Rainbow Wildlife Summer Newsletter

A very HOT Summer 2009 at the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue

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158 animals were admitted to the RWR in 2009 so far
My name is Birgit Sommer. I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for the State of Texas, director of the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue in Stephenville, TX , as well as a volunteer and foster parent for the Erath County Humane Society.
I, like many other licensed wildlife rehabilitators, work out of my own home and volunteer my time and just about every spare cent I can gather towards animal rescue efforts and public wildlife education. No local or state funding is available for animal caging, veterinary care, medicine and food.
That's why most rehabilitators gratefully accept donations towards the care of animals they receive from the public. Some folks find the idea of wildlife rehabilitation ridiculous or claim it's "messing with nature". These folks neglect to see that most wildlife related calls that require our human intervention ARE the direct result of unnatural conditions such as careless behavior of people, toxins, poisons, automobiles, guns, traps, lawn mowers, to name just a few. Often we are confronted with animals that have suffered traumatic wounds and horrific injuries. Some animals come in poisoned, shot, injured by cars and left for dead by humans. The stories and cases are endless and heartbreaking. We, as wildlife rehabilitators, are dedicated warriors on the front lines between suburban development and natural habitat and are grateful for every bit of support we can get.
We need your HELP! One morning last week, I was outside in the large enclosure, bottle-feeding Rocky, one of the 3 female raccoons living outside, when I glanced over to the neighbor's back yard and froze on the spot! This guy was aiming a BB gun at trees and shooting away happily! His toddler grandchildren were playing catch around his legs. When I saw the first squirrel fall I was already so mad, that I had interrupted feeding Rocky and marched outside to call the police, because I knew for a fact that discharging a gun of any kind inside the city limits is illegal. Leave alone with small children running around. The old man received a citation from the police, but I started to get very scared that he might feel like aiming his gun at my cages next time he gets the urge to take out his guns. After all, they are passionate hunters and just shake their heads about what I am doing here. To them I'm a complete joke. To me they are cruel and have no regards for life. So I spent all the money I had for July on privacy fence panels, poles, plywood, nails etc.. It was just enough to partially cover the side of the property behind the enclosures to block out the neighbor's view. And prevent the older kids in the neighborhood from noticing the raccoons, because they "make such keeeewl pets" and "how much do you want for one?". Any attempt to explain or reason with them falls on deaf ears. Kids! Now the coonies have more shade, are better protected and I can sleep a bit better. This is one reason why I see myself forced to do a fundraiser this month. A lot of things have piled up during the past few months, that I was not able to take care of, because I had over a 100 animals to take care of first!!! The most pressing items are as follows and are listed by priority: 50 bags of Concrete for the large enclosure floor ($200) Feline and Canine Distemper vaccines - (25 shots of each = $300) Antibiotics Refills (clavamox and amoxil) - ($60) Advantage Flea Prevention for Puppies - ($50) 4 more Privacy Fence Panels 4x4x10 poles - ($250) Drontal prescription de-wormer refill - ($90) and various items such as Purina Kitten Chow, canned dog food, Purina Puppy Chow, rawhide bones, wood shavings, bark and shavings, cat litter, Timothy hay, fresh produce, detergent, bleach, towels, fluffy blankets, etc - ($100) There are a few reasons why the large enclosure needs a concrete floor rather yesterday than tomorrow. At the moment only 3 raccoons are residing in that enclosure, but in 2 weeks three more raccoons will follow. Having a dirt floor covered with wood shavings is nearly impossible to keep clean, leave alone disinfecting it. The animals carry food around, eliminate in different spots and the insects are having a field day. The flies are horrible, ants are invading the place, mosquito's and fleas are present as well. There is no way I can bleach a dirt floor. I had tried to put plywood down, but since the raccoons use a lot of water, the wood is constantly wet and I keep slipping. A concrete floor would allow me to simply bleach and hose everything down. Another huge hurdle that needs to be overcome is finding volunteers to help me mix the concrete and lay a somewhat leveled floor that will drain well. If you are local and know how to "play" with concrete or know of a company that might donate it's supplies and/or services, give me a call!!! If you want make donation or purchase any of the needed items and have them shipped directly to the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue, please click HERE! Alternatively