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If you have an unvaccinated pet and it shows any of these signs, or is acting strangely, you should have an adult carefully take it to your veterinarian to be checked out!

Warning Signs

Cartoon drawing of a traffic light

Animals

If a wild animal is acting strangely, stay away from it. Some things to look for are:

  • general sickness
  • problems swallowing
  • lots of drool or saliva
  • an animal that appears more tame than you would expect
  • an animal that bites at everything
  • an animal that's having trouble moving or may even be paralyzed

People

In people, it may take one month, two months, or even three months to show signs of rabies. But once people get rabies, they almost always die. That´s why it´s so important to go see a doctor right away if you´ve been bitten by an animal that might have rabies.

Early symptoms of rabies in people include:

  • fever
  • headache
  • sore throat
  • feeling tired

If the disease develops, then the signs include:

  • pain and tingling at the place they were bitten
  • seeing things that aren´t really there
  • a fear of water because of sudden, strong tightening of the muscles in the throat
  • being paralyzed and unable to move parts of the body
Fox walking along a path

If someone is bitten, it can take many months to show signs of rabies, but by then it's almost always fatal.

 
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