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The best known of all diseases in dogs and cats is rabies. This disease conjures images of angry crazy dogs foaming at the mouth. The reality of rabies much more subtle and complex.
Rabies poses a risk to any warm blooded animal. The disease exists worldwide except for the British Isles, Australia, and Antarctica. Within the United states, different species account for the majority of carrier animals transmitting the disease. In the midwest and central plains states, the skunk is the biggest carrier. Raccoons carry rabies along the east coast. The mountain states have a lower incidence of rabies than the rest of the country.
In the United States, while most people associate rabies with dogs, cats actually are the animal most often diagnosed with rabies. People can become infected with rabies, but in this country, it is fortunately very rare. Worldwide though, between 33,000 and 36,000 people die from rabies each year.
Unfortunately, rabies is always terminal. No treatment exists for this disease. The virus affects the central nervous system, it moves along the local nerves to the spinal cord and then upwards to the brain. The virus then moves to the salivary glands where, through a bite wound, it can infect a new animal.
The rabies virus moves very slowly through the body, from the bite wound site to the brain. It is important to note that any infected animal will not show any symptoms until the virus migrates to the brain. As well, the animal cannot transmit the virus during this time. The incubation period of rabies (the time between exposure and clinical signs of the disease) is approximately two to five weeks in cats and four to eight weeks in dogs.
Once the rabies virus reaches the brain, symptoms occur in three phases: the Prodromal phase, Furious phase, and Paralytic phase.
The prodromal phase typically lasts two to three days in dogs. They may exhibit changes in personality and become anxious and apprehensive. Dogs may seem to become their own opposite, mean dogs may become friendly and vice versa. As well, they usually lick the original bite wound constantly. In cats, this phase lasts one or two days and they exhibit much more erratic behavior. After this phase, both cats and dogs may progress to either of the next two phases.
The furious phase lasts one to seven days in dogs. They become restless and easily irritated. They may roam and become disoriented and more vicious. Dogs and cats tend to have extreme reactions to light and sound. Pets may have seizures in this phase and possibly die. Cats are more likely to develop the furious phase than dogs. After this phase, dogs and cats proceed to the paralytic phase.
The paralytic phase is the final phase of a rabies infection and always ends in death. The nerves that innervate the head and throat become afflicted first and the dog or cat suffers paralysis of the head, face, and throat. They have difficulty swallowing and heavy salivation. Soon, they will not be able to swallow at all. Animals in this phase will have labored breathing and produce choking sounds. Eventually, all animals in the paralytic phase will experience respiratory failure and die.
Rabies is virtually always transmitted through a bite wound. An infected animal sheds the virus in its saliva and this saliva must come into contact with the bloodstream of another animal to infect it. The rabies virus does not live outside the body of its host for very long. As well, even if an animal is infected with rabies, that animal cannot transmit the virus via a bite until the virus migrates to the brain and then to the salivary glands.
Quite simply, there is no treatment for rabies. The only conclusive diagnosis of rabies is with a tissue sample from the brain. Unfortunately, collection of this sample requires the suspected animal to be euthanized.
To avoid these highly unpleasant situations, a rabies vaccination is an extremely effective method to prevent a rabies infection. In fact, a rabies vaccination is mandatory for dogs in all fifty states and mandatory for cats in most states as well. The vaccination comes in both a one year and three year form.
People are as susceptible to rabies as dogs and cats. Any type of bite wound from an infected animal can transmit rabies to a person. Besides dogs and cats, cases of people have been documented where the infected animal was a squirrel and people have even been infected from rabbits. If you are bitten by an animal and you suspect it may be infected, contact a physician immediately.
Unfortunately, if a dog or cat does bite a person, the animal will have to be quarantined and observed by a veterinarian. The specific procedures for this observation period vary state by state. (The observation procedures will proceed much more smoothly for everyone if the pet has a current rabies vaccination.) Even if the veterinarian finds no cause for concern at this time, this unfortunately does not guarantee that the pet does not have rabies. Instead, it only indicates that the pet is not shedding the virus in its saliva at this time and the person bitten was not exposed to rabies.
For more information regarding rabies infections and people, contact your physician.