you can mail a check to the following address: Rainbow Wildlife Rescue 502 E. Clifton Stephenville, TX 76401 Phone: (254) 968 - 4626 Email: help@rainbowwildlife.com What else is happening? Raccoons, birds, opossums, cottontail rabbits, dogs, puppies, cats, kittens and even a couple of published newspaper articles! Lets start with Coco Banana, the pregnant Chihuahua that was thrown over the fence at the Humane Society and ended up in my care. Five weeks ago she gave birth to 6 beautiful and healthy puppies that all look just like her. I'm happy to say that we found great homes for all puppies and even Coco herself!!! They will remain at the RWR for another couple of weeks before going to their forever homes. Animal Control presented me with a very weak orphaned kitten 2 weeks after the puppies were born. The kitten had a hard time nursing from the bottle and since she appeared to be same age as the puppies, I offered the kitten to Coco and she adopted her without hesitation. I named the kitten "Puppy" just to make the confusion perfect! Puppy spent 2 weeks with Coco and her litter. Then the puppies outgrew her and she had to be removed. She is now in foster care with other real kittens. Thanks to my friend Loree, who has been such a great help with fostering the kittens, she's going to have a great start in life. THANKS LOREE!!!!! While I am in the thank you mode, I want to say a very special THANK YOU to Tom Piperson!! He has been my backbone through all of the writing and publishing related ordeals! Thanks to his talents and skills, we were able to reach the public through newspaper articles and spread wildlife awareness as well as clearing up a lot of misconceptions. Thank you Tom, you are a true friend! Psssssst, don't tell anybody yet, but Tom and I are discussing writing a book together! *wink wink* Our newest articles are covering the rabies virus and the misconception surrounding it. The shorter version, suited for Erath County, was published in the Empire Tribune on Sunday, June 28, but they didn't put it online so you can read it HERE. The longer version is available for reading HERE. Last but not least, a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU goes to my husband for his never ending support and sacrificing his weekends to help me with repairs and tasks that I can't do by myself! Birds Birds that were admitted to the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue since mid March 2009: 7 White-winged Doves, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Great horned Owls, 2 Black Vultures, 2 Mockingbirds, 1 Burrowing Owl, 4 Sparrows, 2 Grackles, 3 Phoebes, 3 Mourning Doves, 4 Starlings, 1 Killdeer, 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 5 Blue Jays, and 2 Robins. That's a total of 41 birds! Many of the birds were transferred to an experienced avian rehabilitator in a neighboring county, some were raised and released here, and some did not survive. Raccoons and Opossums This has been the year of raccoons and opossums for me! I have already released over 40 opossums! 6 orphaned raccoons are currently residing at the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue as you have gathered by now, if you actually read this far down (thank you for that!). They have literally stolen my heart! There are 5 girls and 1 boy from four different litters and different ages. 3 of the older girls named Pumkin (the oldest and sweetest, weaned), Sandra (2nd oldest and very feisty, weaned) and Rocky (completely Momma's girl and still on the bottle) are not related and already live outside. The other three babies, Abi, Lena and Ian, are 6 weeks old now and still inside. They will be joining the other 3 girls at the age of about 10 weeks. All of these babies were rescued by kindhearted and generous people that have gone FAR out of their way to save these critters. THANK YOU Judy, Stephanie, and Robin!!!! I have posted many many movies and pictures on YouTube and my Rainbow Wildlife Blog. I think I have talked enough for the next 3 months! Thank you so much for taking an interest in my work! Erath County Humane Society Animal Shelter I do want to mention the ECHS, since I update their Adoption List on petfinder.com. I go to the shelter as often as my time allows it and take pictures to update the petfinder page. It has been a great success! Don't Buy, Adopt a Pet! Whether you adopt a pet from a local animal shelter, rescue organization, or human society, it doesn't matter because you're saving lives! You probably want to adopt just one kitten or cat, right? Adoption saves more than just the life of the pet you adopt. If you adopt from an animal shelter, you're making room for another dog or cat, or you're allowing other dogs or cats at the shelter to be kept for a longer period of time, giving them a better chance at being adopted. If you adopt from a humane society or a rescue organization, you're allowing that organization to rescue another dog or cat for adoption at a public shelter, which, of course, saves the life of that little guy plus the lives of others at that shelter by creating space so new pets can be kept longer. As you can see, adoption is truly a continuous cycle of saving lives and it's the right thing to do!

