It causes changes in behavior, paralysis and then death. Rabies symptoms can show up anywhere from two weeks to more than a year from infection. The furious symptoms include snapping and biting, anxious behavior, wandering, restlessness, unusual appetite, extreme aggressiveness and convulsions. The dumb symptoms include paralysis, excessive saliva, inability to work the mouth or to eat or drink. The symptoms can progress from furious to dumb or the dumb form can occur alone.
Symptoms are extremely variable among individuals.
Recovery from rabies is extremely rare so vaccination is mandated by state laws. Vaccines are given to dogs and cats around 3 to 4 months. Booster shots are given thereafter as administered by your vet in 1 or 3 year increments. In the US, rabies vaccines use an inactive version of the virus. Young pets need to be kept away from other animals until the vaccine takes hold which is one month after the first shot.