Rabies. The word conjures an image of an angry animal frothing at the mouth and running wild, ready to sink its teeth into anything that moves. While that’s unpleasant to consider, what’s worse is that such a bite is often fatal.
World Rabies Day, observed every year on September 28, serves as an important reminder that prevention is within our control — starting with keeping pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations. If you’re unsure when your pet’s last rabies vaccine was, now is the perfect time to check with your veterinarian and schedule a booster if needed.
Rabies is more common than you may think. It’s not just for wildlife and stray dogs. It affects people and pets — even indoor ones — making rabies prevention in everyone’s best interest.
What Is Rabies?
If you’ve ever wondered what rabies is, you’re not alone. Many are aware that it is a dangerous disease, but are hazy on the specifics of what it is, how it spreads, and what types of animals it can affect. Let’s break all of that down.
Rabies is a viral disease, caused by the rabies virus, that affects a mammal’s central nervous system. It is found in areas populated by mammals all over the world, and has been seen on every continent except for Antarctica.
How Do Dogs Get Rabies? What About Cats?
Rabies is most commonly transmitted when an infected animal bites another, with the virus moving through saliva. Though in some rarer cases, rabies can also be transmitted via a scratch or via the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Transmission from animal-to-animal or animal-to-person is the same regardless of species, so cats and dogs will be infected with rabies in the same way. Approximately 99% of rabies cases in humans are acquired from the bite of an infected dog.
What Does Rabies Do to Animals?
After an animal has been bitten and infected with rabies, the virus gets into the victim’s system, attacking the nervous system and causing inflammation in the brain. Rabies infections in animals will typically progress through three stages, each with its own timeline and symptoms.
1. Prodromal Stage
- Lasts: about 2–3 days
- Symptoms: Subtle and easy to miss. Animals may show behavior changes — friendly pets might become shy or irritable, while normally timid animals may seem unusually bold. Fever, loss of appetite, and chewing or licking at the bite site can also occur.
2. Excitative (Furious) Stage
- Lasts: About 1–7 days
- Symptoms: This stage of rabies is marked by extreme excitability, aggression, and restlessness. Animals may snap or bite at anything nearby, roam aimlessly, and have trouble swallowing — leading to drooling or foaming at the mouth. Sensitivity to light and sound is common. Some animals, however, skip this stage entirely.
3. Paralytic (Dumb) Stage
- Lasts: Usually 2–4 days before death
- Symptoms: In this stage, which is the most common form of rabies in dogs, weakness and paralysis set in, often starting in the limbs or throat. Difficulty swallowing worsens, preventing the animal from eating or drinking. As this form progresses, animals may become very quiet, unresponsive, and eventually slip into a coma before dying.
Unfortunately for pets who have been bitten by a rabid animal, rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Yet, rabies is completely preventable with an up-to-date rabies vaccine.
What Animals Have Rabies?
Any mammal can contract rabies – including us humans. The rabies virus specifically affects mammals due to several biological factors including nervous system structure and the stable, warm-blooded environment that mammalian bodies provide.
Common wild carriers of the rabies virus in North America include bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and foxes. These wild animals are often responsible for transmitting rabies to our pets and other domesticated animals, like dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, cattle, and sheep.
While it’s important for pet owners to know that not all of these wild animals listed will have rabies, it’s still a good idea to keep your pets and livestock away from them to avoid injuries and transmission of other diseases and illnesses.
What Animals Cannot Get Rabies?
Rabies is a disease exclusive to mammals, meaning that birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians cannot contract it.
Symptoms of Rabies in Dogs, Cats, and Other Wild Animals
Rabies affects the brain and nervous system of infected mammals, which leads to dramatic changes in behavior and movement. Being able to recognize these warning signs early in dogs, cats, and wildlife is crucial for protecting both pets and people.
