Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

I was taking a walk recently when I spotted a dog lying in the middle of the street ahead of me. I am wary of dogs because I was once bitten by one and it was not a pleasant experience.

I was thankful when I saw an approaching car because I hoped the dog would scuttle away for the car to ply the street. But I was out of luck.

The dog cocked one ear to listen and simply scooted to the side of the street, leaving just enough space for the car to pass by, narrowly missing having its tail squashed to pulp.

In the wake of the departing car’s exhaust fumes, the dog retook its position in the middle of the street like a sentry at post. A second vehicle approached and the same enactment took place. My phobia was playing havoc with my heart rate.

I was contemplating turning around because I wasn’t too sure if that was the normal behaviour of the dog. What if it suddenly pounced on me? I finally decided to brave it and walked quietly around the dog, allowing the lazy, sleeping dog to just lie.

Recently, and in the past, I have had clients report to the health centre with injuries sustained from dog bites. Some, thankfully, had been superficial. Others, unfortunately, had been terrible, with superimposed infection. I read in March this year about reported cases of rabies with 71 children dying from the disease in Angola.

Rabies is caused by a virus that spreads via the saliva of an infected animal, be it domestic or wild. Dogs are the commonly known domestic carriers. Others include cats, cattle, bats, rodents, foxes, etc.

A mammal, including man, can get the disease when an infected animal bites or scratches the victim’s skin.

The virus has a strong affinity for cells of the nervous system and quickly travels to the brain. This leads to confusion, aggression, seizures, hallucinations, paralysis, coma, etc.

It also damages the muscles involved in drinking and swallowing, causing intense pain. When it spreads to the heart and lungs, the victim dies. Symptoms usually develop between 20 and 60 days of exposure.

Some cases have been reported of a symptom-free incubation period up to a year and beyond! The length of the incubation period apparently depends on both the location of the wound (the farther from the brain, the longer the incubation) and the dose of virus received.

Early symptoms are pain, itch or numbness at the site of bite/scratch, headache, malaise, loss of appetite, fever and fatigue.

It is important for pet owners to vaccinate their pets and have them checked periodically by a veterinary officer. They must observe changes in their pets, such as sudden slow movements or aggression, increased drooling/salivation, difficulty in swallowing or general unwellness.

They should also try and keep their pets under supervision. Individuals at high risk of contracting the disease, such as those in constant contact with animals or travelling to areas known to have a high incidence of rabies, should receive vaccination against it.

Those who get bitten by an animal should thoroughly wash the site with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention, as rabies vaccination, when necessary, has to be administered as early as possible after exposure.

As much as possible, do not taunt animals …. just let sleeping dogs lie!