Rabies is a terrible and deadly disease that causes the virus. If the dog is sick with rabies, most likely, it was bitten by another animal carrier. The virus in large quantities is contained in saliva, so that it is sometimes easy enough to touch the sick animal.
The first signs of rabies in dogs
Typically, the incubation period lasts about two weeks. Getting into the body, the virus begins to move along the nerve fibers in the direction of the spinal cord and brain, to the salivary glands. After entering the brain, reproduction of the virus begins at a very high rate. Once you notice the first signs of rabies in the dog, there is no hope to save it. To recognize rabies in a dog, you need to know the forms of the disease.
How does rabies develop in dogs?
This disease has several forms: violent, atypical, depressive, abortive and remitting. The most common is the violent form. Duration of the disease is no more than two weeks. There are three stages:
- Prodromal. Most often, the first signs of rabies in dogs their owners do not notice. During this period the dog becomes inactive, lays a lot and does not want to go into contact. The animal does not want to execute commands, even on a voice or touch can not react. There are cases when the symptoms are completely opposite: the dog is too affectionate and licking hands. In any case, a sharp change in behavior should alert you.
- Manic. How does rabies develop in dogs at this stage? At the second stage, there is no longer any doubt that the animal was caught by a rabies virus. The dog is constantly trying to escape, gnaws everything around, bites. At this stage, it is most dangerous for others. An infected animal has no fear of a human being, and therefore the attack can suddenly and without prior barking or roar. The inability to drink and eat helps determine rabies in the dog, as these are signs of paralysis of the lower jaw, larynx. In this case, the animal has a drooping jaw, very salivating salivation.
- Paralytic. The last stage, which lasts a couple of days. The symptoms of rabies in dogs at this stage are the following: the animal does not eat, does not drink, the aggression subsides and the animal does not react at all to the surrounding world, convulsions begin. After the paralysis of internal organs, the animal falls into a coma and dies.
If the dog has an atypical form, it proceeds somewhat differently. The animal just seems very exhausted and tired from the side. There are vomiting and diarrhea. At this stage as such, the disease does not exist, it lasts about six months.
Depressive form has no manifestations of aggression, the dog first even eat normally. But its duration is only three days. The dog abruptly begins to limp, cough. Then follows the paralysis of the larynx and organs.
The remitting form of the disease periodically recedes and returns, always with more severe attacks. Between the intervals of attacks can take weeks, more often it is about a week.
Abortive rabies is characterized by complete recovery of the dog already in the second stage of the disease. But this form is very rare, it is still being studied.
How to check the dog for rabies?
Since the disease determines only after the death of the animal, a dog with suspicion of rabies must be isolated and observed for a couple of days. At the same time, no tests for the virus are prescribed, the disease is diagnosed by symptomatology. As soon as signs of the disease show up, the animal is euthanized. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this terrible disease, so it is more humane not to tolerate the suffering of the animal.