Rabies Shots: Ridiculous

When was the last time you heard about a rabid dog in your neighborhood? What about a cat? Never? Then why do you keep coming back to the clinic every year to get your new tags? Have you ever wondered why you’re doing it? It is inarguably a scary disease, but what are the odds of your pet catching it, really?

Some of you think that rabies comes from dogs; therefore, if you know of no dogs with rabies, your pet is not at risk. It actually comes from the raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats that share our neighborhoods. These animals come out mainly at night, after all the humans have gone to sleep, so there’s usually no hint of their existence save the occasional toppled trash can and a trail of smudges in freshly fallen snow. These wild animals live right under your nose. Don’t believe it? A study in New York State showed that raccoon populations were more dense inside the City of New York than in the many wooded natural areas of the state. Wild animals often prefer to be near people because of all the delicious trash we provide them.

So if carriers of rabies come out when you’re in bed, how could your indoor dog be at risk? The rabies virus damages brain tissue, resulting in bizarre behavior such as aggression, absence of fear, and activity during broad daylight. Interactions between animals are thus increased in frequency and violence, which ensures the survival of the virus by helping it jump to a new host. The only pets that do not need protection from rabies are those that live their whole lives indoors. That’s why you cat owners are skipping it, right? Two years ago, the news of a 15-year-old, entirely indoor cat was published in the veterinary community—a cat that bit two people and subsequently died, testing positive for rabies. The people involved immediately underwent a series of expensive injections known as “rabies prophylaxis”, and they did survive. There is no evidence to explain how this frail and harmless old kitty was transformed into a potential killer, but the inescapable fact is that the same scenario could play out in your home.

Was a bat the culprit? Frighteningly, many human victims of rabies (now dead, of course) were able to recall a seemingly harmless encounter with a bat (resulting in no visible wound) or else no encounter with an animal at all. Bats frequently enter people’s homes in the downtown and suburbs as well as rural areas. Cats are notoriously poor at delivering a detailed account of their activities and interactions with other animals. If you were relying on your finely-honed diagnostic skills to detect a skin wound in advance of developing rabies, you’re not that good. If a human being can not identify a bat bite on his own naked skin, you are highly unlikely to spot one on your fur-coated, speech-impaired feline.

So why would you take the risk?

Dr. M.S.Regan