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Rabies is one of the earliest recognized infectious diseases, often impacting wildlife such as bats, wolves, raccoons, skunks, and even cats. This acute viral infection affects the nervous system and can spread to almost any animal, including humans. If your dog hasn’t been vaccinated against rabies, it may be at risk if exposed to or bitten by a wild animal. If you notice signs of rabies in your dog, exercise caution and seek immediate help. It's also important to contact a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
Steps
Recognize the symptoms of rabies
Look for early signs of rabies. The initial phase of the disease can last between 2 to 10 days. During this time, your dog may show signs of illness with general symptoms. If you notice any signs of sickness, check for any recent bites or injury marks (scabs, scratches, or patches of fur tangled with dry saliva). If you find a bite or any wound, take your dog to the vet immediately for an examination. Early, non-specific symptoms may include:
- Muscle pain
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Chills
- Fever
- Discomfort, feeling unwell, and weakness
- Light sensitivity
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Inability or reluctance to swallow
- Coughing
- Throat and jaw muscle paralysis may occur after other symptoms
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Veterinarian at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Note: The incubation period (the time from infection to the appearance of symptoms) can last from 5 days to 12 months, with an average of less than 3 months. Even if your dog has no recent bites, rabies cannot be ruled out if your dog exhibits common symptoms.
Look for later symptoms of mild rabies. Mild rabies (also called silent or paralytic rabies) is the most common form and lasts 3 to 7 days. This form is termed paralytic rabies because the dog may drool or become paralyzed. The dog may appear confused, lethargic, or sluggish. Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice other symptoms of paralysis, including:
- Paralysis (inability to move) in the legs, face muscles, or other body parts. This usually starts in the hind legs and spreads to the rest of the body.
- Drooping lower jaw.
- Unusual barking that sounds different from normal.
- Excessive drooling, causing foam to form around the mouth.
- Difficulty swallowing
- In this form, the dog does not show aggression and rarely bites.
Look for later symptoms of aggressive rabies. Aggressive rabies also lasts 3 to 7 days. The dog will appear aggressive or easily agitated. It will exhibit abnormal behavior and foam at the mouth. This is the form most people associate with rabies, although it is less common than the silent or paralytic form. When affected, the dog becomes highly aggressive, and you must exercise extreme caution to avoid being bitten. Contact animal control if you suspect the dog is exhibiting aggressive rabies. Signs include:
- Excessive drooling, with foam forming around the dog's mouth.
- Hydrophobia. The dog avoids water and appears uncomfortable or frightened by the sound or touch of water.
- Aggressive behavior. The dog may seem ready to bite, showing bared teeth.
- Restlessness or discomfort. The dog may also lose interest in food.
- Irritability. The dog may attack or bite from even the slightest provocation or even without any apparent cause.
- Abnormal behaviors such as chewing on stones or other objects, or even gnawing on its own limbs. When confined in a kennel, the dog may also follow your hand, attempting to bite it.
- Hyperactive puppies that suddenly bite when petted and become aggressive within hours.
Look for new bites or open wounds on the dog's body. When an infected animal bites another, the rabies virus is transmitted through the infected animal's saliva. If the saliva comes into contact with the uninfected animal's blood or mucous membranes (mouth, eyes, and nasal cavity), the disease spreads to the animal. The appearance of bites or open wounds can help determine if your dog has been exposed to the rabies virus.
- Once inside the body, the virus travels through the nerves to the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain). From there, it spreads to the salivary glands and prepares to infect another victim.
Seek immediate medical care. If your dog has been bitten, take it to the vet as soon as possible. The rabies virus can live on a dog’s skin or fur for up to 2 hours, so you should wear gloves, long sleeves, and pants before handling the dog. The veterinarian will ask you about the possibility of rabies exposure (for example, if you noticed the smell of a skunk in your yard, or if your dog encountered a raccoon or bat). They will also examine the dog.
- If you observe rabies symptoms in a dog that is not yours, contact animal control. This way, the dog can be taken to the vet, and you can avoid the risk of being bitten.
- There is no test to determine whether a living animal has rabies. The only test is to take the animal’s brain and examine a small part of it under a microscope to look for structures called Negri bodies.
Know the medical measures for your dog. If your dog has been previously vaccinated, it will receive a booster shot. This will help the dog’s immune system fight off the virus. The dog will also be closely monitored for 45 days, usually at home. During this time, the dog must be isolated from people and other animals, both inside and outside the house. If the dog has not been vaccinated and has been bitten by a confirmed rabid animal, euthanasia is typically recommended.
- Euthanizing the dog helps prevent serious infection risks to humans and ensures the dog does not develop full-blown rabies.
- If you prefer not to euthanize your dog, it must be isolated and monitored at a veterinary facility for 6 months, with associated costs. If your dog remains healthy, it will receive a vaccine 1 month before being released.
Be aware that some diseases mimic rabies symptoms. If your dog does not have any bites but is showing concerning symptoms, keep in mind that other diseases can present similar signs. Take your dog to the vet immediately if it appears ill and shows unusual symptoms. Diseases or conditions that may be confused with rabies include:
- Canine infectious hepatitis
- Meningitis
- Tetanus
- Toxoplasmosis (a parasitic infection)
- Brain tumors
- Aggressive behavior in post-partum female dogs
- Poisoning from chemicals such as diminazene or organophosphates
Preventing rabies in dogs
Vaccinate your dog against rabies. This is the most effective and cost-efficient way to prevent rabies in dogs. Schedule regular vaccination appointments at your vet’s office to ensure your dog gets booster shots on time. Depending on the vaccine manufacturer’s instructions or local regulations, your dog may need a shot every year, every two years, or every three years.
- Many countries have laws requiring rabies vaccination for dogs.
Limit your dog’s contact with wildlife or stray animals. In addition to vaccination, the best way to ensure your dog's safety is by preventing its contact with wild animals. You can build a fence around your yard, limit outdoor time when wildlife is most active (such as early mornings, evenings, or at night), and always keep your dog on a leash when going for walks.
- Be cautious when walking your dog in areas where wild animals are commonly found.
Get vaccinated yourself. If you live in a high-risk area or work in a profession with a high risk of rabies exposure, you should consider getting pre-exposure rabies vaccination for your protection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends vaccination for travelers staying longer than a month in areas where rabies is prevalent or for anyone working with animals in these regions. High-risk professions include:
- Veterinarians
- Veterinary technicians
- Rabies laboratory personnel
- Wildlife workers, such as those working in wildlife conservation, rehabilitation centers, or wildlife parks.
Manage any bites from potentially rabid animals. If you are bitten by an animal that could have rabies, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 10 minutes, then contact your doctor to coordinate with authorities for investigation. They may attempt to capture the animal that bit you for rabies testing.
- If the animal cannot be found or if the test is positive for rabies, you will need to receive post-exposure rabies vaccination, depending on whether you’ve previously been vaccinated.
Advice
- Monitor your dog and keep it leashed in areas where rabies cases have been reported.
- Make your yard less attractive to wildlife by securing trash bins, cleaning up debris that could provide shelter for skunks or raccoons, and consider installing a fence around your yard.
- If you spot a bat in your home while your dog is in the same room, be cautious when capturing it without touching it. Take the bat to animal control for rabies testing.
Warning
- Clean any wound with soap and water, and then contact a doctor, even if you don’t think the animal was rabid. Bites can become severely infected if not properly treated in a timely manner.
- Do not approach a stray dog or cat that appears sick. Avoid young wild animals as they can also carry rabies. Contact animal control so that trained professionals can safely capture the animal using specialized equipment.
