogs aged six weeks and older. If you are planning to get a pet dog and are still unsure about whether it is already vaccinated or not, you can inquire from your veterinarian or talk to him/her about the details regarding rabies vaccination.
If your dog has not been vaccinated and you notice any of the rabies symptoms mentioned above, you should immediately bring your pet to the veterinarian for a diagnosis. A clinical diagnosis can only be given after the veterinarian takes a look at the symptoms, the general appearance of your dog, physical condition and signs and symptoms of the agitated phase. You can have your pet vaccinated within two weeks of your last exposure to a particular type of virus, if you are living in areas of Alaska, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Romania, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Turkey. The clinical diagnosis can also be given if your dog shows signs like limping or loss of appetite, loss of consciousness, body weakness, depression, muscle twitching or stiffness, increased or irregular discharge of urine or blood, loss of vision, speech problem and foaming at the mouth.
The rabies virus will invade the nerves and the muscles of your pet dog after one to three days from the moment of infection. The first symptoms of rabies are the manifestation of nervous system symptoms such as hyperactivity, irritability, memory loss, muscular weakness, loss of coordination, seizures, severe body pain, head shaking or even constipation. In some cases, the first signs of the disease may show up three to seven days after the bite. The clinical signs of rabies in dogs will worsen within four to nine days if not treated promptly.
Rabies is highly fatal and is caused by the same virus that causes distemper in humans. Distemper is the most common cause of death in the united states with dogs accounting for more than 70 percent of the total death toll from this disease. Rabies is highly transmittable through saliva and cannot be prevented in dogs. Rabies can affect any dog regardless of breed, gender or age. Rabies has no nationality or age restrictions and is therefore rampant in the United States.