Do you have a pet and want to know about rabies in cats, then surely you’ve ever heard of rabies in dogs, a disease that affects all mammals and can even infect humans. Although rabies is not a very common disease in cats, it is very dangerous since it has no cure and results in the death of the animal. You can see some of the symptoms of rabies in cats.
If your cat often leaves home and is in contact with other animals you must take into account this disease and inform yourself about it and take the necessary measures to prevent it. Present that a bite of an infected animal is sufficient for its contagion.
If you want to know how rabies affects cats and the symptoms it provokes read this article by on signs of rabies in cats and then try to cure your cat in a easy way.
Contents
What is Rabies in Cats
The Rabies is a viral infectious disease that affects all mammals and therefore cats can get it too. It is a serious disease that usually causes death because it affects the central nervous system causing acute encephalitis in patients.
It is spread through the bite of an infected animal or of wounds during a fight with an animal sick with rabies. Importantly it does not arise spontaneously and it must be transmitted by another animal, so if your cat suffers from this disease it means that at some point it has been in contact with another infected animal or its remains. The virus is present in the secretions and saliva of these animals, so a simple bite is enough to transmit the virus.
Bats that fly by day erratically and colliding with objects may suffer from rabies, so never let your cat get close to them. Unfortunately the rabies is a disease that has no cure. It is rare and causes the death of most infected cats.
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Vaccine Against Feline Rabies
The rabies vaccine is the only method of preventing rabies. The first dose is applied at three months of age and then there are annual reinforcements. Usually the dogs are vaccinated periodically but not cats, so you should consider if your cat is exposed to areas of risk or if it comes into contact with wild animals. If so the most convenient is vaccination.
There are regions in the world with greater risk than others. In Europe rabies is practically gone but from time to time an isolated case arises. Find out about the presence of the disease in your place of residence to be alert and prevent your cat from getting rabies. Vaccination against rabies is mandatory in some countries.
This vaccine is mandatory to go out with your cat in the country or to participate in competitions or exhibitions in Spain. But if your cat never goes outside your veterinarian may not consider it necessary to administer it.
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Stages of the Disease
There are Several Phases of Rabies in Cats
- Incubation period: It is asymptomatic the cat does not show evident symptoms. This period varies a lot being able to last from a week to several months. The most common is that they begin to show symptoms from the month after infection. In this period the disease spreads throughout the body.
- Prodromic period: Changes in behavior are already occurring at this stage. The cat is tired with cat vomiting and excitability. This phase can last between two and 10 days.
- Exciting or furious phase: It is the most characteristic phase of rabies. The cat is very irritable, with very sudden changes in behavior being able to bite and attack.
- Paralytic phase: It produces generalized paralysis, spasms, coma and finally death.
The period between phases can vary in each cat. The most common is to start with changes in behavior until the nervous system is very affected and seizures and other nervous problems begin.
Symptoms of feline Rabies
The symptoms are very varied and not all cats have the same:
- Anomalous meows
- Atypical behavior
- Irritability
- Excess salivation (drooling)
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Weight loss and appetite
- Aversion to water
- Seizures
- Paralysis
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Some cats do not suffer from vomiting others do not drool excessively and others may suffer a nervous picture and suddenly die. On the other hand the version or fear of water is a symptom of animals that suffer from rabies, that is why the disease is also known as hydrophobia. However cats do not like water normally so it will not be an obvious symptom.
Many of these symptoms especially in the early stages, can confuse us with other diseases. If your cat has any of these symptoms and has suffered a fight recently, go to the vet as soon as possible. Only he or she can get you out of doubt.
Treatment for Rabies for Cats
Rage has no treatment. It acts very quickly and is lethal for cats. If your cat has been infected the first thing your vet will do is isolate it to prevent it from spreading to other cats. Depending on the progress of the disease euthanasia is the only option.
For this reason, prevention is very important since it is the only way to protect our cats against this disease. Pay special attention to your cat if it leaves home and is in contact with other animals. Remember that rabies affects dogs, cats, ferrets, bats, and foxes. Any fight of your cat with these animals can cause a contagion. If your cat is prone to fighting we recommend vaccination.
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Conclusion
This article is purely informative, in CatsFud we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
