Rabies is a serious and potentially fatal neuro-viral disease that affects both animals and humans. It is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, and is most commonly seen in wild animals like foxes, raccoons, and skunks. Unfortunately, dogs can also be carriers of the rabies virus, making them a risk to both themselves and their owners. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the question: Will a dog die if it has rabies? We’ll investigate the disease, look at its symptoms and effects, and discuss the severity of the illness and its outcomes. We’ll also provide tips and resources on preventing and treating rabies in dogs. Ultimately, this blog post will offer a comprehensive look into the effects of rabies in dogs, and provide readers with the knowledge needed to keep their pets safe.
How long is the incubation period?
The incubation period (the stretch of time before clinical symptoms appear) can last anywhere from ten days to more than a year. The incubation period in dogs is typically between two and four weeks. The speed at which clinical signs develop depends upon:
1. The site of infection – the virus spreads more quickly to nervous tissue the closer the bite is to the brain and spinal cord.
2. The severity of the bite.
3. The amount of virus injected by the bite.
After being bitten by a rabid animal, the illness develops gradually. The dog experiences a significant change in temperament during the prodromal phase (first phase). Active pets become anxious or timid, while calm animals become agitated. This phase can last 2-3 days.
Following this stage, the clinical disease can take one of two known forms:
When a rabid dog exhibits signs of a depraved appetite, such as eating and chewing on rocks, dirt, and trash, it is said to be suffering from furious rabies. Once paralysis sets in, the rabid animal might not be able to eat or drink. Fear of water, or hydrophobia, is not a symptom of canine rabies. This is a feature of human rabies. The dog finally dies in a violent seizure.
Dumb rabies is the more common form in dogs. Progressive limb paralysis, facial distortion, and a similar swallowing difficulty are present. Many times, owners believe their dog has something stuck in its mouth or throat. Examining should be done carefully because saliva can spread rabies. Ultimately the dog becomes comatose and dies.
Awareness on rabies and preventing dog bites
The extension of a rabies vaccination program to teach children and adults about dog behavior and bite prevention can reduce both the incidence of human rabies and the cost of treating dog bites. Education and information on responsible pet ownership, how to avoid dog bites, and immediate care after a bite are all part of raising rabies prevention and control awareness in communities. The community’s involvement and ownership of the program expands its audience and encourages the adoption of its key messages.
People are immunized with the same vaccine either after exposure to rabies (see PEP) or (less frequently) before exposure to rabies. People who work in high-risk occupations, such as laboratories handling live rabies and rabies-related (lyssavirus) viruses, as well as those whose work or personal activities could put them in close proximity to bats, carnivores, or other mammals that may be infected, are advised to get pre-exposure immunization. Examples include animal disease control staff and wildlife rangers.
Outdoor travelers and expatriates living in remote areas with a high risk of rabies exposure and limited local access to rabies biologics may also benefit from pre-exposure immunization. Additionally, children who reside in or travel to such areas should be vaccinated. They might experience more severe bites as they interact with animals, or they might not even notice bites.
The incubation period for rabies is typically between two and three months, but it can also range from one week to a year, depending on the location of virus entry and viral load, for example. An unusual or unexplained tingling, prickling, or burning sensation (paraesthesia) at the wound site is one of the first signs of rabies. The virus causes progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord as it spreads throughout the central nervous system.
There are two forms of the disease:
Since there are currently no diagnostic methods that can identify rabies infection before the onset of clinical disease, clinical diagnosis may be challenging in the absence of the rabies-specific symptoms of hydrophobia or aerophobia. Different diagnostic methods that identify whole viruses, viral antigens, or nucleic acids in infected tissues (brain, skin, or saliva) can confirm human rabies intra-vitam and post-mortem2.
Most cases of rabies infection in humans occur after a severe bite or scratch from an animal, and rabid dogs are responsible for up to 99% of cases.
As dog-mediated transmission has largely been eradicated in the Americas, bats are now the main cause of human rabies deaths in that continent. In Australia and Western Europe, bat rabies is a growing public health concern. Rodent bites are not known to transmit rabies, and human deaths after exposure to foxes, raccoons, skunks, jackals, mongooses, and other wild carnivore host species are extremely uncommon.
Additionally, transmission can happen when the mucous membranes of humans or recently opened wounds come into contact with infected animal saliva. Although it has been described, it is extremely rare for rabies to spread through organ transplantation or inhalation of virus-containing aerosols. Although it has never been proven, human-to-human transmission through bites or saliva is theoretically possible. The same holds true for transmission to people who consume raw animal meat or milk.
After being exposed to rabies through a bite, a victim is treated right away with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). This stops a virus from entering the central nervous system, which would otherwise cause immediate death. PEP consists of:
Early treatment can successfully stop the onset of symptoms and death after rabies virus exposure.
This first aid procedure entails immediately flushing and washing the wound thoroughly for at least 15 minutes with soap and water, detergent, povidone iodine, or other rabies virus-killing agents.
Is it possible to survive a bite from a rabid animal?
There are sporadic and shoddy reports of both people and dogs surviving. When the rabid animal bit its victim, there may occasionally have been very little rabies virus in the saliva. In this situation, the victim may not develop rabies.
However, as Louis Pasteur was the first to demonstrate, the use of anti-rabies serum as soon as possible after a bite can halt the development of symptoms from an infected bite. This antiserum contains specific immune antibodies to the virus. Giving a dose of the rabies vaccine is the most crucial way to stop rabies from spreading. The vaccine encourages the animal that has been bitten to produce its own rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies. The chances of survival are slim without immunization and prompt post-exposure care.
FAQ
Can my dog survive rabies?
The rabies virus doesn’t always cause death in animals; 14% of dogs recover.
How long does a dog survive with rabies?
Dogs, cats, and domestic ferrets with rabies may shed the rabies virus three to six days prior to developing clinical symptoms, and they typically only survive for a few days following the onset of those symptoms.
Does a dog die after rabies?
One of the most dreadful viral diseases to affect mammals, including dogs and humans, is rabies. It is a fatal illness brought on by rabies virus infection.
How do you know when a dog has rabies?
The inability to close one’s mouth, excessive drooling, heavy breathing, and an increased sensitivity to sound, light, and touch are some symptoms of a severe rabies infection.