Neighbor News
Facts About Rabies
Pet care, summer pet care, rabies, rabies and you, rabies facts, rabies prevention tips, pet safety
It’s been a hot summer and kids, adults and pets are all outdoors more often in the warm weather. This means you need to be aware of rabies as a potential risk to your family and pets. Here are some facts to help.
What is Rabies?
Rabies is an acute viral infection that can affect all warm blooded animals including dogs and cats. It is almost always caused by the bite of an infected animal that has the rabies virus in its saliva. The most important reason to vaccinate all pets is that by protecting your pet you are protecting your family. An unvaccinated pet can bring rabies back to you. And Rabies is life threatening.
Find out what's happening in Levittownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
How do we get Rabies?
Since the virus is in the saliva, a bite is the most common way. Exposure can also come by being scratched by a rabid animal when the saliva gets into the open wound. So the skin, eyes, nose and mouth can all be points of contact.
Find out what's happening in Levittownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Protection
There are several things you can do to protect your pets and thus your family. Vaccination against rabies by your vet is the first line of defense. It is very important is to keep vaccination up to date for dogs, cats and even ferrets. Vaccinated pets have rabies tags and certificates. Check and make sure they are current.
Secondly, never let your pets roam free outdoors. The third factor is to not keep wild animals as pets. Even a baby skunk or raccoon could be a carrier. Approaching or handling wild animals can put you at risk. Even asking wild animals to eat from your hand is asking for trouble. Children should be taught to be cautious.
What to do
If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, take him immediately to the vet. Waiting is definitely not in your best interest. If you are bitten by any animal, seek medical assistance right away. Be on the alert. If you see a wild animal behaving strangely, call local authorities. This includes frothing at the mouth, staggering, convulsions (or paralysis), or snapping behavior or acts. Because rabies infection has 2 forms, sometimes an infected animal can act withdrawn, or even affectionate.
In conclusion, know the facts. Rabies is around us and exists in Pennsylvania. Being well informed, taking precautions and acting wisely make all the difference.
Dr. Farouk Sawires of Blue Cross Animal Hospital in Croydon
Your local vet for over 30 years.
Find us online at www.bluecrossveterinarian.com
