Pet owners urged to vaccinate amid confirmed rabies case
There has been one confirmed rabies case in the King Cetshwayo district in the past week
THE eShowe rabies body (RABIES) urges pet owners to comply with legislation and vaccinate their pets, following a recent confirmed rabies case in the Zululand region.
One reason pet owners avoid vaccinations is that they claim the animal doesn’t leave the property, but RABIES founder, Dr Vanessa Meyer, said this is no excuse.
‘Many potentially rabid animals such as cats, can jump over a fence,’ she said.
‘Dogs are also inquisitive by nature. If a strange animal runs down the road, he will stick his nose through even the tiniest hole in the fence to try and determine what is going on outside his property.
‘A small nip on the nose is a very common way for your much-loved pet to contract rabies. Do not underestimate this.’
The rabies report for KZN for the week 22 to 28 August includes three positive cases – one in the Ugu district, one in eThekwini and one in the uMlalazi Municipality.
What to do if bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal
* Wash any scratches or wounds with running water and soap for 10 minutes.
* Get to a medical facility for a course of four vaccinations. Insist on speaking to someone who can advise you about vaccinations. If the clinic does not have the vaccine, ask them to find the nearest clinic that does.
* If you have a bite you will need injections of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) into the wound.
