Rabies is a contagious, deadly disease that affects domestic animals and is transmitted through saliva. Often this disease is called hydrophobia or rabies, since its main symptom is the rejection of water by sick animals. Rabies causes damage to the nervous system, which provokes increased excitability in the pet, as well as paralysis of the respiratory system and limbs. The first signs of a rabid dog can appear even a couple of months after infection, but more often the infection quickly penetrates the brain, as the animals mainly bite each other on the neck and head.
Development of rabies
The incubation period for rabies is approximately two weeks. After the virus enters the body of the animal, it begins to move along the nerve fibers to the spinal cord and brain, heading to the salivary glands. When the brain cells are damaged, the virus multiplies very rapidly. As soon as the first symptoms of rabies appear, it is no longer possible to save the animal. However, in order to understand what it looks likerabid dog, it is necessary to carefully study the forms of this dangerous disease.
Forms of rabies in dogs
Animals can develop several forms of rabies: violent, depressive, atypical, remitting and abortive. The most common form of the disease is violent, the duration of which is about two weeks. At the first prodromal stage of the disease, signs of canine rabies are still invisible, but the animal gradually shows low mobility, as well as ignoring commands. During this period, rabid dogs may be too affectionate, which should already alert the owner. The second, manic, stage of the disease already indicates the infection of the animal without a doubt. The dog ceases to be afraid of a person, can suddenly attack and bite, after which it will try to run away. As a rule, the animal completely refuses water, it shows signs of paralysis of the larynx and lower jaw, as well as increased salivation. The final paralytic stage lasts for several days, while the dog does not drink, does not eat, does not react to what is happening around. She begins convulsive attacks, and develops complete paralysis of the internal organs, after which the animal dies.
Mad dogs with an atypical form of the disease are severely emaciated and fatigued, they have diarrhea and vomiting. This state can last for about six months. With depressive rabies, the animal, as a rule, does not show aggression and even normallyeats, but after a few days he develops a cough and lameness, followed by paralysis of the organs and larynx. The relapsing-remitting form of the disease lasts about a week, during which the dog's condition either worsens or improves. But with an abortive course of the disease, rabid dogs eventually recover, but this form of pathology is so rare that it has not been fully studied.
How to identify rabies in a dog?
If rabies is suspected, the animal should be isolated for a few days, during which time its condition should be closely monitored. The disease, as a rule, is diagnosed by symptoms, while no tests for the detection of the virus are prescribed. As soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, rabid dogs should be euthanized, as there is currently no cure for this terrible disease.
