Rabies

Rabies - How you can help prevent this disease

With fall here, many wild animals will be getting ready for cooler temperatures and may seek shelter in warm areas. This can include garages, outdoor buildings, deer stands, duck blinds, etc. Make sure all your domestic pets such as cats and dogs have a current Rabies vaccination. Here are some tips to help keep you safe from our furry friends from the woods.

Reducing Your Risk of Getting Rabies from Wildlife

Don't keep wild animals as pets. Americans keep more than 4.7 million exotic animals as pets -- animals that cannot be vaccinated against rabies.Avoid direct contact with wildlife, dead or alive. Never touch any wildlife with your bare hands. If you find a sick or injured wild animal, call your local animal control agency or humane society and let the experts handle it. Avoid animals displaying unnatural behavior. Wild animals that are unusually friendly or displaying other unnatural behaviors may have the rabies virus. Discourage contact between pets and wildlife. Don't let your pets roam or encourage them to interact with unfamiliar domestic or wild animals.

Feed your pets indoors. Leaving food outside often attracts stray dogs, cats and wildlife to your yard.Animal-proof your trash. Make sure your trash lids are locked, and don't leave bags of garbage outside the cans. Prevent wild animals from getting into the house. Prune tree branches that overhang the roof. Keep screens on windows and cover small openings, such as chimneys, furnace ducts and eaves.Report all stray animals to animal control. Stray animals may not be vaccinated for rabies. They also run a high risk of exposure to wild animals that carry the disease.Give your child some guidelines to follow. Do not frighten young children, but make sure they learn some basic rules about protecting themselves from strange or unfamiliar animals.

If you have questions about Rabies please contact Dr. Norette L. Underwood of Best Friends Vet Mobile Service and Trumann Animal Clinic at catdoc56@pcsii.com