ASK THE VET: Vaccine the sure cure for preventing rabies
Mountain lions and cattle and skunks, oh my!
These are some of the species in this area that were recently confirmed as being infected with rabies. We all know we are required to vaccinate our dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies, but we see the disease so infrequently in this part of the country that we probably don’t give it much thought otherwise.
Rabies is caused by a virus, which means that antibiotics won’t help an infected individual. And once the symptoms appear, the disease is essentially 100 percent fatal.
Bats are the most common carriers in the western United States, but skunks, foxes and raccoons are carriers in other parts of the country. Recently we have had skunk rabies detected in eastern El Paso County.
Unlike most viruses, rabies seems able to cause infection in almost any type of mammal. The most common method of transmission is through bite wounds inflicted by sick animals. We tend to think of dogs as being the domestic animal most often affected, but a surprisingly larger number of livestock are affected each year.
The virus likes nerves, so when it is injected into the new host’s body through a bite, it first travels to the nerves in the area of the bite, then migrates along them until it reaches the brain. Once inside brain, the virus starts causing the symptoms that inevitably lead to death.
The first symptoms are vague and non-specific. The animal may seem agitated and unwilling to eat, or it may salivate excessively. Within five days, the symptoms may progress to “Furious” rabies — the phase in which wandering, aggression, seizures and dementia can be seen. Within another five days, animals can progress to “Dumb” rabies, where mental dullness, urinary incontinence and death follow.
The progression of the disease can vary greatly, and not all phases are seen in all affected animals. Cats are more likely to develop furious rabies, and horses are more likely to develop only dumb rabies. The amount of time from first symptoms to death is usually 14 days or less. This is why animals that have bitten someone are quarantined. A rabid animal will show obvious symptoms or die within 10 days, thus letting us know if a person who is bitten has been exposed to rabies.
The only way to confirm rabies infection is to look for characteristic changes in brain tissue under a microscope, and that test cannot be performed on a live animal. Because not all animals that bite are rabid, it is not reasonable to euthanize every biter in order to test it.
Fortunately, the rabies vaccines that are commonly available and legally required for dogs, cats, and ferrets are very effective at preventing the disease. In order to legally qualify as vaccinated, However, the animal must get its shot from a veterinarian to ensure that the vaccine has been handled and stored appropriately and administered correctly. A properly vaccinated pet should never have to worry about dying from or passing on rabies.
And livestock owners should talk with their veterinarian about whether a rabies vaccination is a good choice for their situation.
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Anne Pierce is a Colorado Springs veterinarian and co-owner of High Plains Veterinary Hospital, a Colorado Springs small-animal clinic. Reach her at petdocs@highplainsvet.com.