3 Orphaned Raccoon Girls

The 3 orphaned raccoon girls Sandra, Rocky and Pumkin are doing excellent. Rocky is still on the bottle, but does not fuss anymore, as you can see.

This enclosure was built by the boy scouts and was originally meant to be a flight cage for birds. That's why we put the fine screen inside, because the hardware cloth harms the feathers.

However, the boy scouts did not get to finish the enclosure to the point where I could use it for birds. I tried, but they kept getting out. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, rather the opposite! I'll be forever grateful to the boys and their parents for getting this enclosure up and standing.



When it comes to animal rescue, making plans usually doesn't work. It's all about juggling and adjusting and managing and going with the flow, at least to me. So when I needed this big of an enclosure for 6 orphaned raccoons (3 so far, the other 3 will be added to the enclosure within the next 2 weeks) and the birds kept getting out of the "flight cage", I decided to re-arrange everything.

The fine screen the girls kept ripping off the inside of the flight cage will go into a smaller enclosure, which will serve as a flight cage for now. More fine screen will be put on the outside of the flight cage to keep flies out, so no material has been lost but a few staples maybe.

Hopefully by the end of next week I have managed to raise enough funds and manpower to get a concrete floor into the flight cage that I can bleach and hose down for better hygienic conditions.

The real Facts about Rabies

This article was printed in the Sunday paper of the Empire Tribune, in the Lifestyle section, which is not published online. The printed version lacked the local statistics and also showed a picture of a raccoon, which I did not submit.

I would have NEVER posted a picture of a raccoon with a rabies article, simply due to the fact that 99% of all confirmed rabies cases in Erath County originate from the skunk. The other 1% goes to the bats.

So here is the full article with statistics!

Know your Neighborhood Wildlife - The Real Facts about Rabies
by TOM PIPERSON & BIRGIT SOMMER

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Have you ever wondered about the dangers of rabies? Birgit Sommer, licensed wildlife rehabilitator and director of the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue in Stephenville, deals with these issues on a regular basis and would like to set the record straight about some urban legends surrounding the rabies virus.

Even though we enjoy the benefits of 21st Century medicine, rabies is still dangerous and even deadly to its victims, both animal and human. Understanding the facts about rabies, as provided in this article, can help prevent the spread of the disease, or even save a life.

During a month-long survey of Erath County residents, Ms. Sommer gathered the 10 most frequently asked questions about rabies and has done the necessary research to provide the correct answers. The information provided is based on official Government sources such as the Infectious Disease Control Unit of the Texas Department of State Health Services as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1. What exactly is rabies?
Answer:
Rabies is a contagious virus that can cause death in people and certain animals and is nearly always fatal if not treated in a timely manner.

2. How is rabies transmitted?
Answer:
The rabies virus is usually transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, most commonly through a bite. The virus can be transmitted from animal to animal, from animal to human, and on rare occasions, from human to human.

Another way of transmitting the virus, even though highly uncommon, is for saliva or brain tissue from a rabid animal to get directly into the eyes, nose, mouth or open wound of a person or animal.

However, contrary to common belief, you can’t get rabies from the blood, urine, or feces of an infected animal.

