Then we took plastic meat shredders to each cat scratcher and noted how easy it was to leave claw marks. Quality of construction and durability: We assembled each cat scratcher and examined their craftsmanship. It’s critical to take the cat to an emergency vet once symptoms appear or if you suspect a rabies infection. Rabies is almost 100% fatal, and there is no hope of recovery or long-term management of the disease once a cat has been infected and has started to show symptoms. Recovery and Management of Rabies in Cats For this reason, it is critical to keep your cat up to date on their rabies vaccine to ensure their health and safety should they become exposed to this disease. There is no treatment for rabies in cats, and humane euthanasia is recommended if the disease is strongly suspected. The brain tissue is examined using a method called direct fluorescent antibody testing. If a vet suspects rabies based on the cat’s symptoms, a diagnosis can be made by testing the brain tissue after the cat has died. There is no way to definitively diagnose rabies in a living animal, so it’s essential to observe the signs and accurately interpret symptoms. How Veterinarians Diagnose Rabies in Cats Rarely, the saliva or nerve tissue of an infected animal can contaminate a cat’s open wound or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth, leading to transmission of the virus without a bite occurring. The most common way for a cat to become infected is through a bite from an infected animal where the virus is transmitted by the saliva. This leads to hypersalivation and foaming at the mouth-which some people consider to be a classical sign of rabies virus infection.Įventually, coma and death occur after paralysis or prolonged seizure activity. The paralytic phase may also occur, in which patients start to develop paralysis of various muscular systems, and often lose the ability to swallow. They may seem to hallucinate and attack their surroundings with no trigger. If the furious phase develops, cats can become aggressive and occasionally delusional. Changes in behavior can range from extreme aggression to extreme depression or coma.Ĭlassical rabies has two forms, paralytic and furious. Symptoms tend to progress quickly to weakness or paralysis of the legs, seizures, difficulty breathing, hypersalivation (too much saliva) due to difficulty swallowing, and abnormal behavior. During the first 2-4 days of infection, your cat may have a fever, less energy than usual, and decreased appetite. Symptoms of Cat RabiesĮarly symptoms of rabies may be gradual and hard to spot. Cats are relatively resistant to the dog rabies variant, but are not considered a reservoir species for the virus. Host reservoirs for rabies include skunks, weasels, and bats. Animals that host and spread viruses like rabies are known as reservoirs for the disease. Rabies can affect any mammal, including humans. Infected animals experience paralysis that inevitably involves the respiratory system and leads to death. Rabies acts by attacking the central nervous system (CNS), spreading through the nervous system until it reaches the brain. It’s always a good idea to ensure your cats are current on their vaccinations. The good news is that you can prevent rabies in your cat with a simple vaccine. Rabies is a viral disease that is nearly always fatal in affected animals, including cats.
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