Rabies in Dogs: What You Should Know

Rabies is most often contracted from bites by other dogs. At-risk dogs include pets that spend a lot of time unsupervised outdoors, which predisposes them to attacks by infected bats, foxes, or other dogs. Pet owners should always monitor their dogs for bite wounds.

Read on to learn essential information about rabies that every dog owner should know.

Rabies Symptoms
No stand-alone symptom directly indicates your dog has a rabies infection. Instead, pet owners should monitor their dogs for a combination of the following symptoms.

Lethargy
You may notice that your dog has become inactive in the past few days and spends a lot of time sleeping. If your dog’s energy levels have recently become more fatigued, consider taking your pet for a checkup should it appear unusually tired.

Fever
Dogs often get fevers as a common response to rabies. You may notice the fever by feeling your dog's body is unusually warm. Consider using a pet thermometer to better ascertain if its temperature is above the normal readings.

Irritability
Rabies often causes odd behaviors in dogs, including excessive aggression, self-mutilation, and disorientation. For example, you may notice that your dog is barking aggressively even at unnecessary things like shutting a door. Irritated or anxious dogs may also gnaw at new or previous wounds.

Light Sensitivity
Dogs with rabies may become highly sensitive to light. You may notice that your dog no longer likes well-lit rooms; instead, it recedes to dark areas. Dogs with severe rabies infections may even experience seizures due to light stimuli.

Vomiting
Vomiting indicates that your dog has an underlying problem. Vomiting does not always indicate a rabies infection. Monitor your dog for additional symptoms should you suspect your dog has rabies. If you are still unsure, see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Rabies Diagnosis
Unfortunately, there is no valid laboratory or imaging test for diagnosing rabies in live dogs. Your veterinarian will rely on the dog's clinical symptoms to determine infection. However, they may request diagnostic tests to rule out other diseases with overlapping symptoms. For example, dogs with leptospirosis can present similar symptoms.

Once your veterinary rules out other infections, they will isolate the dog for a few days for observation, during which it may either recover or succumb. A complete recovery often indicates that the viral load on the host's saliva was too low to trigger the full infection.

Rabies Treatment
There is no treatment for rabies; the disease arises from a viral infection. However, that does not mean that dogs do not receive veterinary care. Your veterinarian may try to manage the dog's symptoms to relieve its pain during isolation. Alternatively, the veterinarian may euthanize the dog when they are sure it has rabies to mitigate the risk of infecting other pets or people.

Transmission to Humans
Pet owners whose dogs have rabies are at risk of being bitten by their pets, which can result in infection. Since irritability and aggression are fairly common symptoms of rabies, a typically well-mannered dog may still attempt to attack the people it knows and loves. If you see any signs that your dog may have rabies, protect yourself first, then take your dog to get tested.

Rabies Prevention
Rabies prevention is only possible through vaccinating your dog; otherwise, it is at risk of infection. Vaccinated dogs have rabies antibodies that fight off the virus, preventing infection. Dog owners should vaccinate their pets, including taking them for booster shots per state laws and veterinary guidelines.

Pet owners who suspect their dogs have rabies should seek timely veterinary care and should take their pets to get a vaccination for long-term rabies protection. People living in San Diego can contact South San Diego Veterinary Hospital to schedule an appointment for their dogs.