Everything to Know about Rabies in Pets
Rabies is a potentially deadly viral disease that impacts the central nervous system and the gray matter of the brain. Throughout the country, it is required by law that owners get their dogs vaccinated to protect them from rabies. However, depending on the state you reside in, the vaccination needs to be repeated after one to three years, depending on the type of vaccine given. 1. Cause The primary cause of rabies is through a bite from wild animals such as raccoons, foxes, bats, and skunks that carry the disease. Additionally, pets can contract the virus through scratching and by saliva as it is highly infectious. The virus replicates very fast once it enters the body of your pet and travels through the muscles and the closest nerve fibers to reach the brain. The virus develops progressively in less than 10 days to a maximum of a month. 2. Symptoms A pet infected with rabies virus will show only mild symptoms initially. This is known as the furious stage and lasts from one to three days. After that, with the rapid progression of the virus, the symptoms exhibited are mostly paralytic. Towards the end in most pets, the virus becomes both furious and paralytic.