Hespeler Animal Hospital

What can YOU do to make Rabies History?

September 28 is World Rabies Day. In light of that, I thought this would be a good time to write about rabies.

I’ve been a veterinarian since 1986 and it still shocks me how few people are aware about how scary this disease is. Many people I talk to about rabies don’t even know that it’s fatal to humans. Nor do many realize that cats get rabies and are actually more susceptible to this disease than dogs.

Our local public health department does a great job at attempting to educate the pet-owning public. They’ve been sending out educational mailings on rabies for a few years running now. That’s another reason I don’t understand how people in this area are still misinformed . . . and why I’m committed to doing something about that.

Rabies is a viral infection of the nervous system. It attacks warm-blooded animals; that includes cows, horses, dogs, cats, skunks, raccoons and humans. Rabies is also common in bats. For that reason, it’s important not to handle a bat with your bare hands, and to submit any sick or dead bats for testing. In 2007, a man from Alberta died of rabies after handling an infected bat. Make sure you seek immediate medical attention if you come into contact with a bat.

Rabies is usually transmitted via the saliva of an infected animal. Bite wounds are the most common route, but even a scratch, contact with an open wound, gums, nose or eyes can also spread this disease.

What are the signs? They can be quite varied, but include aggression, loss of fear, paralysis, excitability, and excess salivation. It’s not uncommon for a rabid animal to attack and bite anything in its path, even inanimate objects.

What’s the incubation period? Well, it varies depending on the strain of rabies and the location of the bite. Usually it’s anywhere from two weeks to several months. That’s why immediate preventive treatment after exposure is so important. Once the infection reaches the brain and symptoms appear, it’s too late. At that point, the infected animal (you?) will die.

In Canada, rabies is rare in humans. We can thank vaccination programs for that. This is one of the reasons that the law states that if you own a dog or cat, you must vaccinate it against rabies. No exceptions, not even for the 100 per cent indoor cat. I think it’s a good law; when faced with a disease that can kill you or your children, why take any chances?

Post-exposure treatment is very expensive. We the taxpayers carry the cost, not the pet owner who neglected to vaccinate their animal.

In other countries outside of Canada and the U.S., rabies is not rare and it continues to kill humans. Over 50,000 people die from rabies every year. Most of these are children, and most of them live in Africa and Asia. They say that one person dies of this preventable disease every 10 minutes.

Wanting to help, Veterinarians without Borders have initiated a rabies campaign. They are working to make rabies history. To date, they’ve raised and dispersed over $100,000 toward rabies prevention around the world. They’re focused on community-based projects to help stop the spread of the disease.

Rabies vaccine manufacturers are also helping out by donating rabies vaccines for use in underdeveloped countries.

What can you do to help make rabies history?

1) Consider making a donation to Veterinarians without Borders. Seewww.vwb-vsf.ca for more information.

2) Vaccinate your dogs, cats, cattle and horses.

3) Make sure you, your family and neighbours are educated about this preventable disease.