Rabies in Dogs: Symptoms, Transmission, and Symptoms

By Heather Newett, MPH, DVM. Reviewed by Melissa Boldan, DVM

Updated Dec. 28, 2025

rabies in dogs; a dog is brought to the veterinarian by his pet parent.

gpointstudio/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

Rabies is a fatal viral disease that attacks a dog’s nervous system and is most often spread through bites from infected animals.
Symptoms include behavioral changes, drooling, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, and eventually death once signs appear.
There is no cure for rabies, but it is preventable through routine vaccination and avoiding contact with wild animals.

What Is Rabies in Dogs?

Rabies in dogs is a viral disease that is fatal to almost all pets who catch it.

The rabies virus is spread in saliva by bite wounds, and it prevalent in the wild animal population. Dogs encounter the rabies virus when they are bit by affected wild animals.

Affected dogs may have behavior changes and become depressed, feverish, aggressive or show neurologic signs.

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There’s a long incubation time from the point when a dog is bitten to when they start to act sick.

This incubation period may last weeks to months, depending on how far away the bite is from their brain.

The rabies virus attacks a dog’s central nervous system, spreading through the nerves from the infection site to the brain. Infected pets experience paralysis that inevitably involves the respiratory system, which leads to death.  

Rabies can affect any mammal, including humans. Animals that host and spread viruses like rabies are known as vectors of the disease. These hosts include skunks, weasels, raccoons, foxes, and bats.

Fortunately, pet parents can help to prevent their dogs from becoming infected with the rabies vaccine.

Symptoms of Rabies in Dogs

The initial symptoms of rabies in dogs may come on gradually and be hard to detect.

These symptoms include:

Fever

Decrease in energy/lethargy

Lack of appetite

Weakness or paralysis of the legs

Seizures

Difficulty breathing

Excessive drooling due to difficulty swallowing

Abnormal behavior (can range from extreme aggression to depression or coma)

Furious vs. Paralytic (Dumb) Rabies in Dogs

Rabies in dogs has two forms—furious and paralytic. Affected dogs may show signs of either or both forms:

If the furious phase develops, dogs can become aggressive and occasionally delusional. They may seem to hallucinate and attack their surroundings with no trigger.

The paralytic phase involves dogs starting to develop paralysis of various muscular systems. They often lose the ability to swallow, which leads to hypersalivation and foaming at the mouth—which some people consider to be a classic symptom of rabies in dogs.

Eventually, coma and death occur after paralysis or prolonged seizure activity. 

How Do Dogs Get Rabies?

The most common cause of rabies in dogs is through a bite from an infected animal, where the virus is transmitted by the saliva.

Rarely, the saliva or nerve tissue of an infected animal can contaminate a dog’s open wound or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth, leading to transmission of the virus without a bite occurring.

How Do You Test a Dog for Rabies?

There is no definitive way to test for rabies in live dogs—because of this, it’s essential to observe the signs and accurately interpret symptoms.

If a vet suspects rabies based on the dog’s symptoms, a diagnosis can be made by testing the brain tissue after the dog has passed away.

The brain tissue is examined using a method called direct fluorescent antibody testing.

Recovery and Management of Rabies in Dogs

Rabies in dogs is 100% fatal.

Once a dog has become infected and started showing symptoms, recovery or long-term management of the disease isn’t possible.

Preventing Rabies in Dogs

Fortunately, Rabies is very preventable in dogs with vaccination. Rabies vaccines are readily available, inexpensive and very effective.

Many municipalities require rabies vaccination by law in pets due to the public health implications.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are roughly 59,000 human deaths due to rabies infections worldwide.

99% of these are outside the US where rabies vaccination is not routinely done in pet populations.

Rabies in Dogs FAQs

How does a dog get rabies?

Dogs get rabies when they are bitten by affected animals.

What should I do if my dog has been bitten by a rabid animal?

If your dog has been bitten by a wild animal, you should seek veterinary care right away. Rabies prophylactic vaccination will likely be done.

If you can safely bring in the body of the animal that bit our dog without exposing yourself to any risk, it’s recommended that you do so.

Your vet can send in the wild animal for rabies testing at the state lab.

How do you know if your dog has rabies?

Neurologic symptoms like stumbling, lack of balance or coordination, and behavior changes, like acting unusually aggressive or stuporous are most seen in dogs with rabies.

How common is rabies in dogs?

While rabies is not very common in dogs in the U.S., there are cases reported every year.

Does the rabies vaccine prevent a dog from getting rabies?

Yes, the vaccine does a very good job of protecting dogs from getting rabies when bit by affected wildlife.

Can a dog survive rabies?

No. Rabies is 100% fatal in dogs.

How long does rabies take to kill a dog?

Rabies takes weeks to months to kill a dog depending on how close the bite is to the brain. The closer the bite is to the brain, the quicker it will get into the central nervous system and result in death.