The furious stage of the disease dogs usually last for 1 to 7 days. Animals become restless and irritable and are hyperresponsive to auditory and visual stimuli. As they become more restless they begin to roam and become more irritable and vicious. When caged the dog may bite and attack its enclosure. They progress to become disoriented and then have seizures and eventually die.
Cats are particularly prone to developing the furious phase.
The dumb phase usually develops within 2 to 4 days after the first signs are noted. Nerves affecting the head and throat are the first to be involved and the dog may begin to salivate as a result of their inability to swallow. Deep labored breathing and a dropped jaw may result as the diaphragm and face muscles become increasingly paralyzed. Dogs may make a choking sound and many owners think that there is something lodged in the dog s throat. I was exposed to and the owners were also exposed as they had been looking in the dog s mouth for a foreign object.