Rabies is a viral disease that can lead to inflammation of the brain in mammals. It is a rare but serious condition, however, it hardly occurs in domestic animals. It is mainly because as pet owners, you are going to take every measure to protect your pet from rabies. These measures might include regular visits to the vet or by giving them regular vaccines at the vet’s clinic. Vaccination laws in the country are very stringent. The number of rabies cases in the country would have been much higher, had the laws not enforced vaccines so strictly.

If you are a responsible pet owner, you must ensure that your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up-to-date. It is by far the best way to protect your pet from rabies. By the time symptoms come to surface, it might already be too late to save your pet’s life.

Given below are some facts that help you realize why you must protect your pet from rabies:

1. Regular Vaccines
While rabies may be deadly, it is possible to prevent it completely if you give your pets regular vaccines. Unvaccinated animals have to meet a tragic end. As this virus gets through the body fluids of infected animals, the condition is almost always dangerous and life-threatening once the symptoms start to show.

The reason why protecting pets from rabies is so important is because many people are not concerned about pet vaccines. It is a scary situation, and the only way you can protect yourself and your furry companion is to make sure your pet is routinely vaccinated. Vaccines normally start around 12-16 weeks and then every 1 or 3 years afterward.

2. How rabies is transmitted
Another important thing to remember when taking care of your pets is that rabies is not transmitted by animal bites alone. While animal bites may be the most common way of spreading the virus, it can also be transmitted if an animal consumes or comes in contact with an infected animal. Therefore, you and your pet should steer clear of dead animals at all costs.

3. Symptoms
Symptoms of rabies include fevers, seizures, and, ultimately, paralysis. It is important to know that rabies symptoms will never show right away. It can take up to six months for the infected animals to develop signs or symptoms of rabies. In short, your pet may have been infected with rabies through an animal bite, and you would not have any knowledge of it for months.

4. Accountability
If your pet passes on rabies to other people or animals, you will be held accountable. It is advisable to be thorough with the government rules regarding this issue.

At one time, the most important cause of rabies in humans had been dog bites. But now they are not so much of a threat, thanks to vaccinations. Reports suggest that dogs constitute only 1% of rabid cases.