During her survey, Ms. Sommer noted another misconception about rabies transmission. She stated it is not true that an animal can be just a carrier of the rabies virus and transmit it to another animal or humans for weeks, months or even years.

According to the CDC, "No person in the United States has ever contracted rabies from a dog, cat or ferret held in quarantine for 10 days."

Before the rabies virus reaches the brain, the animal does not show any symptoms, according to the CDC. The animal does not appear ill during this time, called the incubation period, which may last for weeks or months. During this time period the animal CAN NOT transmit the virus to another animal or person. This is the reason why animals that have bitten a human are held in quarantine for 10 days.

As the CDC states, " Only late in the disease, after the virus has reached the brain and multiplied there to cause an encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) does the virus move from the brain to the salivary glands and saliva."

3. What animals are most likely to have rabies?
Answer:
All mammals can get rabies. It is most common in un-vaccinated household pets such as dogs, cats and ferrets as well as in livestock such as cattle, and wild animals like skunks, bats, raccoons, coyotes and foxes.

Small animals like mice, rats, squirrels, and even opossums, are almost never found to be infected with rabies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bites by these animals are usually not considered a risk of rabies unless the animal was sick or behaving abnormally and rabies is a major problem in your vicinity.

4. How common is rabies in Erath County?
Answer:
Officially confirmed rabies cases from 2000 until today include according to the Texas Department of State Health Services Infectious Disease Control Unit:

Year	Rabies Cases	Confirmed In	Variant
2000	24	23 skunks, 1 cat	Skunk
2001	27	27 skunks	Skunk
2002	8	6 skunks, 1 goat, 1 horse	Skunk
2003	10	8 skunks, 2 dogs	Skunk
2004	4	2 skunks, 1 bat, 1 cattle	Skunk, Bat
2005	5	3 skunks, 1 cat, 1 cattle	Skunk
2006	2	1 skunk, 1 dog	Skunk
2007	4	3 skunks, 1 cat	Skunk
2008	6	3 skunks, 2 dogs, 1 raccoon	Skunk
2009	2	1 skunk, 1 cat	Skunk

All animals except 1 (the bat in 2004) contracted the virus from an infected skunk.

5. How can I tell if an animal has rabies?
Answer:
The symptoms are not easily recognized because other diseases display similar symptoms. Pets infected with the rabies virus act in unusual ways. Be alert for changes in behavior. A dog that is friendly may avoid people. Mean dogs may act friendly to strangers. Animals may become aggressive, make strange noises or erratic movements, and attack other animals or humans. They may have trouble walking, drinking, swallowing, or chewing. It may not be able to close its mouth, and may appear to be choking. If you see an animal acting like this, call the local animal control agency right away.

6. What should I do if I had contact with a possibly rabid animal?
Answer:
Prompt treatment is required to prevent a rabies infection. First, flush the bite or wound area with water for at least one full minute. Follow up by washing with soap (or detergent if soap is not immediately available) to remove saliva containing the virus. Then apply a disinfectant such as rubbing alcohol, bleach, or iodine tincture directly on the wound and under skin flaps to stop the rabies from being absorbed into the body tissue. Then get to your doctor or an emergency room as soon as possible.

7. How is rabies diagnosed in animals and humans?
Answer:
A direct fluorescent antibody test (dFA) is used to test the brain tissue of animals suspected to be rabid. However, the dFA test can only be performed after the animal has died. For humans, several tests are required to diagnose rabies. Samples of body tissues and fluids - saliva, spinal fluid, serum, and hair follicles - are tested for signs of the rabies virus. Positive results from one test is not proof of rabies, all tests are required for diagnosis.

8. Can baby animals have rabies?
Answer:
Babies born to a healthy rabies-free mother will be rabies free at birth. Babies born to a rabid mother will most likely have rabies, because it is exposed to the mother’s saliva. These babies will probably not survive long enough to go out into the world. Teach your children to never touch wildlife. Call the authorities or your local wildlife rehabilitator if you find a wild baby animal that seems to be orphaned and in need of human intervention.

