Dog owners in urban environments should learn the signs of rabies in dogs. The best way to protect yourself and your dog from the dangers of the rabies virus is to vaccinate your dog against rabies.
Cats are certainly not exempt from the perils of contracting rabies. Rabies is highly contagious, and once signs of rabies in cats develop, the disease is almost always fatal. The best way to protect yourself and your cat from the dangers of the rabies virus is to vaccinate your cat against rabies.
As long as wild animals still carry the rabies virus, we can never completely eradicate this fatal disease. Pet owners can do their part to protect human lives by vaccinating their pets.
Rabies is very preventable.
In terms of legislation (The Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No 35 of 1984)), owners of dogs and cats must have their pets vaccinated against rabies between the ages of 3 and 7 months, then 12 months later and then again once every 3 years thereafter.
RABIES SYMPTOMS IN DOGS
• Changes in attitude & behavior
• Changes in bark & extreme excitability
• Dropped jaw with excessive salivation
• Fever, paralysis, seizures
• Fear of water
• Appetite for non-nutritious substances
• Unable to swallow
• Shyness or aggression
•Prodromal stage — a rabid dog exhibits changes in behaviour that aren’t typical for their personality
•Furious stage — a rabid dog may have a voracious appetite, even eating nonfood items such as stones and dirt. The dog eventually will become paralysed, unable to eat or drink. Death usually follows violent seizures
•Paralytic stage — a rabid dog’s face may distort and swallowing may appear to be a struggle. The dog lapses into a coma and death follows
Rabies vaccination of dog is important for your safety as well as your dogs
RABIES SYMPTOMS IN CATS
• Prodromal stage — a rabid cat exhibits changes in behaviour that aren’t typical for their personality
• Furious stage — a rabid cat may become nervous and vicious, experience seizures and a loss of appetite with excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth
• Paralytic stage — a rabid cat will go into a coma, be unable to breathe, and unfortunately, most often pass away
Rabies vaccination of cats is important for your safety as well as your cats
RABIES SYMPTOMS IN WILDLIFE
• Wild animals unusually act tame or are unafraid of approaching people
• Nocturnal animals, such as bats become active during the day
• Wild animals having trouble walking, drinking, or eating, or display a change in temperament
If a wild animal bites your pet, do not attempt to intervene or capture the wild animal.
Report the bite to your local Vet as soon as possible
Every 9 Minutes, Someone in the World Dies of Rabies
People can become infected if they make contact with an infected animal. More than 59,000 people die of rabies each year because they cannot get the care they need. That’s about 1 person dying of rabies every 9 minutes.
If you think you may have been exposed to rabies, contact your doctor.