The Signs of a Rabid Dog

With mandatory rabies vaccination laws in most communities, the incidence of domestic dogs contracting the disease is rare. However, if the dog has not received its vaccine and a rabid animal bites it, he may develop rabies. The signs of an active rabies infection in a dog may follow one of two forms of symptoms--an "aggressive" form or a "dumb" form. In either case, a rabid dog is highly contagious to any animal or human it may bite.

  1. Incubation

    • Most pet owners want to know when a dog that has been exposed to rabies will begin to show signs of infection. While the average incubation period is between three weeks and eight weeks, a dog may not show signs of rabies for up to six months.

    Early Signs

    • The rabies virus migrates from the wound site to the dog's brain, and once it becomes an active infection, it will travel to the salivary glands, making it contagious. When this occurs, the dog may exhibit the first signs of rabies infection, including anxiety, shyness and the desire to be alone. Its personality might change and if it was previously aggressive, it may become docile or may become aggressive if it was formerly easygoing. Not all dogs will exhibit all signs.

    Aggressive Form

    • Perhaps the most recognized signs of a rabid dog include aggression and a wild demeanor. If the dog develops the aggressive form of the disease, it may exhibit rage at the slightest provocation. A caged dog may attack its kennel and attempt to bite other animals or humans.

    Dumb Form

    • The alternate form of rabies affects the dog's muscles and nerves, causing it to stumble around, bump into objects, lose its balance and look "dumb" as its facial muscles droop and jaw hangs open. A dog may exhibit this form of the disease without ever showing signs of anger and aggression. However, some dogs that previously exhibit the aggressive form may later enter this stage.

    Death

    • As the rabies infection spreads through the dog's body, it will gradually become paralyzed until the muscles that control breathing cease to function and the dog dies.