Rabies vaccine: Only 10% of stray dogs get vaccine, 3 lakh pet dogs in waiting list

Thiruvananthapuram: Only 10 per cent of the stray dogs in the state have been vaccinated with anti-rabies shots, reports Manorama Online. The project that aims to vaccinate pet dogs and implant microchips on them has been delayed indefinitely. The authorities have been able to vaccinate only 32,063 stray dogs among the three lakh that roam around on the streets in the last ten months. Meanwhile, more than three lakh pet dogs, among the eight lakhs, have not received the anti-rabies vaccine. The project to implant microchips to track the pet dogs didn’t work out. The owners of dogs that are abandoned on the streets when they get old can be identified using microchips. However, the Kozhikode Corporation, which launched the project three years ago, could implant the chips in only less than 1000 dogs.

Children are the victims
More than 40 per cent of the victims of rabies are children under 15. Meanwhile, most of them get rabies from the pet dogs at home. Children often ignore when the pet dog scratches or bites them while playing with or petting them. They might not even tell their parents about it. Pet dogs may turn dangerous and attack humans when they are annoyed, angry or scared.

Signs of rabies in animals
According to the Centre for Disease Control, the early signs of rabies in animals are:
1) Lethargy
2) Fever
3) Abnormal behaviour
4) Aggression
5) Excessive salivation
6) Difficulty in swallowing
7) Seizures
8) Paralysis
9) Self-mutilation
10) Ataxia or loss of muscle control
11) Rapid cerebral and cranial nerve dysfunction
12) Anorexia