Officials Tout Pets’ Rabies Shots
July 18th, 2008 Posted in Reptile PetsA single rabies vaccination could have been enough to save the family dog last week. Instead, the pooch, lacking up-to-date shots, had to be euthanized following an attack by a rabid skunk.
The attack, last Thursday on Mountain City Road outside Damascus, marks the year’s first rabies case in Washington County, Va., according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A rabid animal was bound to be found wandering the county sooner or later, statistics show.
“Rabies is endemic for Southwest Virginia, and pet owners need to take it seriously,” said Scott Honaker, environmental specialist for the Virginia Department of Health’s Mount Rogers region.
Current vaccinations and booster shots are the only way to protect pets from both rabid animals and the quarantine and testing laws.
The vaccines are primarily intended to prevent the pet from spreading rabies to humans, experts said. And though there is an antidote for humans bitten by infected animals, there aren’t any for pets.
In Virginia and some parts of Tennessee, a pet lacking current vaccinations is either euthanized for testing, or quarantined for six months.
A brain sample from either the pet or attacking animal is needed for testing. So if the animal suspected of rabies gets away, there is no praying for good test results for the bitten pet without killing it first.
“Once they’ve been penned for six months, they’re probably not the same animal when they get out,” said Laura Boggan of the Sullivan County Regional Health Department in Tennessee.
About one rabid animal is captured in Washington County, Va., each year, state statistics show.
Last year, it was a raccoon. It was a cat three years ago, and a raccoon the year before that. The only anomaly was 2006, when no rabid animal was caught in the county. A rabid bat was even snagged last year in Bristol, Va.
Higher counts are found in Sullivan County, Tenn., where seven raccoons, a cat and a grey fox have been reported this year.
Rabid raccoons are usually the most dangerous simply because of their infection-driven ferocity. The masked denizens of the woodlands and surrounding regions have been known to dig under fences just to attack backyard pets, said Boggan.
“They will attack anything that moves when they’re rabid,” she said.
The best advice for people is to stay away from wild animals. A bite by a wild animal could automatically bring a series of shots in the arm unless the animal is caught and proven to be free of infection.
Rabies is supposed to be “a fragile virus,” according to Nurse.com, and a quick scrub of the bite with soap and water could destroy it before any real damage is done. Still, the animal has to be captured or killed for testing. A trip to a doctor or an emergency room is in order next, along with a call to animal control and the local health department.
The best defense, experts say, is to enjoy wild animals from afar.
Boggan issued a simple warning for dealing with animals – “Love your own, leave others alone.”
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