9. How do I protect myself and my pets from rabies?
Answer:

• Have a veterinarian vaccinate your dogs and cats against rabies. By law, you need to do this every year, or every three years, depending on the type of vaccine used.
• Keeping your pets vaccinated protects you and them.
• Keep pets away from wildlife and don’t let them wander loose through the neighborhood.
• Avoid contact with wild animals and with dogs and cats you do not know. Do not try to hand-feed wild animals and do not keep them as pets.
• Do not touch sick or injured animals. Call and report them to the authorities.

10. How do I prevent the spread of rabies?
Answer:

Be a responsible pet owner and have all your pets vaccinated once a year.

• Keep your pets confined and supervised.
• Spay or neuter your pets to prevent the spread of unwanted and unvaccinated animals straying through your neighborhood.
• Enjoy wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes from afar. Do not handle, feed, or attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter. Do not leave pet food outside!
• Do not rescue wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to raise orphaned wildlife. Call animal control or your local wildlife rehabilitator for assistance.

Growing up Raccoon

The 3 Abilenians are 5 weeks old now and are starting to recognize what's going on around them. Abi is the biggest and always the first. You'll see her sniffing out the lens. Lena is the lazy one, likes to sleep on her back and not move, but wait until she hears that bottle shaking! Ian is the smallest and only boy we have. He's a bit skittish but can purr up a storm if he feels safe.



Oh it's so hot in Texas! So we let Pumkin, Rocky and Sandra play with some ice cubes in the pool:

Raccoons staying cool in the pool at 106 F

Pumkin, Rocky and Sandra had no problems with the heat at all! I was so worried when the temps climbed to 106 F. I carried out buckets and buckets of water to refresh their water every hour until I figured it's time to put out a bigger container to hold more water.

Here goes:

Coco Banana and her 6 puppies

Coco's puppies are growing like weeds! They are 4 weeks old now. Are they now full blooded Chihuahuas or not? It looks like we found homes for all of them, including Coco. Of course she has to wean her pups first.

New raccoon hideout

I had some left over plywood and built a little platform for the girls to hide out on. They are spending most of their time up there now.

Pumkin and Sandra are refusing the bottle for 3 days now and eat only solid foods. Rocky has started to nibble on kitten chow.

Know your Neighborhood Wildlife - The Real Facts about Rabies

Know your Neighborhood Wildlife - The Real Facts about Rabies
by TOM PIPERSON & BIRGIT SOMMER
June 17, 2009

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Getting the facts about rabies is not easy. Myths and misconceptions are as strong today as they were 4,000 years ago when rabies was first recognized. When the average person today thinks about rabies, they typically imagine dogs gone wild, foaming at the mouth, and painful shots. Ignorance about rabies can be hazardous to your personal health and well being, as well as the safety of family members, beloved pets and livestock. Understanding the facts about rabies, as provided in this article, can help prevent the spread of the disease, or even save a life.

Even though we enjoy the benefits of 21st Century medicine, rabies is still dangerous and even deadly to its victims, both animal and human. Once the rabies virus travels through the nervous system and is established in the brain, a painful and prolonged period of suffering leading to death is the prognosis for 100 percent of victims who do not receive treatment.

Fact – You cannot contract rabies from an animal held in quarantine for 10 days.

If an animal who seems ill or acts strange happens to bite you, it is possible you could be infected with the rabies virus. The virus is typically spread through the saliva of an infected carrier in the late stages of the disease after it has reached the brain. From thousands of years of medical observation of rabies victims, it is known that 3-5 days after reaching the brain, the animal will show unmistakable symptoms of rabies. A few extra days of quarantine are added as a precaution.

Fact – Until the rabies virus reaches the brain, a bite from an infected animal does not transmit the disease to its victim.

