How long can a dog live with rabies? Is 10-day observation enough?

If a dog has Rabies and is the INFECTIOUS stage of the disease (an animal can be infected with the Rabies virus but not able to pass it to others/not show signs for months) then death will usually occur within 10 days. This is where the 10 day observation period stems from. It is possible, however, for an animal to be carrying the virus but not YET able to transmit the virus for longer periods of time. For this reason if an unvaccinated dog is bitten by another animal such as a raccoon, a quarantine period of 6 months is usually recommended. The exact rules will depend on your local laws.

Correct - if a dog is still alive and not showing any neurologic symptoms 10 days after a bite incident, then you can be certain that it was not carrying rabies in its salivary glands at the time of the bite.

It is not likely the dog will be able to sleep through rabies infection. It is a painful death. The only definitive method of diagnosing rabies infection is through examination of brain tissue. This is typically done post mortem.

Getting rabies from what looks like an absolutely healthy puppy is pretty much impossible, but just for general knowledge, if you wait for symptoms of Rabies then it is already too late, once the first symptom appear, Rabies is not a curable disease and you would die within 10 days. symptoms include excessive salivation and mental changes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Storm has Rabies in the infectious form (in salivary glands) he will show signs of Rabies with in 10 days regardless of receiving the vaccine. We just worry when giving the Rabies vaccine with in that 10 day window that if the dog has a reaction to the vaccine we may think it is Rabies when it isn't. The only way your husband could have gotten Rabies from Storm is if it was in his salivary glands. So if Storm is fine at day 10-14 your Husband will also be fine. I wish you the best!

Yes, it is true that an animal that can transmit rabies will die within 10 days. The animal is typically placed on a 10 day quarantine after the bite. If the animal lives beyond the 10th day, it was not shedding the rabies virus at the time that the bite occurred. Here is a link with more information. https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/rabies-facts-prevention-tips/ If you have any concerns with your health then you should contact your physician or local health department.

The incubation period of rabies in dogs is typically between three to eight weeks, but there have been reported cases of incubation periods lasting up to six months. Behavioral changes are an early sign of rabies, as well as a hypersensitivity to light and sounds. There could also be another medical cause behind his behavior. If you concerned that Snoopy has rabies, you need to take him into the vet immediately. The only test to confirm rabies is a post-mortem exam of the brain, but your vet can quarantine him to see if his symptoms progress further. You will also need to see your doctor immediately if the vet thinks Snoopy has rabies, as you will have been exposed to it if he bit you, and you will need vaccines. Please take Snoopy into a vet now.