Critters on the Trail

Kyoto: Hiking from Kibune to Kurama

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Rabies
While fleas and ticks are a nuisance, one of the greatest dangers your dog could face is a meeting with another animal. As mentioned before, every state requires that dogs be vaccinated against rabies. This law is for your animal's protection, as well as that of others.

Rabies occurs in all mammals, but in the United States the greatest danger is posed by four animals: the raccoon, the skunk, the bat, and the fox. Previously, different areas of the country had different animals that maintained the reservoir of the disease in that region, but due to transportation of wild animals, any of these animals, in any part of the country, should be considered a risk. Raccoon rabies, which in the past has not been a problem outside of the South, has been growing at alarming rates in the Northeast.

Keep your dog's rabies vaccinations current, and familiarize yourself with local rabies laws. The following are the recommendations of the National Association of Public Health Veterinarians. While they may or may not be law where you live, it is best to act as if they were.

* If a dog is bitten or scratched by a wild animal that is not available for rabies testing, the dog is regarded as having been exposed to rabies.

* If the dog has been vaccinated previously, the recommendation is to revaccinate and observe him for 90 days.

* If the dog is not currently vaccinated, the recommendation is for immediate euthanasia and testing for rabies.

When the owner is unwilling to have this done, the animal should be placed in strict isolation for six months, and vaccinated one month prior to release. (Note that the isolation is at the owner's expense. If your dog bites someone, your life will be made a great deal easier if the animal has been vaccinated.)

If your dog has an encounter with a wild animal, report it to your veterinarian immediately. While in the field, you can clean out the dog's wound with copious amounts of water, using soap or Betadine. The wound is also susceptible to bacterial infection. As your dog may object to having a wound scrubbed, be sure to muzzle him for your own protection. Though it is unlikely that saliva (the body fluid responsible for transmission of rabies) remaining in the dog's wound is infectious, I recommend that you wear latex gloves while cleaning the wound.

Porcupines
Your dog jaunts off into the woods and comes back with a face full of quills. He has quills in his nose, his cheeks, and even his mouth. There is no need to panic, but the trip is over and it's time for a visit to the veterinarian. Interestingly enough, it seems that certain dogs get "porcupined" over and over again.

Skunks
Though important vectors of rabies, skunks are of course more notorious for their ability to thwart aggressors by spraying them with the contents of their anal sacs. A sprayed dog is intolerable. Tomato juice, the traditional remedy, has mixed reviews in its efficacy at removing the stink. A solution of a quart of hydrogen peroxide, mixed with a couple of ounces of baking soda and a teaspoon of salt applied liberally to the dog is the best deodorizer. Leave it on the dog for 15 minutes. Some sources say to add shampoo or soap.

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