Elizabethtown Veterinary Hospital has announced the schedule for the 2020 Rabies Clinics in Bladen County. The clinics offer rabies vaccinations for cats and dogs for a cash payment of $7.00 each. The clinics are held across the county from March until July. The annual clinics offer homeowners a low cost solution for vaccinating their animals according to North Carolina State Law.
North Carolina law states that “the owner of very dog and cat over four months of age shall have the animal vaccinated against rabies.” In Bladen County, the owners of dogs and cats which have not been vaccinated in accordance with the law are subject to a civil penalty of $200.
If a pet is due for a 3-year vaccine, owners are asked to bring proof of a previous vaccine.
Here is the clinic schedule: PDF Rabies Clinic 2020
Rabies is transmitted primarily in saliva through a bite. Livestock infected with rabies usually appear depressed, have a lack of appetite; difficulty eating, drinking or swallowing; profuse salivation; blindness; head-pressing; circling; vocalization; fever; strained defecation; increased sexual excitement or activity; limp tail, anus, or tongue. Constant yawning, itching or nibbling may be a sign of rabies, too. Rabies can be associated with neurological problems such as incoordination, decreased muscle tone and reflexes, shifting lameness, or partial-to-complete paralysis. Horse owners should be aware that rabies can often mimic symptoms of colic in horses.
The incubation for rabies is between two weeks and six months. Once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal.
Other ways to protect yourself and animals:
• Do not feed or attract wildlife to your yard or try to capture wild animals.
• Call your local animal control if you notice a nocturnal animal out during the day and demonstrating strange behavior such as no fear of humans or aggressive behavior.
• If you hunt, use gloves while skinning animals, particularly when handling nerve tissue or organs.
• If you are scratched or come into contract with the saliva of an animal you suspect was rabid, seek medical attention immediately.
Livestock owners should discuss with their veterinarians about the risk of rabies in their area and preventive vaccinations.
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