Rabies is a virus that targets the brain and spinal cord of the animal infected. Although it is usually common in dogs, the rabies virus can also infect cats, other pets, and even humans too. However, dog or pet owners can protect their dogs or cats with regular rabies vaccine for dogs and cats.
Over 50,000 humans and millions of animals are affected by rabies virus resulting in deaths. The virus inhibits the muscle tissues of the animal and stays undetected for days or months. In its dormant stage, the pet looks healthy. Hence, most pet owners get to know about the rabies infection in their dogs or cats pretty much late.
How to Know If the Dog is Infected with Rabies?
As explained earlier, it is difficult to detect the virus early, and by the time you know that the dog is infected, it is too late. Well, you can always look for signs or symptoms resulting from rabies infection and instantly consult a veterinary doctor to check your dog.
Three Phases of Rabies in Dogs
Rabies infection in dogs results in 3 different phases as follows:
Prodromal Phase
Prodromal period is the beginning phase of rabies infection, and the dog remains in this condition for 2 or 3 days. In this phase, the rabies virus starts affecting the dog’s brain through the nervous system.Here are few symptoms or signs of the Prodromal Phase in dogs after rabies infection:
- Fever
- Loss of Appetite
- Minor behavioral changes
- Chewing the bite region
- Different or unusual bark tone
Mad Dog Syndrome:
The next phase is the mad dog syndrome where the dog starts attacking any moving object, animal, or a human. Even if the dog is caged, it will try to chew the cage fence or make an attempt to attack anyone near the cage. The dogs are most likely to break their teeth in the process.However, not all dogs infected with rabies virus experience this phase. The infected dogs which don’t encounter this stage are known to have paralytic rabies. On the contrary, the dogs that experience this stage the most due to rabies infection are known to have furious rabies. The mad dog syndrome usually lasts for 2-4 days.
Here are some symptoms of mad dog syndrome every dog owner must know:
- Dilation of pupils, irritation, and confusion
- Seizures, vacillating
- Continuous barking and develops aggression
- Agitation, wandering
- Trembling, convulsions
Paralytic Phase
The last and final phase of rabies infection is the paralytic phase. It may last for 2 to 4 days.- A few symptoms of the paralytic phase include:
- Dropping of the lower jaw with drooling around the mouth
- Insensibility of jaw
- The dog can’t drink or even swallow its saliva
- Foaming all around the mouth area
Conclusion
Owning or petting a dog is a big responsibility. As a responsible owner or friend, you must ensure that the dog is healthy and energetic all the time. Hence, it is critical to provide proper rabiesvaccine for dogs at a trustworthy spay and neuter clinic.Remember, an infected rabies dog is very dangerous during the last phase of the disease. It can spread the virus to you or your family with a single bite or scratch.