Symptoms of rabies in dogs and cats that owners should be on the lookout for after an encounter with a wild animal include:
- Sudden changes in behavior (becoming aggressive, irritable, or unusually quiet/withdrawn)
- Restlessness or agitation
- Excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth
- Difficulty swallowing or eating
- Unusual vocalizations (growling, howling, or loud, distressed meowing)
- Uncoordinated movements, staggering, or paralysis
- Seizures in later stages
- Hiding or avoiding contact (some may instead become unusually friendly or bold)
- Coma and death as the disease progresses
The primary difference in how dogs and cats will exhibit rabies symptoms is their behavior. Research has shown that dogs may be hyperexcitable and restless, while cats, on the other hand, become increasingly irritable and may produce increased vocalizations as a result.
Being able to recognize symptoms in rabies in wild animals is equally important and can be instrumental in keeping your pet safe and from engaging with rabid animals.
Rabies symptoms in wild animals include:
- Loss of natural fear of humans (approaching people or pets)
- Nocturnal animals appearing active in the daytime
- Aggressive attacks or unusually tame behavior
- Staggering, circling, or paralysis
- Excessive salivation or foaming at the mouth
While it’s always important to keep your pets away from wild animals, be sure to exercise extreme caution if you notice any wild animals in your area exhibiting any of these symptoms. If you suspect a rabid animal in your area, get in touch with your local health department or animal control agency for assistance.
Busting a Common Myth About Rabies in Dogs and Cats
Many people believe only wildlife like foxes, raccoons, bats, or stray dogs get rabies. Yet, people and household pets are also at risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Every year, about 40,000 people receive a rabies prevention treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) because they had contact with [a] potentially rabid animal.”
It turns out that while there is treatment for humans who are bitten, there is no such treatment for our dogs or cats. If your pet is bitten by a rabid animal, then call your veterinarian right away. They’ll make an assessment based on your pet’s vaccination records, behavior, and whether or not the biting animal was rabid.
The American Veterinary Medical Association says, “Even if your dog, cat, or ferret has a current vaccination, he/she should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner’s control, and observed for a period as specified by state law or local ordinance. Animals with expired vaccinations will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”
Diagnosing Rabies
Rabies differs from other diseases that our pets can contract due to the challenging nature of confirming a rabies diagnosis. Unfortunately, the only way to confirm rabies in animals is via laboratory testing of the animal’s brain tissue following their death.
It is not possible to diagnose rabies in a living animal, so veterinarians and public health officials rely on history (such as exposure to wildlife) and symptoms to make decisions while the animal is still alive.
Rabies Vaccine: The Greatest Tool to Stop the Spread of Rabies
Rabies is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, but it’s also one of the most preventable. Modern rabies vaccines are extremely effective when used correctly and kept up to date. Once a pet is properly vaccinated against rabies in accordance with veterinary guidelines and scheduling best practices, it is highly unlikely that it will contract rabies, even if exposed to it.
Because rabies poses such a great risk to public health, vaccinating pets against rabies is legally required in many states across the U.S. Through rigorous vaccination efforts, strict quarantine and animal importation rules, and public health initiatives, some other countries and island nations have become “rabies-free.” A few of these territories include:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Japan
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
- Singapore
- Fiji
- Guam
Does Your Indoor Cat Really Need a Rabies Shot?
The short answer is, “yes.” Not only is an up-to-date rabies shot required by law in most (if not all) states, but even if your cat never leaves the confines of your home, other creatures can get in. You may have experienced a raccoon or bat in your home before. Plus, indoor cats have been known to wander through an open door or window. Others have panicked when being put in the car for their trip to the veterinarian – which is one reason we recommend a cat carrier. Veterinarians know most cats don’t like car rides and this sometimes results in healthcare gaps.
To help, some veterinarians offer mobile, or “house call,” services now, where they’ll come to you. In some states, pets are expected to have a rabies vaccine as kittens or puppies and then 3-year boosters after that.
Are your pets up to date on their rabies vaccine? If you have questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (817) 904-9719, or you can email us at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram.