The Missouri Department of Agriculture recently announced that a horse that exhibited at the Missouri State Fair has died from Rabies.

Rabies  is not commonly associated with horses but is one hundred percent fatal to all infected animals.  Vaccination of the horse prior to exposure is the best form of protection.

Clinical signs can be variable with symptoms being both general and similar to other diseases that affect the horse’s nervous system.  This makes rabies difficult to diagnose.

Affected horses might go off feed or exhibit depression, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, lack of coordination, aggressive behavior, hyperexicitabiltiy, colic, convulsions or paralysis.  Currently no laboratory tests are available to confirm rabies in a live animal.  A postmortem test is required to give a definitive diagnosis.

Rabies is not limited to horses that are kept outside.  Horses that live in barns can be exposed to bats, skunks, opossoms, etc.

Wilhite & Frees is strongly recommending vaccinating your horses against rabies.  Please check your records or call our office to ensure that your horse is protected.