our advice : ASK DR . CATE
Vet Rap by Dr . Ryan Cate
Rabies And How To Protect Your Pet From Them
JULY 2018 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
QUESTION : Dear Dr . Cate : I recently saw the news about an animal testing positive for rabies in our area . What are the symptoms of rabies and how do we protect our families and our animals , large and small ?
ANSWER : Rabies is described by the Centers for Disease Control as a preventable disease of mammals , most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal . In Texas , the top five wild animals that spread the disease are bats , foxes , coyotes , skunks and raccoons . According to Parker County ’ s Animal Control Supervisor Karen Kessler , “ We have had only one goat test positive this year for rabies in the Aledo area , so it ’ s been a good year so far .”
The CDC says that the early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses , including fever , headache , and general weakness or discomfort . As the disease progresses , more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia , anxiety , confusion , slight or partial paralysis , excitation , hallucinations , agitation , hypersalivation ( increase in saliva ), difficulty swallowing , and hydrophobia ( fear of water ). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms .
In animals , the symptoms can include fearfulness , aggression , excessive drooling , difficulty swallowing , staggering , paralysis and seizures . Aggressive behavior is common , but rabid animals may also be uncharacteristically affectionate . Horses and livestock with rabies
42 also may exhibit depression , self-mutilation , or increased sensitivity to light . Rabid wild animals may lose their natural fear of humans and display unusual behavior ; for example , an animal that is usually only seen at night may be seen wandering in the daytime . Unfortunately , there is no treatment once the clinical signs of rabies appear . Rabies infection of an animal can only be confirmed after death , through microscopic examination of the animal ’ s brain .
Parker County requires the vaccination of all domesticated animals every year . Owners are also encouraged to vaccinate livestock as well , due to the Animal Control Division having seen horses contract rabies in the past .
Rabies kills around 59,000 people each year , most in countries where dog vaccination programs are scarce and the virus spreads rapidly . In the United States , most of the human rabies cases come from exposure to bats , so any contact with bats should be reported to your physician . If you see an animal in our area , or one in your own backyard exhibiting any of the symptoms above , call the Parker County Sheriff ’ s Office immediately at 817-594-8845 and keep yourself and your family away from the animal .
Better treatment for people has reduced the number of deaths in the US , so be sure and do your part for all of your pets , large and small , and get them vaccinated each year . The CDC sees rabies as a preventable disease , as does your vet .