Systematic Veterinary Virology

DUMB FORM

• This is first manifested by paralysis of the throat and masseter muscles, often with profuse salivation and inability to swallow. Dropping of the lower jaw is common in dogs.
• Owners frequently examine the mouth of dogs and livestock searching for a foreign body or administer medication with their bare hands, thereby exposing themselves to rabies. These animals are not vicious and rarely attempt to bite. The paralysis progresses rapidly to all parts of the body, and coma and death follow in a few hours.
• Cattle with furious rabies are dangerous, attacking and pursuing man and other animals. Lactation ceases abruptly in dairy cattle. Instead of the usual placid expression, there is one of alertness. The eyes and ears follow sounds and movement. A common clinical sign is a characteristic abnormal bellowing, which may continue intermittently until shortly before death.
• Horses and mules frequently show evidence of distress and extreme agitation. These signs, especially when accompanied by rolling, may be interpreted as evidence of colic. As with other species, horses may bite or strike viciously and, because of size and strength, become unmanageable in a few hours. Such animals frequently suffer self-inflicted wounds.