Rabies

Striped Skunk Rabies is a neurological disease that is contracted through the bite of an infected animal. Dogs and cats contract the virus from wild animals such as skunks, raccoons and foxes.

The virus affects the head and throat, causing the pet to salivate due to the inability to swallow.

3 Stages of Rabies

Once an animal has been bitten it goes through 3 stages:

An animal may become docile or vicious, if usually shy.
Then, they may attack their enclosure, have seizures & be more inclined to roam.
The last stage is the “dumb’ phase.
Their head begins to become paralyzed, breathing becomes labored, and they may make a choking sound.

An owner might not witness all 3 stages. As the disease progresses, the head will become paralyzed and the animal will go into respiratory failure.

Cats are the #1 carriers of Rabies in domestic animals.

Rabies is transmittable to humans,
and there's NO treatment
once signs of illness are present.

Prevention

Keep your pet away from any salivating or suspicious wildlife. Suspicious behavior could include not being afraid of humans. Contact your local animal shelter if you are concerned about a suspicious acting animal.

Dogs

Every state has a mandate regarding the rabies vaccine protocol. In Virginia, the first vaccine given to a dog as a puppy is a one year vaccine. After this, they are vaccinated every three years as long as they are kept current.

The State of Virginia requires all dogs to have a current rabies vaccine. We are required to provide the State of Virginia with documentation of all rabies vaccines administered by the hospital.

Cats

In cats, we recommend the 1 year rabies vaccine by Purevax. The preservatives in the 3 year rabies vaccine have been described as causing a localized reaction leading to a pre-cancerous growth (fibrosarcoma) in cats.

CDC Rabies Factsheet