Rabies is an acute viral infection that can affect all warm-blooded animals- including dogs and cats.  The disease is almost always caused by the bite of an infected animal that has rabies virus in its saliva.  Younger animals are usually more susceptible to rabies infection.  And it's always fatal once clinical signs appear.  If your pet has been bitten by or exposed to a wild or potentially rabid animal, talk with your veterinarian right away and report it to the local animal control authorities and the local health department.  Even if your pet has a current vaccination, you should still contact your veterinarian.  Raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes, coyotes and other wildlife can carry and spread the rabies virus.  Once the rabies virus enters the body, it travels along the nerves to the brain.  It can take a matter of days, week, or months for you pet to show signs of the rabies virus.  Dogs, cats or ferrets that have never been vaccinated and are exposed to a rabid animal may need to be euthanized or placed in strict isolation for six months.  Please contact us for any additional questions you may have for the health of your pet.