rabies vaccineHalloween is chock full of scary scenes: zombies snatching victims to steal their brains, Frankenstein let loose on the village people or a crazed dog foaming at the mouth ready to attack.
While you don’t need to be overly concerned with zombies and monsters (except for the ones who demand candy at your front door), you do need to ensure your pet is up to date with rabies shots. The facts on rabies are far more frightening than any horror movie.
Rabies is a disease that can be fatal for your pet if not vaccinated. And it’s also zoonotic, (yes, that is a real word) which simply means it can be passed on to humans. Without treatment before severe symptoms commence, the result for humans is also fatal. Scary, huh?
Rabies affects the central nervous system and brain. The word “rabies” is derived from the Latin word for madness. The progression of symptoms moves fairly quickly:
1. Mild symptoms like headache and fever.
2. Severe pain, violent movement and depression.
3. Hydrophobia (fear of water). Actually, hydrophobia is another word for rabies. Victims are plagued with a fear of water, along with the inability to swallow, foaming at the mouth, unquenchable thirst.
4. Periods of mania and lethargy that lead to coma.
5. Death, primarily from inability to breathe.
Regularly scheduled rabies shots or boosters can prevent a disease that otherwise would have no happy ending. There’s no particular season for rabies, so you want your pet to have the proper immunity.
If you have a puppy, arrange for rabies shots when your pup’s between the age of 12 and 16 weeks. That first vaccination is good for a year, and boosters should be administered every one to two years.
If your pet’s shots aren’t up to date, give Town N Country a call. Not protected is a scary place….
PS Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a lifetime of Zombie proofing for your pet!
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