Signs & Symptoms of Rabies in Skunks

Rabies has different strains or variations that may affect skunks. They eventually die as signs and symptoms of rabies worsen. The rabies virus targets the central nervous system, working its way up to the brain of the creatures. A skunk is susceptible to rabies when a rabid animal bites it. The virus thrives in the saliva and enters openings of the body such as wounds and scratches. Skunks may acquire rabies in different ways, but the signs and symptoms of rabies are almost the same.

  1. Mad dog syndrome

    • Mad dog syndrome term refers to an animal's behavior, in this case skunks, transforming drastically as the symptoms of rabies get worse. Contrary to the term, manifestations of this symptom can be seen in all animals afflicted by rabies. A skunk infected with rabies will have enlarged or dilated pupils. The animal is expected to become irritable as a result of the developing infection in the nervous system. As a consequence of the skunk's irritability, it will attack anybody it sees. It will not show any signs of hesitation to bite other animals, humans included. According to the Mark Veterinary Manual, skunks are most likely to victimize pets in urban areas. Undesirable sounds or any noise in general will irritate and anger the rabid skunk. It will eat and gnaw anything it comes across.

    Daylight exposure

    • The skunk is naturally a nocturnal animal. It means that the skunk is out during the night for food and water. When rabies infects the skunk, it is more likely that it may roam around in broad daylight. This should actually be a warning to people who will see a skunk during daylight. The skunk is typically shy and will not choose to go out during daylight. The animal does not necessarily need to exhibit irritability to tell that it has the virus, especially when it effortlessly exposed itself during daytime.

    Loss of muscle coordination

    • As the rabies virus works its way to the animal's brain, the skunk will start to exhibit uncoordinated muscle movements. This condition is commonly termed as ataxia. Ataxia is a medical condition where the animal particularly the skunk moves back and forth seemingly swaying and stumbles frequently. The skunk will seem to be jittery in its movements. At this stage, the skunk will produce too much saliva, which will drip profusely as it continuously loses muscle control. This saliva contains the rabies virus that will be transferred to another creature when bitten by an infected skunk.

    Paralysis

    • As the skunk loses muscle coordination, the symptom of paralysis shall follow. It is at this stage that the virus begins to damage the brain. The muscles in the jaw and the throat are the first to get paralyzed. At this time, the skunk will no longer be able to attack anybody. Paralysis will eventually rule over the system of the skunk. As the virus continues to destroy the brain of the skunk, it will slip into a coma and eventually perish.