How long can a rabid dog live?
I was wondering this because I'm reading the book Cujo and it got me curious. I know rabies is deadly, so after the dog shows shows symptoms how long would it be before the disease kills it?
I was wondering this because I'm reading the book Cujo and it got me curious. I know rabies is deadly, so after the dog shows shows symptoms how long would it be before the disease kills it?
Fionnabhair
Favorite Answer
After infection the incubation period can be from 1-3 months.
When the first symptoms appear [nervousness, anxiety etc] they usually last between 2-3 days.
This then progresses to the dog becoming aggressive, restless etc which can last from a day up to a week.
At the final stages the dog will start choking, having seizures, foaming at the mouth and eventually die from respiratory failure, this can last a few days.
Not all dogs are the same and some will seemingly skip the second phase and go right into the final stages of it. Progression times can also vary and the time between symptoms showing and death can be anything from 1 to 8 weeks.
Likewise the incubation period in a dog has been found in rare cases to have lasted up a year in length. This is why the quarantine periods for dogs are regularly set at around 6 months.
Thomas E
It varies, because some creatures merely carry rabies, while others contract it. Once the disease has become morbid, (obvious symptoms), the onset of death is only days away.