The period between the time a victim is bitten by a rabid animal and the time it can spread the infection to others is called the incubation period. It can take a few weeks up to several months for the virus to transfer from muscle tissue, to a peripheral nerve, the central nervous system, the brain, and from there into the saliva. This incubation time can depend on age (shorter in children), the location of the bite (the farther away from the head, the better), and the severity of the bite.

Fact – A person cannot contract rabies from the blood, feces or urine of an infected animal, or from handling a carcass that is dried or mummified.

Only saliva or nerve tissue (brain, spinal cord) from a rabid animal can transmit the virus to another victim.

It is possible to contract rabies through an open wound or mucous membrane. One possible scenario would be by contact with a water dish contaminated with saliva from a rabid dog. Or by breathing the air in a cave where rabies-infected bats are present. Human transplants who died of rabies infection have proven that nerve tissue transmits the virus, as well.

Fact – Bats can bite a victim without leaving a visible trace and present a unique danger for rabies infection.

Bats also carry the rabies virus. People who are awake will feel a pinch when bitten by a bat. But, when asleep, the bat’s needle-like teeth make practically no wound and may not even be felt. Because a few cases have proven rabies as the cause of death in individuals found asleep in a room with a bat, state governments have taken special steps to educate their residents.

In Iowa, for example, the public health department presents a detailed decision tree for the public to use in diagnosing suspected cases of bat-infected rabies, and recommends administering the rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in cases where a person who has fallen asleep in the same room as a bat cannot say with certainty “I know I wasn’t bitten.”

In Colorado, based on the epidemiology of rabies, the primary rabies exposure risk for domestic pets is from bats. The Colorado Public Health Department recommends prompt treatment of pets for any direct exposure to bats, such as if direct physical contact was observed, the presence of puncture wounds on the bat or pet, or the presence of saliva or injuries on the bat.

Fact – Rabies is rare in opossums, rodents, and squirrels.

Small rodents (mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, chipmunks, squirrels) are almost never found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to cause rabies among humans in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bites by these animals are usually not considered a risk of rabies unless the animal was sick or behaving abnormally and rabies is a major problem in your vicinity.

Opossums have naturally evolved their metabolism to resist many common infections, as well as having a robust immune system virtually impervious to the venom of rattlesnakes, vipers such as cottonmouth snakes, and spiders. Their extremely low body temperature of 94 to 97 degrees F is an inhospitable environment for survival of the rabies virus and other common wildlife diseases. There have been only 5 confirmed cases of a rabies infected opossum in Texas since 1962.

Fact – Human-to-human transmission of rabies is possible, but very rare.

There have been 8 confirmed cases of death due to human-to-human rabies transmission as the result of a corneal transplant operation.

Fact – The signs of rabies in an infected animal are not easily recognized.

Foaming at the mouth can be a symptom of many conditions more common than rabies, such as roundworms, ticks, poisoning, liver failure, allergies, distemper, and dehydration. It is important to remember it is the total package of symptoms that add up to a possible diagnosis of rabies. Be alert for changes in behavior.

A dog that is normally friendly may avoid people. Dogs that are not normally sociable may act friendly to strangers. Animals may become aggressive, make strange noises or erratic movements, and attack other animals or humans. They may have trouble drinking, swallowing, or chewing. A direct fluorescent antibody test (dFA) is used to test the brain tissue of animals suspected to be rabid. However, the dFA test can only be performed after the animal has died.

Fact – Thoroughly cleaning and treating the bite or wound area significantly reduces the chance of infection.

Immediate treatment is required in order to prevent possible rabies infection. First, flush the area with water for at least one full minute. Follow up by washing with soap (or detergent if soap is not immediately available) to remove saliva containing the virus. Then apply a disinfectant such as alcohol, bleach, iodine tincture directly on the wound and under skin flaps to stop the rabies from being absorbed into the body tissue. Get to your doctor or an emergency room as soon as possible.

Fact – The symptoms of rabies in humans are numerous and increases in severity as the disease progresses.

