Rabies in cats: symptoms, forms, first signs, danger to humans

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Rabies is one of the most dangerous diseases affecting both humans and animals. Its pathogen disrupts the functioning of the nervous system, cells of the brain and spinal cord. Unfortunately, today there is no medicine that would completely cure patients. Only preventive measures have been developed. The features of the course of this infection, its types and signs are described in the sections of the article.

General characteristics of the virus

The microorganism that causes the disease is not too resistant to the effects of the external environment. Under the influence of low temperatures, it remains viable for only four months, and then dies. In dead bodies, the pathogen is present for several weeks. The virus is also destroyed as a result of boiling, the action of alkali, formalin. The victim of the disease can be both a person and an animal. The sources through which the microorganism enters the cells of the body are salivary secretions. Therefore, if you process clothes, onpenetrated by drops of this liquid, the above substances, the threat of infection is excluded. You can also boil things. Then the virus will die.

Wild animals and pets suffer from this disease.

The article deals with rabies in cats, symptoms, types, prevention of this danger.

When do signs of illness occur?

The pathogen can be in the victim's body from six to twelve days. In this case, there are no symptoms of the disease. It then begins to attack nerve cells. The microbe enters the salivary ducts about five days before the first signs of infection are found in an animal or person.

The incubation period for rabies in cats is two to three weeks. After the end of this period, pronounced symptoms of malaise occur.

However, sometimes the disease manifested itself only a few months after the microbe entered the cells of the body.

How does infection happen?

Pets can become a victim of infection, especially if they walk a lot in the wild. For example, an animal receives a virus through the bite of a sick animal (fox, wolf, raccoon, badger). The carriers of the infection are small rodents (squirrels, rats, mice), as well as hedgehogs and ferrets. Therefore, when hunting, having eaten such prey, the pet is likely to get sick. However, not only wild representatives of the fauna can infect a pet with a deadly virus. The source of the microorganism is sometimes goats, rabbits, horses, dogs.

Kunfortunately, vaccinating a cat against rabies is not a guarantee of complete safety in the future.

Characteristic symptoms

There are several common signs that indicate an infection in an animal. Among them can be listed:

1. Strange, atypical behavior.
2. Increased salivation.



3. A negative reaction to water and its sound.

In wild animals, the disease manifests itself differently than in pets. While the symptoms of rabies in cats usually include anger and irritability, the inhabitants of the forest, on the contrary, become too bold and gullible. They can approach a person, try to contact him. However, you should not stroke such a squirrel or fox. Most likely, the animal is infected.

The owner of a cat should immediately be alert when a pet tends to attack and aggression. For example, if a four-legged friend rushes at a sleeping owner or jumps on people from elevations. A pet may bite or scratch for no reason. This means that changes have begun in his body. Unfortunately, there is no single answer to the question of how to determine rabies in a cat in the first stage. After all, it is not at all necessary that she will behave strangely or embittered. Sometimes the signs of infection resemble problems with the intestines, poisoning, the ingress of a foreign object into the digestive tract. In such cases, it is very difficult to determine the presence of this particular virus.

Early stage of deadlyinfections

When the incubation period of rabies in cats ends, the first signs of the disease are detected. The animal becomes lethargic, eats little, interacts poorly with the outside world. In the absence of interest in food, it gladly absorbs objects made of wood, straw, pebbles. The area of the body that has been bitten is itchy and inflamed. The animal grows anxious, suspicious and excitable. A pet can constantly turn around, listen, attack the owners for no apparent reason. This is explained by the fact that the virus affects the cells of the nervous system. This state lasts no more than four days. Then there are pronounced signs of illness.

Varieties of rabies

There are several variants of this deadly infection:

1. Atypical. It is characterized by the appearance of vomiting and loose stools with an admixture of blood. Such a disease can be confused with inflammation of the stomach or an intestinal virus. With this form, the pet's well-being deteriorates sharply, exhaustion and death occur.
2. Easy. This type does not lead to a pronounced and prolonged malaise. However, the owner notices a sharp change in the pet's mood (obtrusiveness, excessive tenderness). This variety does no less harm than others, and the disease still ends in the death of the animal.



3. Exuberant form. She is considered the most formidable. With this type of rabies in cats, symptoms include anger, anxiety, and excitability. Animals become dangerous to others. They can bite other animals as wellowners. Therefore, this type of illness requires immediate veterinary attention.

The stages of the course of the most dangerous type of disease

An infection of this kind can torment an animal for eleven days. It is characterized by pronounced malaise. In the most formidable type, the signs of rabies in cats develop as follows:

1. At the first stage, there is lethargy, attempts to hide, to get away from communication. Sometimes the animal behaves too actively. There is a decrease in interest in food, there may be diarrhea, gag reflex, fever.
2. The second stage is characterized by the appearance of anger, the desire to bite and scratch. The beast does not recognize its owners. Attempts to calm him down, threats and raising his voice have no effect on behavior. The cat attacks the owners and other pets. She can run away from home and travel long distances. There is an increased secretion of saliva. It is difficult for an animal to drink water. The fur around the mouth becomes damp, rolled up and greasy.
3. When the disease enters the last phase, the pet suffers from movement disorders. Paralysis covers the paws, eye muscles, larynx (because of this, the pet is not able to swallow). Then comes death.

