edward
03-31-2009, 11:55 PM
As a former vet tech-in-training and a long, long time animal owner, I urge all of you to take the time to get your animals vaccinated. Once past the incubation stage (approximately 2-3 months), rabies has a 100% DEATH RATE. There is no cure past the incubation stage. Your animal will usually act completely normal during the incubation stage, so there is no way to know if he has it or not. The most common animals that are carriers in AZ are bats, foxes and skunks. No, we don't necessarily have a lot of skunks or foxes here in the Valley, but they are present. I do see bats on a regular basis at my house. An animal with rabies is usually aggressive, as in apt to "chase" you off or growl and snarl at you, but probably won't bite unless you bother it or it feels threatened.
Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of the animal, so this means your horse/dog/cat etc. can contract rabies from something as simple as a coyote with rabies coming by and drinking from your water trough or water bowls. Rabies can live outside of the body for a short period of time and wait for a new host.
There is no test for rabies other than taking a sample from the base of the brain. The head must be removed from the body in order to do this. Therefore, there is no way to know if your animal has rabies until he starts showing signs of it, and by then it is too late.
Rabies vaccines are 100% effective and WILL save your animal's life. In the State of AZ, a rabies vaccine MUST be administered by a vet, so you won't be able to administer it at home. If you want to avoid the cost of taking your animal to a vet hospital, look for a shot clinic in your area where you only pay for the shot and nothing else (Animal Control offices, Humane Society offices, some feed stores, Petsmart and Petco do have shot clinics), or call a mobile vet to come to your house..
For more information, see the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/
Andrea Ohnstad
Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of the animal, so this means your horse/dog/cat etc. can contract rabies from something as simple as a coyote with rabies coming by and drinking from your water trough or water bowls. Rabies can live outside of the body for a short period of time and wait for a new host.
There is no test for rabies other than taking a sample from the base of the brain. The head must be removed from the body in order to do this. Therefore, there is no way to know if your animal has rabies until he starts showing signs of it, and by then it is too late.
Rabies vaccines are 100% effective and WILL save your animal's life. In the State of AZ, a rabies vaccine MUST be administered by a vet, so you won't be able to administer it at home. If you want to avoid the cost of taking your animal to a vet hospital, look for a shot clinic in your area where you only pay for the shot and nothing else (Animal Control offices, Humane Society offices, some feed stores, Petsmart and Petco do have shot clinics), or call a mobile vet to come to your house..
For more information, see the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/
Andrea Ohnstad