RABIES IN NIGERIA: Cost, Where & How to get your dog vaccinated, pet and veterinary services in Lagos, Nigeria, Vaccination schedule for dogs in nigeria, veterinary clinics in lagos, veterinary doctors in Lagos….
As a veterinary doctor, I offer pet services in Lagos and lbadan environs, today i want to talk about about rabies and how to go about vaccinating your dogs or cats against the fetal disease.
Rabies is a disease transmitted from animals to humans, caused by a virus. It is postulated that if there were a strain of rabies virus that can be transmitted by air or contact, it would be the most deadly virus to ever exist.
The rabies virus invades the nervous system of mammals. It is primarily transmitted from the rabid animal’s saliva when it bites or scratches humans, licks wounds or broken skin on their body, or lining of mouth or nose.
A worrisome statistics
Rabies is prevalent in developing countries, and it is approximated that about 55,000 people die each year from rabies. It was first reported in Nigeria in 1912, and about 10,000 annual human cases are reported in the country, making the disease a persistent endemic problem. Forty percent of humans bitten by suspected rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
Transmission
The highest risk of human infection is from rabid dogs (accounting for about 94% of the confirmed diagnosed cases). It has also been diagnosed in bats, horses, monkeys, cats, and cows.
Detecting Rabies in Dogs
Even though rabies comes in two symptomatic forms in dogs(the paralytic and furious form), major signs of a rabid dog includes:
1. Change in behaviour: a docile dog may become easily irritable and aggressive, while a previously active dog may become docile. Such dogs may attack (without being provoked), humans and other animals, even inanimate objects.
2. Photophobia/Hydrophobia: They may be afraid of light and water.
*RABIES IN HUMANS*
Time of onset of disease, from time of contact of virus, varies between 2- 8 weeks, and it is dependent on the dose of virus, size or location of bite or scratch.
*SYMPTOMS*
1. There is an initial development, from tingling sensation around area of bite or scratch, to fever, loss of appetite, dizziness, sore throat and cough.
2.It then progresses to a stage of insomnia and hallucinations.
3. It could develop to a furious or paralytic stage. In the furious stage, such individual becomes aggressive, and is characterized by biting other people. Such infected person will also develop an uncontrollable fear for water.
The Paralytic stage is when muscles of such individual gradually get paralyzed. It may progress from paralysis at site of bite or scratch, to paralysis of the throat muscles (causing the individual to make odd sounds, and may foam in the mouth).
*PREVENTION*
Rabies can be prevented by administration of vaccines, and any pet owner that refuses to vaccinate the pet is at risk of contracting rabies. Hence, there it is a necessity to vaccinate one’s pet against it, especially dogs. Anti-rabies vaccine (one shot) should be given within 3-6 months of age, depending on the vaccination history of the female dog that gave birth to it, then a yearly booster shot. This should be done by a registered and licensed veterinarian like me.
*FIRST AID FOR BITES*
Once bitten by a rabid or suspected rabid animal, the area of bite should be washed with water and soap for about 10-15 minutes, or can be cleaned with 70% ethanol. It should be noted that these are only first aid measures, and cannot guarantee that the individual will not come down with the infection. Such individual should be injected with rounds of rabies vaccines for post-exposure prophylaxis, to prevent replication of the virus, and the animal should be reported to the nearest veterinary hospital. However, there is *NO POSSIBLE TREATMENT*, once rabies symptoms manifests. A painful death is inevitable.
Image is for representation
Credit: Black Enterprise
Getting your dog vaccinated in Nigeria, the cost and where….
As a trained Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, I offer vaccination services for dogs and other pets at an affordable and negotiable price. So if you want to get my services, i offer home consultancy services for dog immunization for persons living with Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria. Price of house call varies between N3,000 – N5,000 naira depending on location.
Give me a call today for your home services
My contact: Phone : 09065213400
It is also my WhatsApp number.
Name: Daniel Aremu (DVM)
Qualification: Doctor of Veternary Medicine (DVM), Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta – FUNAAB
Twitter: @danielaremson (follow me to get free updates on pet care and pet services)
Thank you
End rabies in Nigeria. Also read my article on dog parvovirus, another deadly disease that is best prevented by vaccination.
NB 👉 This Post was written in collaboration with the Nigerian Health Blog