Some of the symptoms identified in rabies victims include twitching or tingling around the area of the animal bite, fever, sore throat, difficulty in speaking, confusion, aggressiveness, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle aches and spasms, paralysis, seizures, hydrophobia (fear of drinking or swallowing water, painful spasms when trying to drink), diplopia (double vision), breathing difficulties.

Fact – Treatment for rabies in humans who have been bitten by a rabid animal is 100% effective if given within 24 to 48 hours after the bite occurred.

Post-exposure rabies anti-serum costs about $1,200. Patients in the US receive one dose of human rabies immunoglobulin, or HRIG, and five doses of rabies vaccine administered over a 28 day period, at day 0, day 3, day 7, day 14 and day 28. One half the dose of the HRIG is injected in the region of the bite, if possible, with the remainder injected into muscle tissue away from the bite. Previously, the immunoglobulin was injected through the abdominal wall with a large needle which was extremely painful.

Fact – Vaccination of animals and humans can greatly reduce the spread of rabies.

Vaccination of wild animal reservoirs through food baited with rabies vaccine has controlled the spread the disease in Europe. At one point the virus was almost completely eradicated in the regions treated before rabies started to reappear from wild and imported animals. Wild animals such as the red fox account for 4 times the number of rabies cases as domestic animals in France.

Domestic animal vaccination programs are the law in many municipalities across America. Typically, a dog or cat that is not current with rabies vaccinations and has a wound of unknown origin must be quarantined at a veterinary hospital at the owner’s expense or at home under the supervision of the department of agriculture or public health. Some pet owners cannot afford the cost of quarantining and are required, by law, to euthanize their pet. States such as Pennsylvania have set up vaccination clinics costing $10 to encourage residents to obey the law requiring all domestic dogs and cats three months of age or older to be inoculated against rabies.

Fact – New treatments and vaccines hold promise for eventually and permanently ending rabies everywhere.

In over 4000 years, when the rabies virus was first recognized, slow but steady progress was made in the fight against rabies. It wasn’t until the late 19th Century when the original rabies vaccine, harvested from infected rabbits, was formulated by Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux, back in 1885. The modern vaccine, formulated in the late 1960s, uses purified and cultured cells grown and harvested in sterile labs. Biological research and advances in technology continue to bring the world closer to eliminating rabies completely and forever.

Today, the vast majority of human deaths caused by rabies occur in Asia and India. The industrialized world, including countries such as New Zealand and Australia, much of Western Europe, and the United States, have much lower rates of death from rabies.

Human vaccination is essential for animal care professionals, lab technicians and anyone who may come in contact with the rabies virus in the course of their work or hobby. The vaccination consists of a series of shots given in the arm or shoulder and must be renewed on a regular basis. Since the potential for exposure is high among certain individuals, vaccines are effective in preventing rabies infections. Overseas travel to locations known for high incidence of infection is another circumstance where administration of the human rabies vaccination series is highly recommended.

Summary

Provide your pets and livestock with rabies vaccine as advised by your family veterinarian. Keep rabies pet vaccines current.

Keep pets away from wildlife and don’t let them wander loose through the neighborhood.
Contact the proper authorities if you see an animal acting strangely. Never attempt to catch or touch the animal unless you are trained.

If your pet is bitten by an animal, call the animal authorities and take your pet to the vet.

If a person is bitten by an animal (whether it is from a wild skunk caught foraging in the trash or a nip on the hand from a neighbor’s pet), clean the wound thoroughly and go to your doctor or medical clinic for treatment. Contact the authorities who will try to capture the animal for testing or quarantine.

Keep contact information handy for notifying the proper authorities about a possible rabid animal in the neighborhood.

Information and research provided by Birgit Sommer, licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the State of Texas and Director of the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue.

Sources:

• http://www.cdc.gov/RABIES/qanda/general.html
• http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/rabies/
• http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/vaccfact.htm