Effective rabies vaccines are available for dogs, cats, ferrets, sheep, cattle, and horses. Vaccination of cats and dogs is crucial, since vaccinated pets are a protective barrier between the people who own and interact with them and rabid wild animals with which the pets might have contact. "Indoor animals" should also be vaccinated because these pets often have exposures to other animals, either by the dog or cat being unintentionally released to the outdoors, or by wild animals such as bats getting into the house.
Your pets and other domestic animals can be infected when they are bitten by rabid wild animals.
Visit your veterinarian with your pet on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for all cats, dogs and ferrets.
Maintain control of your pets by keeping cats and ferrets indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision.
Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly.
There is no post-exposure treatment available for animals as there is for humans.
Remember you can be at risk for rabies because of your close contact with your pet when unvaccinated.
Animal bites need to be reported to your physician and local health department.
Andrea Kincaid, RN, is the Administrator at Moniteau County Health Center. She can be reached at 573-796-3412.