One of my coworkers is having their dog observed, as they are concerned the dog has contracted rabies depite being vaccinated. Just hearing about this and them having to leave their dog at a scary 'observation center' breaks my heart. I couldn't imagine the emotional stress of dropping off Jake and Addie not knowing if they were going to have to be put to sleep. The last moments of their life they'd be sitting alone and confused in a kennel wondering why I had abandoned them :cry:

Is this a common incidence or is it rare for vaccinated animals to contract rabies?

No vaccine is 100% effective, so yes, it is possible for a fully vaccinated animal to become infected.

Was the dog bitten by a suspected rabid animal?

I'm sorry your friends are going through this, that's really scary.

I didn't ask him if the dog was bitten, I was just overhearing his convo with someone else. Something must have happened to make them go through all of this, though. I know the dog has been acting strangely ... fine one minute and extremely agressive the next :(

That's terrible!

Isn't there treatment for rabies? I mean, I know that if a human gets bitten by a rabid animal, they get a series of shots that prevents them from getting it. Can't an animal get the same thing?

yeah, that would be quite scary... Rabies in dogs is already pretty rare nowadays (because of mandatory vaccinations), so in vaccinated dogs it'd have to be even more rare. I hope it's not rabies. But then it might mean they have a chemically-imbalanced aggressive dog and that's definetely not good either. :(

That's terrible!

Isn't there treatment for rabies? I mean, I know that if a human gets bitten by a rabid animal, they get a series of shots that prevents them from getting it. Can't an animal get the same thing?
Unfortunately no. Rabid animals are always euthanized.

Rabies can be treated with a series of vaccinations given immediately after exposure. With animals though, no one really notices that they've been exposed to rabies until the symptoms of the disease occur (bats, for example, leave such small bite wounds that even the most attentive owner will fail to notice them). Once the symptoms occur, there is no treatment.

Also, there is no way to test for rabies while the animal is still alive. There are common symptoms, but the only way to tell for sure is to dissect the brain.

Rabies can be treated with a series of vaccinations given immediately after exposure. With animals though, no one really notices that they've been exposed to rabies until the symptoms of the disease occur (bats, for example, leave such small bite wounds that even the most attentive owner will fail to notice them). Once the symptoms occur, there is no treatment.
Yeah, I guess I was confused about the original post...I thought the dog had been bitten by a rabid animal. I know there's no treatment once symptoms appear (and that they have to dissect the brain to diagnose, yuck) but what if you KNOW your pet has been bitten?

Like say my cat got bitten by a raccoon (not that a raccoon would find itself inside my house, but...) Couldn't we just take her and have the vet give her a series of shots? Or what?

What generally happens if your vaccinated pet is bitten by a wild animal and you take it to the vet immediately, the vet will flush the wound thoroughly and contact the local health department. If differs from place to place, but usually the animal is given a post-exposure vaccination and put under confinement for X amount of days.

If you have an unvaccinated pet that is bitten, again it depends on the regulations in your area, but a post-exposure vaccine is usually not given, and the health department will either impose a strict 6 month quarantine (paid for by the owner), or order the immediate euthanasia of the pet.

If they can catch the wild animal, they will kill it and test for rabies. If it's negative, then they will release your pet from quarentine.

Ah, OK. Thanks for the info. I'm glad my kitty is safely indoors (and vaccinated!)

One of my dogs was bitten by some poor critter that she chased and the vet said to update her rabies then, a few months before it was due. He goes by how long it's been since the vaccination when deciding if another is needed. I *think* he said if it's been over a year, re-vaccinate if your dog is bitten.

I know the dog has been acting strangely ... fine one minute and extremely agressive the next :(

That could also indicate a brain tumor or loads of other neuro problems besides rabies. I hope the dog turns out to be okay.