I think that spring is going to be upon us soon, and I can’t wait. Longer evenings, warmer weather, blooming flowers that take me back to my childhood days of bike riding and badminton playing. Honeysuckle. Does it to me every time.
Sigh.
Oh, and also, the animals are out enjoying the weather, too. Specifically, the wild ones.
Every year around this time, there will be a report of an animal in our area who tested positive for rabies. This is a plea to be careful and talk to your children about not handling wild animals – or even stray cats in the neighborhood.
I’ll never forget driving home from work a few years ago when I saw a child running down the street after a cat. She scooped the feline up, legs dangling to and fro, while she shuffled on down the sidewalk.
I almost had a heart attack. Seriously. Stray cats can carry a host of diseases – rabies included – and we need to handle them with care. Now, please don’t take that to imply that anyone should be mean to strays. On the contrary. Be nice, talk to them kindly (many of them have tough lives) – most importantly, have them spayed or neutered – but just be careful.
The bottom line here is that according to the Centers for Disease Control, once someone with a rabies infection starts having symptoms, they usually don’t survive.
Rabies is a virus that travels from the saliva of an infected animal and usually needs exposure to blood to take hold. The virus then attacks the brain and gets there through the nervous system.
There are actually two different forms of rabies – dumb rabies and furious rabies – and the names mean pretty much what you would think. Furious rabies usually leads to aggression and bites, whereas with dumb rabies, the animal usually becomes depressed and hides.
Did you know that now, right now, about 59,000 people die every year from rabies? I was shocked, too. Most of the deaths come from the third-world countries where vaccinations are scarce. That’s why it’s so serious, and that’s why it’s the law to have your animals vaccinated against the disease.
In Pennsylvania, any animal over three months of age who enters a human-inhabited dwelling for any part of a 24-hour period must have a rabies vaccination. Did you get that? It’s pretty simple.
Really, it’s important, too. Vaccinating our pets against rabies not only protects us, but it protects them as well.
Our pets can come in contact with animals that might be carrying rabies quicker than we think. If your pup goes outside to do his business, and he’s left unsupervised, it’s amazing how fast a raccoon or squirrel or even a stray cat can get in the yard and go after the dog. Or, vice versa. How many of our pups like to chase things? Uh huh. You can see where that will end.
Even indoor cats who never go outside can be at risk. If a bat gets inside the house (and man, do I have a childhood story about that…probably for another time), an indoor cat could be exposed to rabies.
Be smart. Don’t ever approach an animal you think could have rabies. Contact the proper authorities who have the equipment and knowledge to handle the situation. If, heaven forbid, you think your pet may have been bitten by a wild animal, make sure to get him to the vet as quickly as possible. If you are bitten by any animal – including your own – get yourself to the hospital. Don’t mess with an animal bite. Ever.
This issue can be life-threatening, and I wouldn’t want to see that happen to anyone.
So while the weather is nice and we’re all spending time outdoors enjoying the sun and all the delight this time of year brings, be careful of the animals outside with us, and make sure your family, friends and four-legged babies are all protected and safe.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, readers may call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Readers can help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
