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County of Lambton
Community Health Services Department
160 Exmouth St.
Point Edward, ON, Canada
N7T 7Z6
phone: (519) 383-8331
fax: (519) 383-7092
toll free: 1-800-667-1839
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Forest Office
59 King Street West
Forest, ON, Canada
N0N 1J0
phone: (519) 786-2148
fax: (519) 786-2149
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Home>Health Information>Rabies
Control>Recognizing a Rabid
Animal
 Recognizing a Rabid Animal
This page was reviewed or revised on Friday, August 14, 2009.
Animals do not all behave the same way when they have rabies. The signs
described below are characteristic, but a rabid animal may not exhibit
all of them, or to the same degree. The disease may take different forms,
"furious" or "dumb" rabies, or a combination of the
two.
Furious rabies
In the early stages, the animal changes its disposition or behaviour (a
friendly animal may become shy and hide in a corner, a shy animal may become
snappy, uncertain or unusually friendly, and a wild animal may become abnormally
tame). It may bite indiscriminately - its chain, other animals, people,
its owner, itself, etc. Its voice may become hoarse.
In the later stages, the animal may become unusually restless and excitable.
It may startle easily, run aimlessly, become watchful and exhibit a puzzled
or apprehensive look. It might change its eating habits, and finally develop
gradual paralysis in the throat (drooling profusely) and hindlegs. Eventually,
it dies.
Dumb rabies
Vicious and aggressive signs are less noticeable, but otherwise the course
of the disease is similar. Rabies may invade the nervous system faster in
this form. Paralysis usually starts in the throat, causing difficulty in
swallowing. The animal rapidly loses weight, becomes paralyzed and dies.
If you know or suspect that an animal has rabies, keep humans and other
animals away from the suspect animal. Keep track of the animal's location.
Only an experienced or trained trapper or animal control officer should
attempt to capture the animal
If the suspect animal has had contact with pet or livestock, contact:
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency at (519) 332-3031 (formerly Agriculture
Canada).
If it becomes necessary to destroy the animal, or if the suspect animal
is already dead, use gloves and shovels to handle the carcass. Contain
the carcass in a double garbage bag. Do not damage the head if the animal
has had contact with humans, pets or livestock so that rabies tests can
be done. Otherwise, dispose of the carcass by burial or incineration.
If the suspect animal has had contact with a human, immediately wash
the affected area with soap and water, contact your doctor, and notify
the health unit as soon as possible:
Community Health Services
(519) 383-8331
1 800 667-1839
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1. Rabies Home Bats & Rabies - Questions and Answers Contingency Plan, Raccoon Rabies for the County of Lambton Rabies Clinics Rabies in Lambton County Rabies in Ontario Rabies Program Recognizing a Rabid Animal Upcoming Events Vaccination of Pets
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