Why Quarantine Animals for 10 Days?

The 10-day animal quarantine rule is designed to identify and stop the spread of rabies, a disease that's nearly 100 percent fatal. According to the National Institutes of Health, rabies spreads through infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or broken skin. The disease attacks the central nervous system and ends in the brain, causing inflammation. Skunks, raccoons, foxes and bats are the most common rabies carriers in the United States. Rabid animals transmit the rabies virus only in the last days of the animal̵7;s life. Examination of brain tissue, after the infected animal̵7;s death, is the only method of determining rabies.

  1. Dogs

    • A dog vaccinated against rabies may still contract the disease, and in certain states vaccinated dogs must be quarantined for 10 days. Some states won't quarantine dogs with current vaccination records; check the law in your state. In the past, Americans contracted rabies from dog bites. Presently, with widespread rabies vaccinations of domestic animals, the threat has all but disappeared. Since domestic dogs may come in contact with other infected animals, the quarantine rule continues in various locales.

    Cats

    • Cats require a 10-day observation for rabies.

      As with dogs, cats may contract rabies when bitten by infected raccoons, skunks, bats, or most frequently, groundhogs. For cats, only one method exists for determining rabies: the suspected cat must remain caged for 10 days for observation. After 10 days, if the cat exhibits no symptoms, veterinarians release it. Not all states quarantine cats with current vaccination records. Check your local and state laws.

    Other pets and rabies

    • Rabbits don't contract rabbies.

      Pet ferrets may contract rabies; other smaller mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, guinea pigs, chipmunks, gerbils, hamsters, mice and rats don̵7;t contract the disease. No American bitten by these animals has ever contracted rabies. Therefore, veterinarians may quarantine ferrets, but not other small pets for observation.

    Traveling with pets

    • When traveling to Hawaii, pet owners need to know that it is the only U.S. state that ̶0;has never had an indigenous case of rabies and the state operates a quarantine of all dogs cats, and other carnivores, to maintain a rabies-free status,̶1; according to Hawaii̵7;s Department of Agriculture. Quarantine ranges from five days to 10 months, depending on the travelers̵7; advance preparation of their pets for the visit.