[Symptoms of rabies in pets and domestic animals in South Africa and South West Africa (author’s transl)].

This research paper addresses the symptoms of rabies in different types of domestic animals in South Africa and South-West Africa, based on data collected over a ten-year period from 1967 to 1976. Through a detailed literature review, the study identified the most common signs of rabies in these animals, emphasizing that different animals showed different symptoms and highlighting the need for careful diagnosis to avoid unnecessary euthanasia.

Symptoms in Different Animals

• The majority of the observed cases were in cattle, with over half of the total cases. The symptoms most commonly manifested in cattle were salivation, bellowing, aggressiveness, paresis or paralysis, and straining.
• In goats, the primary indicator of the disease was aggressiveness, much more than in cattle, while salivation was rarer, and bleating was a noticeable symptom in most cases.
• Sheep, in general, showed quieter behavior than other animals but displayed aggressiveness upon closer observation. They also often showed symptoms such as salivation and an abnormal sexual desire.

Dogs and Cats

• The next highest instance of rabies was in dogs, with one-fifth of the total cases. Dogs demonstrated aggressiveness as the most observable symptom, along with salivation, paresis, paralysis, and barking.
• Cats, interestingly, primarily exhibited aggressiveness. Certain cats were found with symptoms similar to rabies but were actually attributed to organic phosphate poisoning.

Horses and Donkeys

• The most common symptoms in horses and donkeys were aggressiveness, paresis or paralysis, the chewing of foreign matter, and a small percentage also showed salivation.

Need for Careful Diagnosis

• The paper strongly emphasizes the need for accurate diagnosis and careful inspection of symptoms. Rabies can manifest with various symptoms in different animals, leading to potential misdiagnosis.
• The risk of confusion leads to the possibility of the unnecessary destruction of animals.
• The study emphasizes that every possible cause for rabies-like behavior should be considered and ruled out to ensure correct treatment and to prevent avoidable euthanasia.