Miscelleneous Info
* Rabies
Myths and Facts About Cats
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Rabies - What You Need To Know
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus found in the saliva of infected
animals and is transmitted to pets and humans by bites, or possibly by
contamination of an open cut. Treatment of an infected person as
critical. Untreated, rabies causes a painful death.
Most animals can be infected by the virus and can transmit the disease to
man. Infected bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks, dogs or cats provide the
greatest risk to humans. Rabies may also spread through exposure to
infected domestic farm animals, groundhogs , weasels and other wild
carnivores. Squirrels, rodents and rabbits are seldom infected.
- Have your pets vaccinated against rabies. Any pets which come in contact
with wild animals are at risk. Many local health departments conduct
public vaccination clinics for dogs and cats. Your veterinarian can also
vaccinate your pet against rabies. D uring recent years, confirmed cases
of rabies in cats have exceeded the reported cases in dogs in some parts
of the United States making vaccination and booster shots critical to your
health and that of your pets.
- If your cat or dog has been bitten or attacked by a wild animal or has
bites or scratches of unknown origin, call your local health department or
animal control officer to report the incident.
- If your cat or dog has bitten a person, call your local health department
or animal control officer to report the incident.
- If your cat or dog is sick, seek the advice of your veterinarian.
- Protect your pets from stray or wild animals. Keep your pets from running
loose.
- Report stray animals to your local health department so an animal control
officer can investigate. Handling stray cats or dogs can be dangerous.
- Do not feed or handle wild animals especially those that appear aggressive
or sick. Never keep a wild animal as a pet.
- A wild animal such as a bat, raccoon, fox, skunk, or groundhog which has
bitten a person or domestic animal should be sacrificed immediately. Its
head (or in the case of a bat, the entire bat) should be submitted to your
state or county testing laboratory for examination. Rabies prophylaxis
vaccinations may depend on your physician along with laboratory results.
- If you are bitten....
....by a wild animals: an animal control officer should sacrifice the
animal. All biting wild animals should be tested for rabies as soon as
possible.
....By a cat or dog: obtain information about the pet animal. Include a
description of the animal and licensing number or identification, owner's
name, address and telephone number and the rabies vaccination status
whenever available.
- Immediately cleanse the wound thoroughly with soapy water.
- Get medical attention. Go to your family doctor or nearest
emergency room. DO NOT DELAY CALLING. YOU MAY NEED TREATMENT.
- Report all bites to your local health department or animal control
agency.
Discourage wildlife. Minimize your chance of exposing humans and pets to
rabies. There is a human rabies vaccine available for preexposure and a
globulin treatment with vaccination for postexposure prophylaxis.
However, prevention is of major importance. Start by reducing human and
pet contact with wild animals.
If wild animals visit your property frequently, they are probably looking
for food and shelter.
- Check your house and property. Eliminate sites that can be used by animals
for sleeping or raising young.
- Cap all chimneys
- Plug all holes in roofs, eaves, or sides of buildings
- Block any means of entry to foundations, porches and steps.
- Trim tree limbs that extend to or over your roof.
- Provide bright exterior lighting to discourage nocturnal animals.
- Encourage your neighbors to do the same, so the whole neighborhood is
unfriendly to wildlife.
- Examine your buildings and yard. Remove all souces of FOOD.
- Use garbage cans with animal-proof lids.
- Keep garbage cans in the garage or shed.
- Don't feed pets outside.
- If you must feed pets outside, remove any uneaten food at once.
- Remember gardens attract wildlife such as raccoons. Consider ways to make
your garden less appealing such as low voltage electric fence.
What to do if THEY are already in residence?
- If they're already raising young, it's best to wait for the young to leave
the den.
- When you're sure that there are no young or that the young ones
are gone, watch the entrance at dusk and block it up after the animals
leave for the night.
- If you can't watch the hole, mount a flap of wood or heavy gauge wire on a
hinge over the hole so that the animal can push it out to leave, but can't
push it back in to re-enter.
- Arrange a bright light so it shines into the den during the day, or place
a loud playing radio there all day to discourage an animal from sleeping.
- If the animal persists in remaining, call your local animal control
officer.
- Report any stray domestic or wild animals behaving strangely to your local
animal control officer.
REMEMBER.....
PREVENTION IS YOUR BEST DEFENSE AGAINST RABIES
Compiled with the assistance of the
Consumer Health Division, New Jersey Department of Health and the
State of California Veterinary Public Health Department.
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