First Signs of Rabies in an Animal

When people think about rabies in animals, they often think about the signs that are evident during the furious stage of the disease, such as frenzy and extreme aggression. Though the early symptoms of rabies are more subtle, it is still important to recognize them. Early detection of rabies can lead to swift, effective action.

Fever

• Rabies is a virus, and one way an animal's body fights viruses is through raising the temperature. While this is ineffectual in the case of rabies, the animal's body will feel hotter to the touch, and he may seem uncomfortable or listless due to this.

Loss of Appetite

• An animal infected with the rabies virus tends to feel uncomfortable and ill at ease, and this can result in a loss of appetite. The animal may stop eating entirely, or she might eat only very small amounts. A loss of appetite in animals that were previously good eaters should be noted and taken seriously, no matter what the cause may be.

Changed Bark

• In dogs, there may be evidence of a change in the way that the dog barks. He may seem more frantic, or he might bark more readily than he did before.

Chewing

• The animal will likely chew, scratch or otherwise worry at the area where the bite occurred. She may be experiencing discomfort related to the site, even if there does not seem to be signs of infection. The animal might do this constantly, to the point where the skin is red or irritated.

Change in Behavior

• An animal infected with the rabies virus may express a change in behavior or temperament. He may become irritable or withdrawn where he was friendly before, but the aggressive behavior that is associated with rabies typically does not occur until the furious phase of the illness.