Mandatory canine rabies vaccinations have greatly reduced the risk of dogs contracting and spreading the disease, but rabies is still present in wildlife populations and a stray animal may carry the disease. Once bitten, rabies is nearly always fatal to both animals and humans. If your dog has not yet received his first rabies immunization or if his last one no longer protects him, it may be at risk for developing rabies if an infected animal bites it.
Progression
- There are three stages in rabies infections; the first one includes mild behavioral changes that last an average of three days in a dog. The animal may not recognize its surroundings and may wander away. Skunks, which rarely wander freely during daytime hours, may be seen walking about on a sunny day as the rabies compromises their nocturnal instincts.
Aggression/excitability
- During the second stage of rabies, which may last up to seven weeks, the animal may become unusually bold, threatening humans and other animals. A dog may bite its owner or a wild animal may lose its instinctive caution and approach humans or predatory animals. Alternately, an animal may experience ataxia, often called "dumb rabies" and instead of excitability, its body movements may become uncoordinated, causing it to bump into objects and stumble.
Paralysis
- The final stage of a rabies infection is muscular paralysis, involving the animal's entire body and eventually restricting its ability to breath, causing death. The final stage does not last long; one or two days is common.
Incubation period
- Unlike many infectious diseases, the incubation period for rabies varies greatly. According to "The Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook," symptoms may appear as soon as soon as one week after an animal suffers a bite or they may not appear for up to a year in some cases. The average incubation period, however, is between two and eight weeks.
Monitoring symptoms
- After an animal suspected of being rabid bites a previously immunized dog, the dog should be immediately re-immunized, according to the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, and kenneled for observation for a period of at least 45 days. If the dog was not immunized, it should be euthanized or quarantined for a period of six months without direct human or animal contact. Your veterinarian can advise you of the regulations in your state.
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