But owners of unvaccinated pets often face sorrow because their animal will be euthanized in order to test for rabies. However, Deborah Briggs, director of K-State's Rabies Laboratory, says that Texas' implementation of new procedures offers encouragement for pets and owners nationwide. When a person is bitten by an animal suspected of being rabid, he or she must be given a rabies vaccination to help produce antibody that will fend off a possible infection. But when an unvaccinated animal has been bitten by a rabid animal, it is left up to the Public Health Department official to decide if the animal should be put to sleep and tested for the presence of rabies virus. Briggs says that health officials in Texas are collecting data on treating unvaccinated animals exposed to rabid animals in a similar manner to humans.
Animals are vaccinated and observed rather than immediately destroyed.
If the animal remains healthy after an appropriate amount of time, it is released. Above all, though, Briggs says that the best treatment for rabies is prevention. Pet owners should have their animals vaccinated for rabies. Also, citizens need to report animals they suspect have rabies. Animals that are overtly disoriented, unusually agitated, and unable to move parts of the body should be reported.