What do rabid animals look like?
Animals with rabies may show strange behavior — they can be aggressive, attacking for no apparent reason, or act very tame (especially wild animals). They may not be able to eat, drink or swallow. They may drool because they have difficulty swallowing. They may stagger or become paralyzed. Rabies will kill most animals. Which animals have been reported with rabies in Florida? Raccoons have been reported most frequently followed by bats and foxes. Since the 1980s, rabid cats were reported more frequently than rabid dogs. Rabid bobcats, skunks, otters, horses, cattle and ferrets have also been reported. Rabbits, squirrels, hamsters, gerbils, rats and other rodents are RARELY found to be infected and have not been known to cause human rabies in Florida. What do I do if an animal bites me? • Immediately scrub the wound with lots of soap and running water for five to ten minutes. • Try to get a complete description of the animal and determine where it is so that it can be picked up by anim
