Can puppies get rabies from their mother?

The mother dog lies on her side on a soft mat, and the puppies surround her, scrambling to suck milk, occasionally making cheerful noises, and a warm atmosphere permeates the air. However, behind this peaceful scene, dog owners always have a lingering worry in their hearts - can puppies get rabies from their mother? Rabies, a deadly infectious disease that makes people shudder, has a mortality rate of almost 100%. Like a layer of haze, it hangs over the hearts of every dog ​​owner, making everyone worry that their precious dogs will be harmed by the virus. ​

Rabies is caused by the rabies virus of the Rhabdoviridae family. This virus is like a ruthless killer that mainly invades the central nervous system. The virus is transmitted through saliva. When a healthy animal is bitten by an infected animal, the virus will enter the wound with the saliva. After a small amount of muscle cell proliferation, it will invade the peripheral nerves near the human body, and then expand centripetally to the central nervous system, eventually leading to serious neurological symptoms. Dog owners are worried when they think that their beloved dogs may suffer from rabies, and they wish they could bear this pain for them. ​

So, will puppies get rabies from their mothers? For quite a long time, scientists have been exploring whether the rabies virus can be transmitted from mothers to puppies through the placenta, that is, vertical transmission. Through a lot of research and practice, no conclusive evidence has been found to show that the rabies virus can be transmitted vertically through the placenta. This research result undoubtedly gives dog owners a reassurance, so that everyone does not have to worry too much about puppies being infected with rabies in the mother's body when the mother is pregnant. Despite this, dog owners have never slackened their attention to the health of mothers and puppies. Every time they take a mother dog for a prenatal checkup, it is like a tense adventure, for fear of hearing any bad news.​

However, when a mother dog is infected with rabies during lactation, the puppies are in danger. After the mother dog becomes ill, her saliva will carry a large amount of rabies virus. During the lactation process, the oral mucosa of the puppies may be slightly damaged due to sucking and other actions. These seemingly insignificant wounds open the door for the rabies virus to invade. A young dog owner, Xiao Li, accidentally bit his mother dog when she was out for a walk. Since the mother dog did not show obvious abnormal symptoms at the time, Xiao Li did not care and continued to let the puppies breastfeed normally. But after a few days, the puppies began to become listless, their eyes were dull, and they lost interest in their favorite toys and food. Xiao Li was anxious and hurriedly took the puppies to the pet hospital for examination, and finally confirmed that the puppies were infected with rabies. Looking at the puppies in pain, Xiao Li regretted it very much and blamed himself for not discovering the abnormality of the mother dog in time.​

In addition to the risk of infection during breastfeeding, puppies may also be infected with rabies when they have close daily contact with their mothers. Once the mother dog becomes ill, her behavior will change significantly. She may become extremely irritable and aggressive from being docile. In this case, the mother dog may bite the puppies, allowing the rabies virus to enter the puppies directly. ​

In order to prevent puppies from contracting rabies, vaccination is a key link. Before the mother dog becomes pregnant, ensuring that she is vaccinated against rabies can effectively reduce the risk of the mother dog contracting rabies and provide indirect protection for the health of the puppies. After the puppies are born, dog owners must strictly follow the time nodes recommended by the veterinarian and vaccinate the puppies against rabies in a timely manner. At the same time, try to avoid contact between the mother dog and the puppies and stray animals to reduce the chance of infection. When taking the dog out, be sure to use a leash to prevent the dog from being bitten by strange animals. ​

When dog owners find that the mother dog has suspected symptoms of rabies, such as abnormal behavior, drooling, and increased aggression, they must remain calm and never contact the mother dog directly. They should contact the veterinarian immediately to diagnose and treat the mother dog. If the mother dog is diagnosed with rabies, the puppies must be isolated and observed and treated accordingly in strict accordance with the veterinarian's advice. ​

Puppies are new members of the family. Their innocent appearance brings endless joy and warmth to our lives. As dog owners, we have the responsibility to protect their health with scientific methods and meticulous care. Although it is not common for puppies to contract rabies from their mothers, we must never take it lightly even if there is only a one in ten thousand risk.