Rabies In Cats

Rabies In Cats
Rabies In Cats

Video: Rabies In Cats

Video: Rabies In Cats
Video: Cat with Rabies 2024, March
Anonim

Rabies is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. It is manifested by symptoms of a violation of the activity of the central nervous system. This disease has been known since ancient times, back in the 5th century BC. e. Democritus mentioned it, and only at the beginning of the 19th century it was proved that this disease is contagious. A little later, the nature of rabies was established and it was found that the cause of it was a virus. The rabies causative agent belongs to the lyssavirus family that contains ribonucleic acid.

Rabies is common in almost every country except England, Australia, New Zealand, Seychelles and Mauritius. In the rest of the countries, rabies is still reported annually, despite the fact that doctors are trying to get as many animals as possible with vaccinations. Almost all animal species are susceptible to rabies, but especially dogs. The main distributors in nature are foxes and wolves. Every year there are cases of wild rabies in farm animals in the Moscow, Tver and Yaroslavl regions, the Moscow region, sadly, has been a hotbed of rabies for several years. In Moscow itself, it has not been registered for several decades, and those cases that have taken place are “gifts” from nearby regions.

The corpses of animals killed by rabies are emaciated. Combs, bite marks are often found. Wool in the area of the lower jaw, neck, dewlap is moistened with saliva and is dirty. The mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and digestive tract are catarrhally inflamed. On the mucous membrane of the mouth and tongue, there may be erosion, covered with gray crusts of dried mucus. The stomach is free of food masses. The mucous membrane of the stomach, especially along the folds, reddened, with hemorrhages and erosions. The brain and its membranes are edematous, punctate hemorrhages are seen in places. The blood vessels in the brain are dilated.

Cat with rabies, photo photography
Cat with rabies, photo photography

Cat with rabies

The incubation period lasts from 14 days to 3 months, and according to some scientific sources, up to several years. Rabies is transmitted through saliva. It has been established that 8-10 days before the first clinical signs of the disease appear, the rabies virus is found in the saliva of infected dogs. Therefore, from the moment of the bite, the animal is examined twice: on the 1st and 10th day. An animal with rabies will inevitably die within ten days. The only way to protect yourself from this disease is vaccination. And here the question arises: is rabies vaccination dangerous for the animals themselves?

Among the owners of dogs and cats, there is an opinion that, they say, vaccinations are not necessary, because this vaccine is dangerous. Indeed, for many years a phenol vaccine was used, and it was dangerous because it caused a strong allergic reaction. Now this vaccine is not used in Russia. Another is used - Shchelkovo-51. In addition to the domestic vaccine (I must say, one of the best), other monovalent (against one disease) and polyvalent (against several diseases) are also used in Russia. One such vaccine is Hexadog. For the prevention of rabies in wild animals - wolves, foxes, hedgehogs, raccoon dogs, a live cultural oral vaccine has been developed and is used, which is scattered in minced meat from a helicopter over the forests.

Animals are vaccinated against rabies from the age of three months. The animal must be healthy and examined by a doctor. It is necessary to conduct thermometry. It is not recommended to vaccinate pregnant and puppy animals, if there is no urgent need. Before vaccination, the owner of the animal must take all measures in order to rid him of helminths. Trantal or another drug is given once.

There is a special vaccination schedule, but the doctor will tell you about all this when you bring your pet to the appointment.

Prepared by Nadezhda Zarzhetskaya

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