Maggie, a mixed-breed dog who lives in Connecticut, has been quarantined because she ingested or licked part of a dead bat. The state laboratory couldn’t determine if the bat was rabid because there wasn’t enough material to test, and Maggie’s rabies booster shot was three months overdue.
Her owner, Nancy Anthorp, is “suing the town to have Maggie released. Conditions in the animal shelter, the suit notes, are having a harmful effect on the nearly 10-year-old dog,” (TheWesterlySun.com).
George E. Krivda Jr., legislative program manager, said that the agriculture department doesn't want to see the dog suffer, but that the quarantine is necessary, saying “We stand behind the ACO (animal control officer)… Rabies is an insidious, deadly, communicable disease. There is no treatment for rabies. There is no room for error in this matter,” (TheWesterlySun.com).
After the bat encounter, Apthorp took Maggie to her veterinarian, who reported the incident to Davis. Davis ordered that Maggie be quarantined for three months, followed by three months of confinement at home. That protocol, Krivda said, was set by the American Veterinary Medical Association (TheWesterlySun.com).
According to the protocol, a dog that is not currently vaccinated, and is exposed to a suspect animal, should be quarantined for three months followed by three months of strict confinement.
Apthorp's lawsuit asserts that Maggie could not have contracted rabies because rabies is typically spread through infected saliva in a bite wound and cannot be contracted from blood or skin.
Had Apthorp not voluntarily spoken to her veterinarian, Maggie would now be at home. Urban agreed that this incident might discourage people from reporting cases in which wild animals bite their pets, out of a fear of quarantine. "Absolutely," Urban said when asked if that possibility concerned her. "What's the incentive now?" (TheWesterlySun.com).
Krivda disagrees with that conclusion. If people understood how serious rabies is, they would not hesitate to report a bite to a veterinarian he said. Once symptoms appear, he noted, the disease is always fatal (TheWesterlySun.com).
Is your pet up to date with his vaccinations? Schedule an appointment today with The Bregman Vet Group to ensure optimum health and safety for your pet.
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