Content
- rabies in dogs
- How is it transmitted and what are the stages of rabies
- rabies symptoms in dog
- Canine rabies is curable?
- Angry Dog Life Expectancy
- Prevention
Rabies is one of the most infectious diseases associated with dogs, as they are the main transmitters worldwide.
This disease primarily affects dogs, cats, bats and other wild carnivores, including jackals, wolves, foxes, badgers and coyotes. At the same time, cattle, horses and other herbivores are less affected and although they can infect other animals, they rarely transmit to humans. Therefore, the greatest concern is with domestic and wild carnivores.
Rabies is lethal and the animal dies in a short period of time, that is, we have to act on prevention, identify symptoms suggestive of this disease and avoid street fights, since bites are the main source of transmission.
If you are interested in knowing more about this disease that affects mammals and even humans, what are the symptoms in dogs, if there is a cure and how long does an angry dog live, read this article by PeritoAnimal.
rabies in dogs
Anger originates from Latin rabidus meaning mad, designation given due to the characteristic aspect of the rabid animal that is salivating and being aggressive.
It is an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans (zoonosis) caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system, which spreads and accumulates in large amounts in the salivary glands causing the excessive production of virus infected saliva.
It is mainly transmitted through fights by biting an infected animal and also, but not so common, by scratching and licking open wounds or mucous membranes such as those in the mouth or eyes.
Contact of intact skin (no wounds) with blood, urine or feces is not a risk factor, except in bats.
Nowadays, this disease is being more controlled in dogs, cats and also humans due to vaccination campaigns and protection measures. However, rabies has increased mainly among wild animals, where the bats, the main spreaders of rabies in herds, in which the number of these infected animals is increasing in Brazil.
THE anger has no cure and, in most cases, it leads to the death of the infected dog. Therefore, the best thing to do is prevention, if you suspect that your dog may have been attacked by a stray or rabid animal, we advise you to take your animal to the veterinarian.
But then how long does an angry dog live? To answer this question, let's explain a little bit how the disease is transmitted and evolved.
How is it transmitted and what are the stages of rabies
During the bite, the virus present in the saliva penetrates and goes into the muscles and tissues and multiplies there. Then, the virus spreads through the surrounding structures and travels to the nearest nervous tissue, because it has an affinity for nerve fibers (it is neurotropic) and does not use the blood as a way of dissemination.
THE disease has several stages:
- Incubation: it is the time from the bite to the onset of symptoms. At this stage, the animal appears to be doing well and does not show any symptoms (it is asymptomatic). It can take anywhere from a week to several months for the disease to manifest.
- Prodromic: where some sudden changes in behavior are already observed. The dog may be more nervous, scared, anxious, tired or even isolated. This phase can last from 2 to 10 days.
- furious and excited: this is the phase that characterizes the disease. The dog is more aggressive and irritable, may be salivating excessively and may even bite and attack their owners, so it is necessary to be careful.
- paralytic: final stage of rabies in which the animal is paralyzed and may have spasms or even be in a state of coma, ending in death.
rabies symptoms in dog
To find out if your dog has rabies, it is also important to know what the dog symptoms:
- Fever
- Behavioral changes such as aggressiveness, irritability and apathy
- vomiting
- Excessive salivation
- Aversion to light (photophobia) and water (hydrophobia)
- Difficulty in swallowing (due to excess saliva and paralysis of the jaw or facial muscles)
- Convulsions
- general paralysis
Rabies can be confused with other neurological diseases and, therefore, it is always essential to consult your veterinarian if your pet has any of these symptoms or if you suspect that your dog had access to the street and was involved in fights or was in contact with bats or other wild animals.
Canine rabies is curable?
THE anger has no cure, it is fast-progressing and lethal in almost 100% of the cases, so euthanasia may be the only option to avoid suffering your pet and the contagion of others.
Angry Dog Life Expectancy
The incubation phase is variable because it depends a lot on the location and severity of the bite, for example, a deeper or localized one in the arm will be faster to manifest symptoms than a more superficial one or in the leg. In puppies it varies between 15 and 90 days and in young ones it can be even shorter.
THE life expectancy of an angry dog is relatively short. The period of time between the stages described above can vary from dog to dog, but once it reaches the nervous system and symptoms appear, the disease progresses quickly and the death occurs in 7 to 10 days.
Normally, an animal suspected of having rabies, that is, with symptoms suggestive of the disease, is quarantined for observation for 10 days, if at the end of these days the animal is well and without other symptoms, it is assumed that it does not have rabies .
If you suspect that your dog has been involved in fights and has been infected, take him to your vet so that he can isolate him in order to avoid contagion to other animals or humans and to minimize his suffering.
It is equally important, if possible, to identify the aggressor animal so that it is also quarantined to be observed and to avoid possible aggression and contagion.
Prevention
Although there is no cure, it is possible to prevent rabies through a regular vaccination protocol that includes the rabies vaccine.
It is also important to isolate suspects and observe by the veterinarian and avoid contact with stray or wild animals.
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.