What to Do About Rabies in Dogs

Rabies is a fatal viral disease of the central nervous system spread by saliva, showing as either the furious form (excitement, hydrophobia, aggression) or the paralytic form (dropped jaw, weakness). After a bite, wash the wound with soap and water, use rabies immune serum or vaccine promptly, and keep vaccinations current — but once a dog shows clinical signs there is no treatment, and it must be euthanized and buried deeply.