23 Jul Everything about canine Rabies; Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention! (Part 1)

All our reaction to rabies is fear and anxiety. Because rabies is a dangerous disease that can affect all mammals, especially dogs, however, fortunately, this disease is preventable, and you can take care of this deadly disease from your dear dog and yourself. In this article, we will talk about rabies in dogs, ways of transmission, symptoms and treatment, and tell you what you can do to prevent rabies. 

What is rabies in dogs?

Rabies is one of the most dangerous viral diseases that can affect mammals, including dogs. A virus of the Rhabdoviridae family causes this deadly disease. It’s found in almost all parts of the world. This virus infects dogs’ brains and spinal cord and kills hundreds of thousands of stray dogs worldwide. It can also cause severe behavioural changes, gradual paralysis, and eventually painful death. There’s no cure for dog rabies, But timely vaccination can prevent your dog from contracting this dangerous and deadly disease.

Ways to transmit the rabies

The rabies virus is present in many living organisms and is transmitted to dogs through the bite of an infected animal. Of course, if the saliva of an infected dog still comes in contact with scratches, claws or wounds, it can transmit the disease. However, biting is the main reason for transmitting this disease, and the probability of transmitting rabies from other methods is much lower. This virus is transmitted when an animal with rabies bites another animal (or human)!

After being bitten, the rabies virus rapidly enters the nervous system around the dog (any nerve outside the brain and spinal cord). Ten it multiplies and spreads to the animal’s salivary glands. The virus needs the dog’s saliva to survive and doesn’t survive outside the animal for long. In Europe, foxes, raccoons, squirrels and other wild animals are the main causes of virus transmission. But in Asia and elsewhere, stray dogs are the main cause of rabies transmission. It’s interesting to know that cows can also have rabies.

Signs and symptoms of canine rabies

A dog with rabies first shows severe behavioural and mood changes. If the dog is normally very calm, he may become irritable and moody, nervous and aggressive. If the dog is already moody, he may be submissive. Rabies dogs are constantly licking or biting at the bite site. At this stage, fever also gradually shows itself. This stage may take 2-3 days, and then the disease shows its real and scary form. In general, the symptoms of this disease in dogs can occur in two ways:

Angry rabies.

When a dog becomes aggressive and highly irritable, he shows an abnormal craving for food such as rocks, dirt, and debris. Eventually, the paralysis begins, and the dog is no longer able to eat or drink water. Eventually, the dog dies with severe and painful seizures!

Silent rabies

This type is more common in dogs. In this type of disease, paralysis begins gradually and affects the posterior motor organs. Then it affects facial muscles, which changes the shape of the dog’s face and makes him difficult to swallow food; Eventually, he goes into a coma and dies. At the stage of difficulty swallowing, the dog owner may think that something is stuck in his dog’s throat. So he may try to put his hand inside the dog’s mouth; Unaware that the dog’s saliva contains a virus, and if the dog bites its owner, it can transmit the disease to him. Hydrophobia or fear of water aren’t symptoms of rabies in dogs, But they can be signs of disease in humans. 

Time of onset of symptoms

From the bite to the onset of symptoms, the incubation period of rabies in mammals can last from a few days to 6 months or more. It depends on the location of the bite and its distance from the head. But in the case of dogs, these symptoms usually show up a week or two after the bite. During this period, you should be careful when examining and caring for your dog; Because dog saliva contains the virus and can be transmitted. After the onset of symptoms and the spread of the disease, the dog eventually falls into a coma and dies.

The rate of spread of the disease depends on the dog’s immune system, the dog’s previous infection with viral diseases, and the type and severity of the bite. In cases where the bite is very severe and large and close to the neck, more virus is transmitted to the dog’s body. Also, the symptoms of rabies show themselves sooner and more severely.