The City of Littlefield Animal Shelter started their Animal Control Summer Educational Outreach Program. Starting June 30 through this wee This week will be focused on the dangers of Rabies.
Rabies is a virus that affects the central nervous system. It is transmitted by either being bitten or having an open wound come in contact with the saliva of an infected animal. Although there is no cure for the disease, according to the City of Littlefield Animal Shelter Facebook page, only a series of shots prevent from getting the disease.
All warm-blooded animals, including humans, can contract Rabies. Animals such as skunks, bats, coyotes, and foxes are the most common types of animals to pick up the virus. The cycle of contracting Rabies is usually when an infected animal bites a dog or cat infecting them, which can then be transmitted to other pets or humans. According to the City of Littlefield Animal Shelter Facebook page, if an infected animal gets into a barnyard, it may bite and infect the farm dog, cat or other livestock.
There are three stages over the course of the disease. The first is the incubation period, which takes anywhere from 14 days to 18 months for the animal to show signs of the disease. The incubation period depends on the animal species, the severity of the virus, the victim’s age and the site of the wound. Incubation typically takes three to eight weeks for most species.
The second stage is the clinical signs of the disease. There are two types of clinical signs; furious and dumb. Furious Rabies is when the animal is irritable and will snap at real or imaginary objects. The animal may run for miles and attack anything in its path. In dumb Rabies, the prominent symptoms are drowsiness and paralysis of the lower jaw. The animal may appear to have a bone lodged in its throat fooling the owner into prying its mouth open, exposing the owner to Rabies. Animals with dumb Rabies are not likely to roam, but will snap at movement and are completely insensitive to pain.
The third stage is paralysis resulting in death. For furious Rabies, paralysis sets in shortly, typically starting at the hind legs. Death follows four to seven days after the onset of clinical signs. For dumb Rabies, the animal usually becomes comatose and dies three to ten days after first symptoms appear. Without early treatment Rabies is fatal to humans.
The state of Texas requires dogs and cats be vaccinated against Rabies by four months of age. The vaccine must be administered by a licensed veterinarian. It is important the owner of a dog or cat keep the Rabies vaccination certificate with them while traveling with the animal. A county or municipality may not register or license an animal that has not been vaccinated. If the owner has not vaccinated the animal, it is con-sidered a Class C misdemeanor. If on trial and the court finds that the person has been previously convicted of not vaccinating their animal, it is considered a Class B misdemeanor.
All of the information on Rabies and how to protect animals from Rabies can be found on the City of Littlefield Animal Shelter Facebook page.