Rabies - thankfully rare but be aware

[Mt_Rider]

This story of course caught my eye.  I had personal experience with getting the preventative rabies vaccine shots.  24 shots in those days - in the abdomen!  I was eight! 

 

Thankfully incidents of rabies is fairly rare these days but  several types of animals are marked as more common carriers.  They all die but some species tend to live longer; spreading more, I think.  Skunk.  Raccoon.  Domestic cat/dog.  Others.  But I believe even horses could get it if bitten. 

 

If my data is correct and current, there has only been one survivor of rabies noted in history...and she's in really bad shape.  (been a while since I've researched this.) 

 

Another thing:  The shots can give people a bad reaction.  Depending on your nervous system, I assume.  I have often wondered if those shots long ago, while absolutely necessary for my life, may have contributed to my current health issues???   

 

If you ever see a wild animal acting tame or crazy; especially foaming at the mouth - get outta there and call Wild Life officer or Animal Control or Forest Service....whoever is in control of the area you are in. 

 

THIS situation is clearly WEIRD!!!!  I've never heard of this before.  WHERE IS THE SOURCE - what gave rabies to the pup?  Saliva will spread it and who all got licked by the cute puppy?  And the other pups?  They certainly need to be quarantined for .....X number of days.  I don't know the number in this era but it can take a while to show up.  But once symptoms are present, the vaccine will not work.  

 

Getting liked by the pup might not matter unless it gets into a cut...or if the pup was nipping people.  Draw blood and you'd have to get shots. 

 

https://www.kktv.com/2024/08/09/attendees-denver-puppy-adoption-event-possibly-exposed-rabies/

 

MtRider     for all involved and those making decisions! 

[Jeepers]

That is scary!  Shouldn't all of the animals have been vaccinated before adoption? I don't know if they were old enough for the first shot though? I think around 3-4 months. One person said they might need booster vaccinations. All dogs need a booster every year regardless. 

 

Puppies nip and chew and lick their people as a matter of course. And those little nails are sharp too. I guess it would be easy to transfer rabies or worms or anything else. It seems odd that a puppy would have rabies unless they were living out in the wild. Poor little things. 

[Mt_Rider]

I found that strange too, Jeepers.  Where....HOW did that pup come in contact ...unless the litter had been abandoned by mama and discovered in time to 'save' them?

 

MtRider     this situation is a MESS!

[Jeepers]

It also said it was a liter of 11 puppies and one was euthanized. Then it said the OTHER 11 puppies were to be euthanized. Even with my lousy math skills 11+1=12. And what happened to the mother?

 

It was not feasible to keep the 10 remaining puppies for 120 days for observation? Where's PETA when you want them?

 

That is such a strange/sad story. 

 

[Littlesister]

That is terrible. All of those pups having to be put down due to this.  I know it is for the best but quarantining the rest of the pups to see first if they show any signs of rabies to me would have been a better option. But then I guess they didn't want to take any chances which is understandable.  

I think here in VA it is a 14-day incubation period. Then they will either be put down if they are showing signs of rabies or will get vaccinated and given back to the owner. Or at least I think that is how they do it here. 

[Mt_Rider]

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-health-officials-warn-adopters-puppy-tests-positive-rabies/

 

Update from evening Aug 10

 

This is so horrible.  At home quarantine.....I would not do that.  'Course I'm at higher risk having had the vax previously.  I understand the pain of giving up the cute little addition to your family without proof there's something wrong.  But.... there is no cure for rabies - human or animal.  So very serious.

MtRider    

[Littlesister]

Here when they quarantine an animal, you don't keep it at home. They take those animals to a shelter set up for that issue. After 14 days if there are no signs of rabies and the dog or cat is doing well, then you can go pick up your dog or cat and it also must be vaccinated against rabies be for leaving the shelter. 

[Jeepers]

I'm not sure I would chance home quarantine either. But then I think about if it was my Muffin...

 

It's hard to believe there wasn't a facility that could have taken care of those puppies a short time to see if they were rabie free. At the very least, a barn with cages. Again, PITA should have been all over this one. They aren't my favorite organization by any stretch, but they like publicity. 

 

Maybe a lesson to not adopt out animals until they are old enough for vaccinations. Did they already euthanize the other puppies and mother? If so, did any of them turn up positive? They also said the rabid pup wasn't in contact with any other animal. What a sad confusing mess. 

[Littlesister]

I don't care for PETA at all. I have heard horror stories about things they did in VA Beach. 

[Mt_Rider]

This has been unreal in it's story.  To hold an event without the animals being checked?  WHERE did that pup get rabies????

 

MtRider .....something seems off.....      ....or else I'm just paranoid! 

[Ambergris]

Virtually all the animals that PETA takes in end up euthanized.  Look up their figures.  

 

I've always thought puppies needed to have shots and all before being brought to an event of this kind, but people tell me it's not economically feasible.  Well, neither is any insurance, until you need it.  

[Jeepers]

I detest PETA. But,  what ever they get involved in brings attention. I would have thought they would have been all over this one. Ranting and raving is what they do best. These animals were destined to be euthanized regardless. 

 

Somehow I thought animals had to be vaccinated before adoption. I guess not? 

 

[Mt_Rider]

12 hours ago, Ambergris said:

've always thought puppies needed to have shots and all before being brought to an event of this kind,

 

Riiight?  Charge the adopters for the shots given already.  Show to proof and cost!  Lot of folks would appreciate that done already!

 

MtRider   

 

 

[Ambergris]

I remember my son's rising howl, "Where is that man going with MY PUPPY?"  

To give him his vaccinations, was the answer.  They don't "waste" those shots on dogs that are not going out the front door today.  Or that county didn't, and it was a pretty well-funded county.

Edited August 14 by Ambergris