Rabies cases in Colorado are on a significant increase. Rabies is more prevalent along the major rivers because more animals migrate there. Rabies is now moving westward. As an example, Fort Morgan has many cases of Rabies in many kinds of animals. The most common vector for horses is the skunk! Skunks will attack horses when they are Rabid!
Many areas in Colorado are already experiencing horse Rabies. Eastern Adams County and Douglas counties have had the most recent cases. Rabies cases are expected to increase in many countries this year.
Rabies in horses does not look clinically like a "mad dog". In fact, horses that have rabies can resemble low-grade colics, depressed horses, neurological horses, and horses that are just having an "off" day.
The state veterinary office has recommended that all veterinarians in Colorado should now consider vaccinating their client's horses for Rabies. In the recent Douglas county Rabid horses case, approximately twelve people had to receive Rabies prophylaxis injections and thus creating the main concern for the health department. The difficulty is that the horses don't look like they have "Rabies" until they are well into the disease and after many people had been exposed while treating them. Thus the dilemma, if a horse looks sick, he may have Rabies and people that handle him may have to get prophylactic rabies injections.
The solution is that all horses in Colorado should be considered for Rabies vaccination. The health department will not consider "Rabies" as even a possibility if your horses have been vaccinated! even better news is that it only takes one vaccination to start prophylaxis and only one booster yearly. The final point is that the health department is unable to consider that your horse has been vaccinated for Rabies unless a veterinarian has vaccinated him.
Dr. Sievers is with The Animal Dr. and Sievers and Associates, LLC. (303) 466-8888
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