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It is likely that the canine rage is a better known condition and any mammal can become infected with this disease and dogs are the main transmitters worldwide. The only places in the world where the rabies virus does not exist are Australia, the British Isles and Antarctica. In addition to these places, the rabies virus exists anywhere else in the world. It is caused by a virus in the family Rhabdoviridae.
Detecting its causes is essential to prevent this condition, at the same time it is essential to identify its symptoms to ensure the safety of those who live with the animal. Remember that this disease is deadly and can affect humans. Therefore, all countries take measures to prevent, contain and eliminate it.
At PeritoAnimal we will explain in detail everything about the rabies in dogs, its causes, symptoms and prevention.
How is anger transmitted?
Rabies is transmitted through the transmission of the rhabdoviridae virus, which is normally transferred by the bite or saliva of an infected animal. However, some cases have been documented where the rabies virus was transmitted in aerosol particles floating in the air. These cases, however, are strange and only occurred in caves where many infected bats lived.
Worldwide, puppies are the main carriers of this disease, especially those animals that have not received care or timely vaccination. However, rabies can also be transmitted through the bite of other domestic animals such as cats, or wild animals such as skunks, raccoons or bats.
In addition to lethally affecting our dog, rabies also becomes can infect humans if they are bitten by an infected animal, so working on their prevention and recognizing their symptoms in time is essential to ensure the health of all pet owners.
It is known that the rabies virus does not last long outside a living body. It has been reported that it can remain active in animal carcasses for up to 24 hours.
Symptoms of Anger
O rabies virus it has an incubation period that varies between three and eight weeks, although in some cases this period can be a little longer. It also has different incubation times in different animal species, and produces three phases of characteristic symptoms, although not all phases are always present. Although all mammals are susceptible to rabies, opossums are known to be asymptomatic carriers in some cases. In humans, symptoms usually appear between three and six weeks after infection, but longer incubation cases have also been reported.
The symptoms of this condition, which affects the animal's brain and central nervous system, usually occur in three phases, but it is possible that some puppies do not show them all, which is why it is important to be alert at all times for any sign that indicates the our pet's health is not going well.
You rabies symptoms depending on the phases are:
- First or prodromal phase: with a duration close to three days, at this stage there is a change in behavior in the animal that can become nervous, scared and anxious, isolating itself from its environment. In the case of animals that are not docile or aggressive, they can become affectionate. Additionally, it is common to have fever.
- Second stage or furious stage: More characteristic signs of rabies occur, although this phase does not always occur in all puppies. The most common symptoms are irritability, hyperactivity, little rest and extreme aggression, the animal will bite anything that gets in its way. Other signs may occur, such as difficulty in finding your way around and seizures, this stage can last between a day and a week.
- Third stage or paralytic stage: some puppies die before reaching this stage, in which the muscles of the head and neck are paralyzed, making it impossible for the animal to swallow saliva and progressively causing a respiratory failure that leads to the animal's death.
In the past, the diagnosis of rabies was based on an analysis of the nervous tissue in the brain, so it was necessary to kill the dog to diagnose whether or not it had rabies. Currently, other techniques are used to diagnose rabies in advance, without the need to kill the animal. Among these techniques is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR for its acronyms in English).
Is rabies curable?
Unfortunately the rabies virus there is no treatment or cureTherefore, due to the intensity of the symptoms and because they affect the animal's central nervous system and brain, a dog with rabies will eventually die, however it is possible to prevent the spread of this condition through vaccination.
In the case of humans who are very exposed to the animal world, as in the case of volunteers or those who have been bitten by any animal, it is also possible to receive the rabies vaccine and take care of the injury as soon as possible in order to prevent the infected saliva from giving way transmission of the virus.
If a dog has bitten you and you suspect you may have rabies, consult a hospital immediately to receive rabies, as it can save your life. We explain these details to you in our article on what to do in case of dog bite.
prevent anger
It's possible prevent rabies through vaccination, whose first dose must be received by the dog during the first months of life. After the rabies vaccine, you should be boosted several times and as directed by the veterinarian.
Because this condition often occurs in abandoned animals, it is very important that if you decide to adopt a pet in these conditions, take it immediately to a veterinarian, even before taking it to your home, in order to have a extensive medical review and offer you all the necessary vaccinations to ensure your health and well-being.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.