Veterinarian

Signs to watch for include:

• Loss of appetite
• Depression
• Lameness
• Fever
• Neurological signs such as behavior changes, vocalization, circling and seizures

If an animal develops any of these signs, a veterinarian should be contacted immediately. 

Animals cannot transmit rabies unless the virus is present in saliva. The virus is usually only present in the saliva of an infected dog, cat or ferret once signs of rabies begin, or at maximum three to four days before. 

If a dog, cat or ferret remains healthy at the end of a 10-day quarantine period there is no risk of rabies transmission to the bite victim and unnecessary post-exposure prophylaxis can be avoided. No person in the United States has ever contracted rabies from a dog, cat or ferret held in quarantine for 10 days. If a dog, cat or ferret shows signs of illness at the time of the bite or during quarantine, it should be evaluated by a veterinarian and may need to be tested for rabies. 

Yes, per the Flathead County Rabies Control Program - Section 6, "The owner of every animal that is 3 months of age or older shall have the animal vaccinated before the animal is 5 months old and thereafter in accordance with the vaccine manufacturer recommendation." 

Flathead County frequently gets reports of bats that are found in houses. Pets can get rabies from playing with or killing a rabid bat that gets into the home. For protection, pets should be up-to-date on their rabies vaccine and owners should make sure their house is 'bat-proof". 

Please reach out to the Flathead City County Health Department at 406-751-8117 and we will walk your office through the process of submitting the animal or bat for rabies testing. Information can also be found on this PDF. 

The owner of the pet has 2 options:

1. The pet can be euthanized and then sent in for rabies testing at the MTVDL. The vet office will need to reach out to FCCHD at 406-751-8117 to report the incident. If the animal is involved in a bite report, FCCHD will cover the cost of the rabies testing and the shipping costs for the specimen.  The owner will be required to cover the cost of euthanization. 
2. The pet can finish out their 10-day quarantine period (10 full days from the bite - the day the bite occurred is day 0). If the animal is still healthy and showing no signs of rabies at the end of this 10-day quarantine period, then the animal can be euthanized at the owner's request, and rabies testing is not required.
   1. See this PDF for information on sending in specimens for rabies testing at the MTVDL. 

All dogs, cats and ferrets should be given a booster within 96 hours of their exposure. If the owner is planning to send the suspected bat or wild animal in for rabies testing, please consider if the specimen will have results available within the 96-hour period. 

If the results will not be available in time, that animal should be given a booster as soon as possible. If the pet has never been vaccinated for rabies, immediately give the dog, cat or ferret a booster regardless of if a specimen is being sent in for rabies testing. If the animal is not yet 12 weeks old, please call FCCHD at 406-751-8117. 

If your office is not sure how to proceed or needs assistance sending in a specimen, please call FCCHD at 406-751-8117. See this PDF for more information. 

Immediately call the Flathead City County Health Department to report this suspected rabid animal at 406-751-8117. The county will work with the Department of Livestock to test this animal and then investigate any possible rabies exposures that may have occurred to other pets or humans.