Have you ever seen a rabid animal?

I could skip my next shot and you might have a chance. :) I had a skunk walk up my driveway and right into my dogs pen. They attacked, but it sprayed them big time. I had to pull it out of their house and then take them for a booster. I knew the skunk was messed up as soon as I saw it.

Well, if you skip your shot, be sure to get it on video!

Yes, I’ve had to euthanize a rabid raccoon.

Okay, maybe it will go viral.

When I was a kid we had a number of rabid animals wander up to the house. A skunk and at least one coon, I know. They just sort of stumble around in broad daylight, like they’re drunk or high. Not aggressive at all that I ever saw.

More than likely, dad just shot them and took the body to the vet.

As an adult I’ve seen a few animals I suspected of rabies, most notably a coyote.

My first thought was that I have never seen a rabid animal. Humans, however, well, that may explain a few things.

Does Donald Trump count? Here, Rosie, Rosie, Rosie.

I used to carpool with Henry Lee Lucas.

You tell me.

Rabies does not exist in Australia. I don’t know how it would manifest.

@trailsillustrated You have no rabies?

@Adirondackwannabe it’s an island continent there’s no rabies.

Roadrunner, Cheetah, horse…oh, you said rabid!!

@Adirondackwannabe…. move to Australia. No more shots!

Yes. I’ve seen one person die of rabies. It was horrible.

OMG. What bit them?

@osoraro Could you give us a few more details? I kind of have a vested interest in this.

@Adirondackwannabe It was a long time ago, so I don’t remember details, except that the patient died a horrible death. Trust me when I say that it’s something to avoid.

@osoraro Thanks, the treatment isn’t exactly a pleasure cruise, but I’ll take your word for the disease. :)

@Adirondackwannabe There is no treatment. It’s pretty universally fatal. That’s why the vaccine is so important if you’re exposed.

edit. What I wrote above isn’t exactly true. It is possible to survive rabies by an experimental protocol called the Milwaukee protocol. It involves induced coma paralysis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_protocol

I had a “where is she now” moment, and I found Jeanna Giese’s video blog. She did pretty well for being the first person, ever, to survive from an active rabies infection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT7yoyKbYu0

Isn’t Rush Limbaugh living proof that a human can not only survive rabies, but thrive?

Wow @osoraro. Thanks for sharing that…

OK…this hurts. I watched a video about a child in Pakistan who had rabies. God he wanted that water….but was compelled to push it away. Poor baby.

What causes that aversion to water?

Probably something to do with the salivary glands, @Dutchess_III. (Foaming at the mouth?)

More than once I have been so thirsty that when I finally drank, I had intense pain in my salivary glands.

Guess I better google it.

Causes them to spasm.

Dear Arvind,
virus or rabies (rhabodvirus) goes up into the termination of the synaptic button and alterates the exchange of electrolytes on the neuron membrane.
So, there are changes in membrane potentials and that results in spasms (automatic).

As deglutition is a reflex/reflection, drinking (also your saliva) activates these automatic spasms, as a terrible chain of contraction activation that can lead to choking.

Although it is rare in humans (common in animals), idrofobia is caused by the pre-activation of deglutition: in fact normally when someone sees water,there is an automatic reflection that is the start of the deglutition chain. So infected patients have fear of water because of this unconscious preactivation of deglutition, and take care: these spasms can lead to a choking because of the disfunction of glottis.