Since 2014, Russia has been complicating already difficult situation with rabies in Ukraine. With the start of a full-scale invasion of '23, the problem is becoming critical.
There is no way to scatter cubes with anti-rabies vaccine for wil for wild animals over forests with the planes. People have fled their homes, died, been captured; their pets were left on the streets.
We are worried about really important things - helping the military and IDPs, looking for new jobs and housing, following the news about shelling and mobilization. There is no time or energy left for "unimportant" things. And this is scary, because rabies is a disease of prevention. You don't know anyone who has died from it for one reason only: the dogs and cats that once scratched or bit that person were vaccinated against rabies. Now the number of unvaccinated animals has increased, and we can already see the consequences in the news: rabies outbreaks in Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, and Odesa regions; an outbreak is expected in Rivne region. A video of a fox approaching a car on its own is being shared online (one of the symptoms of rabies is that the wild animal has no fear of humans).
This means that the risk of rabies for you and your pets is higher than ever. Even if it is an old cat that never leaves the house.
Suddenly, you need to take it to a veterinary hospital. At the same time, a cat with rabies is brought there. It hisses, kicks out, and sprays saliva all over the place (rabies is much more common in cats than in other animals). If the saliva gets on the mucous membranes - the eye, mouth - the virus can enter the body. You can also bring the saliva of a sick animal home on your shoes (and you know how cats love to sniff out street shoes). The bonus is that the bombing will not stop anytime soon, and a house damaged by a rocket is an increased risk that the animal will be left unattended or lost. It can be bitten by another animal you don't know anything about. So, everyone has a chance of getting infected to varying degrees. For residents of large cities, it is lower, but not zero. The price of the issue is life. The clinical manifestation of the disease in 100% of cases ends in death, slow and painful.
Vaccinate your dog.
Vaccinate your cat.
Take your cat out of the house.
Vaccinate the pets you care for.
Make a story about how you got vaccinated and are now protected from rabies.
Don't approach a fox that is caressing you in the middle of the forest (the virus changes the behavior of animals, forcing them to get closer to bite you).
Pay attention to the strange behavior of your cat or cats: they have become overly cautious or distrustful, or vice versa, a previously introverted and silent cat suddenly caresses and meows annoyingly; they try to eat inedible food or become irritable. Or it shows hostility or hysteria due to atypical factors (a flash of light, splashing water, a draft from an open window). If possible, record this behavior and consult your veterinarian.
If you have been bitten by an animal, immediately contact your family doctor or a trauma center.
Stephen King has a novel called Cujo, about a St. Bernard who got rabies. It is now available in Ukrainian. Yes, it's scary to read, because you feel so damn sorry for the dog and the people. But these are fictional characters, created by the author to make you sympathize with them. King is a master of words. Just as each of us is a master of our lives, at least in those aspects where we can control it. Check your pet's passport to see if it has a stamp of rabies vaccination, which was done no more than a year ago. If you are not sure if it is the right stamp or the right vaccination, go to the veterinary hospital, show it to them and ask, they will tell you. Sign up your pet, even if it is a cat, for rabies vaccination and come back - these are simple steps to get rabies under control. Telling your friends who come into contact with animals will make the fight against the spread of the disease more effective.
Do it, if you haven't already, because otherwise rabies will take control of us and Cujo will become a reality (the state will not be able to cope).
Read this text in Ukrainian here.