Rabies: How To Protect Yourself And Your Pets

Rabies is a virus that occurs in mammals and infects the central nervous system; the disease can cause death in humans if it is not treated. Nearly 90 percent of cases occur in wild animals (raccoons, bats, foxes etc.); less than 10% of cases occur in domestic animals like dogs or cats. Humans usually become infected when they are bitten by an infected animal.

Early symptoms of rabies are fever, headache and general malaise. Since these are similar to other illnesses, infected persons often do not seek treatment because they are unaware they have rabies.

Progressive symptoms include:

-- Insomnia

-- Anxiety/confusion

-- Partial paralysis

-- Agitation

-- Hallucination

-- Excess saliva

-- Difficulty swallowing

-- Fear of water

If you have been bitten by any animal you should seek medical care immediately. After possible exposure to rabies, the wound should be washed thoroughly with soap and water. Treatment for someone who has contracted rabies is called post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP. PEP treatment consists of one dose of a substance called immune globulin and five doses of the rabies vaccine over 28 days, both of which help your body fight the virus. Treatment must be given as soon after exposure as possible for the best chance of recovery.

If you see an animal you suspect of having rabies, you should call your local health department or animal control agency. These agencies will have ways to safely remove the animal from the area so that no one becomes infected. Infected animals often display symptoms similar to those listed above and may seem to be acting strangely or seen somewhere outside their normal habitat.

The best way to prevent the spread of rabies is to have all your pets vaccinated against the virus. This will also help prevent them from being infected if they come in contact with an infected animal.

NC Health Info is a guide to reliable health and medical information that links users to local health services throughout North Carolina.

Feline Rabies Vaccination

As a lot of you have found out at your most recent visits to Gentle Care Animal Hospital we have implemented a new vaccine protocol. An important part of that new protocol is the administration of the PUREVAX Rabies vaccination to our feline housemates. My personal findings over the blogger internet are that many owners are not fully educated about this new vaccine and I do not want anyone in our Gentle Care family to have these same feelings. Our brief description of the vaccine during the examination may not have answered all of your questions or after leaving you may have some additional questions or concerns. We want you to feel completely confident that your pet is receiving the best care available. There is an article that was published in the DVM Journal that you can access at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-39221574.html For a more direct explanation visit http://www.vas-awareness.org/vaxreccs.htm and scroll down to the Rabies portion. If there is still anything that you would like to have clarified please reply to the blog or call us during regular office hours.

Sincerely,
Amy G.
Gentle Care Team Leader