13 Symptoms of Rabies

Would you be able to recognize a rabid animal? Do you know what the symptoms of rabies are? If not you are not alone. The majority of people today would not be able to spot a rabid animal or suspect that an animal had rabies. As you'll see, frothing at the mouth is not the only symptom of rabies. There are twelve more that you need to be aware of.

Rabies is a devastating and often fatal disease. Even with the advances in modern veterinary medicine, this disease is far from under control in North America. In some areas there has been a slight increase in the number of rabies cases as wild animals are moving into populated areas.

Of the following symptoms animals tend to show one or two symptoms when they have contracted rabies. In my experience I have only seen one animal froth at the mouth when they had rabies. Therefore you need to pay attention to the other signs and symptoms to keep both yourself and your pet safe as it can be passed on to humans.

Rabies Symptoms

The early symptoms of rabies in an animal are usually mild. This is usually indicated by either a lack of muscle coordination or what may appear a muscle stiffness in the animal. The other symptoms are more specific to the disease.

Note that the following symptoms may appear by themselves or they may be combined with other symptoms.

Pica. This is the eating of indigestible items like wood, rocks, glass, plastics, etc. It is not really understood when the animal does this.

Seizures. Both mild and acute seizures can occur in an animal with seizures. Mild seizures may be mistaken for tremors or shivering.

Fever. This is a sign of infection and since rabies is a virus the animal's natural immunity starts to work by increasing the animal's body temperature. When the temperature gets high enough the animal may suffer seizures.

Paralysis. This is one of the more common symptoms of rabies. Usually starting in a mild form it can rapidly increase until the animal cannot move.

Hydrophobia. This is also known as the fear of water. This occurs when the animal cannot swallow. The animal fears the water because they think they are going to choke to death and so they avoid water.

A sagged or dropped jaw. This is one of the more determinable symptoms of rabies. The animal will not be able to completely close its mouth due to paralysis of the jaw muscles.

An inability to swallow. This may or may not cause frothing at the mouth. The frothing usually comes when they breathe through their mouth instead of their nose. Usually this will result in excessive drooling.

A noticeable change in the tone of their bark. Animals with rabies can become quite vocal. If a dog normally has a low tone bark when they have the disease their bark will become high-pitched.

Shyness or aggressive behavior. If a dog normally loves being around people and is docile they may suddenly start to avoid people or attempt to attack them. When they attack they usually have a form of rabies known as ferocious rabies.

Overly excitable. This should not be confused with agitation. An agitated animal will likely attack while an excited animal may take a running fit when you pay attention to it.

Irritability. This can be a result of sudden mood swings in the animal. Animals suffering this symptom may suddenly bite or snap when you pay attention to them.

Paralysis of the jaw. This is a common sign of rabies. This will cause an inability to swallow or may lead to hydrophobia.

Constant salivation. This is also a common symptom of rabies. This will result in constant drooling and possible frothing at the mouth.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, it is important for any pet owner to know the signs and symptoms of rabies. And this becomes more important if you live in an area where wild animals frequent.

Also bear in mind that most animals will not exhibit all of these symptoms at the same time. Most animals will usually only show one or two symptoms. However, if you notice any of these symptoms it is extremely important that you take the animal to see a vet immediately. These symptoms could be the result of other diseases and only a veterinarian can rule out rabies.