Other types of infection are not characterized by pronounced symptoms. However, malfunctions in the work of the stomach and intestines, a strong separation of saliva, refusal of food are soon detected. The pet suffers from movement disorders,weakness, cannot swallow, and soon dies. The symptoms of infection in babies are almost the same as those that occur in adult pets.

If cats show signs of rabies, call your veterinarian.

Atypical development of the disease

Cases of such a course of the disease are quite rare. This infection lasts up to six months. And sometimes pet owners may think that he is recovering. However, even at the first stages, the animal becomes weak, quickly gets tired, loses interest in food. There is nausea, bouts of diarrhea with blood. Sometimes there is a delay in defecation. There are convulsions of the whole body or its individual parts. Determining the presence of the virus in this case is difficult even for veterinarians. Despite the long development of the disease, the pet still expects death. Both drugs and the rabies vaccine for cats are already powerless here.

Hazard to human he alth

Unfortunately, if an animal gets sick, it can no longer be helped. The same statement applies to people. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when dealing with representatives of the fauna. Is rabies in cats dangerous to humans? Certainly yes. However, even in cases where people are bitten by infected animals, these patients can be saved if they immediately go to the clinic.

Life can be saved only at the stage when there are no signs of the disease.

Man is infected from animals through salivary fluid. Allocations penetrate into the cells of the body as a result of bites, scratches, wounds. If the virus has enteredbody, the patient exhibits the following symptoms:

1. Increased anxiety, anger or tears for no apparent reason.
2. Difficulty speaking.
3. Cramps of muscle tissue.
4. Visions, mental disorders.
5. Unusual body position while falling asleep.
6. Feeling scared.
7. Motor disorders.
8. Pain in the area of the body part that has been in contact with saliva.
9. Spasms of the larynx. As a result of this phenomenon, the patient cannot take food and even water. Later, he panics at the sight and sound of water, cups.

There is always a risk of rabies in humans after a cat bite. Therefore, if there is a threat of infection, the patient needs treatment in the form of injections. It should last approximately six months. This is the only way to protect your life.

What should I do if my pet is sick?

First of all, at the slightest suspicion of an illness, a pet is sent to an isolation ward, where it is kept for about ten days.

The doctor needs to find out if the animal is suffering from some other problem with similar symptoms (foreign object in the stomach, intestinal inflammation, concussion, parasites, lack of vitamins). For this, a thorough inspection is carried out. If rabies does not show symptoms in cats, they are given prophylactic injections and returned to the owner.

Unfortunately, if an illness is detected, the pet will have to be euthanized. If he is he althy, the doctor prescribesrelevant reference. However, the pet will have to show the veterinarian again after a while and get vaccinated.

There is no test for rabies in cats. The causative agent multiplies only in the cells of the organs of the nervous system. It can only be found at the autopsy of a dead body. The corpses of animals that had to be euthanized are usually burned. In this way, you can protect yourself from the spread of the virus.

How to prevent disease?

You can't completely protect your pet from such misfortune. The microorganism that causes infection has been known to science for many years. However, experts have not been able to find a way to defeat the formidable virus. The rabies vaccine for cats is the only possible protection.

It is not guaranteed, but can greatly reduce the risk of infection. Such injections are made twice. Between injections you need to withstand the interval (14 days). Doctors do not recommend this procedure for babies under the age of three months. It is not necessary to subject females expecting offspring or feeding them to such an event. Weakened pets who have recently suffered a serious illness and have not had time to recover enough should also not administer the medicine.

An adult cat is vaccinated against rabies once a year.

Previously used vaccine containing phenol. However, the animals felt unwell after this injection. To date, doctors use a milder drug. In state veterinary clinics, the procedurecarried out free of charge. Certain costs will require an improved version of the vaccine. It contains not only substances that protect against such an ailment, but also additional useful components. They are able to protect the cat from other equally dangerous diseases.

The owner needs to remember that if he takes a pet from the street, which in most cases is not vaccinated, the new resident of the apartment should be kept separately from other pets. Shoes in which a person goes outside should be stored in a place inaccessible to four-legged friends. After all, licking the surface of the shoes, the animal runs the risk of becoming infected. If possible, it is necessary to limit the communication of a cat with other representatives of the fauna (especially wild ones). However, some pets often walk in nature, in the country. However, even if a vaccinated pet is bitten, an extra dose of medication given on time is likely to save his life.

Conclusions

Rabies is one of the most formidable viruses that affects many inhabitants of the planet every year. The causative agent is able to exist for some time in the cold, as well as in dead bodies, but then it dies. You can also stop the life of a microbe by boiling or exposure to phenol. Both animals and people can become victims of this infection.

A radical means of dealing with it has not yet been invented. After the symptoms appear, the infected creature is guaranteed to die. The answer to the question of whether cats get rabies is yes. The virus enters their body after eating prey or being bitten.(through saliva). There are several forms of the disease. The most dangerous of them is characterized by aggressive behavior, others - by less specific symptoms (indigestion, salivation, lethargy). The animal suffers from infection for about 10 days, then paralysis and death occur. Rabies in domestic cats cannot be detected by analysis. The only way to prevent this problem is a special vaccine.