just dogs

GreatwhiteNorth said:

At least they don't carry rabies.

Click to expand...

• Small rodents, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils, armadillos, nutria, shrews, prairie dogs, beavers, gophers and hamsters are rarely infected with rabies and are not known to transmit it to humans. However, it's possible for them to get rabies if they are attacked by a rabid animal but not killed.
• Opossums
  These marsupials have a lower body temperature than other mammals, which makes it difficult for the rabies virus to survive long enough to cause illness. Opossums are also less likely to carry rabies than other small mammals like raccoons and bats

There are even believable episodes where a rabid animal attacked an opossum and the opossum remained unharmed by the encounter. But the real proof is the fact that tens of thousands of road-killed opossums have been scraped up (including my own) and not one has been reported as being rabid."

"..opossums are immune from the venom of all “pit vipers” such as rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins."

"In the US, most human deaths are due to exposure to rabid bats; this is partly because the bite wound is so small (about the size of a hypodermic needle ) that the person may not know they were bitten and, therefore, doesn’t seek medical attention and PEP."

"Note that the PEP regime no longer features the much-feared extensive treatment of vaccinations in the stomach, but consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin (based on weight) and a series of 4 vaccinations (5 vaccinations for immunocompromised individuals) in the deltoid area over a month period."

Rabies in Animals - Nervous System - Merck Veterinary Manual

Learn about the veterinary topic of Rabies in Animals. Find specific details on this topic and related topics from the Merck Vet Manual.

www.merckvetmanual.com