ROME, ONEIDA CO. -- A dog which had eaten a skunk was euthanized after exhibiting signs of rabies.
The Oneida County Health Department tells CNY Central that on September 13 a dog living in Rome killed a skunk. The department says that the dog had ‘consumed’ so much of the skunk that there was not enough left to test for rabies. The dog’s owner was then ordered to quarantine the pet for six month to see if the it had contracted the disease.
The department says that last week the dog began drooling excessively, refusing food and water, and pacing around the cage. The animal was taken to the Rome Humane Society and euthanized on Saturday.
“This is another unfortunate example of the tragic cost of failing to vaccinate a family pet resulting in its necessary destruction,” said Bobbi Jo Girven, Rabies Prevention and Treatment Program Coordinator for the Oneida County Health Department. “Fortunately, the dog had been quarantined and there were no human exposures requiring treatment.”
New York State law requires all pet owners to have their pet dogs, cats and ferrets at least three months of age vaccinated against rabies. In addition to this suspect case, Oneida County has had ten animals test positive for rabies since the start of the year. They include three raccoons, three skunks, two bats, one gray fox and a cat.
