GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A local veterinarian is warning pet owners about the importance of rabies vaccinations after treating a disturbing case in a Garrard County horse.
The horse, a patient Dr. Justin Murray had treated for 20 years, arrived at Town and Country Animal Clinic in Danville two weeks ago in a manic state that shocked the veterinarian.
“I’ve seen this horse for 20 years,” Murray said. “It’s awful to see this horse that was so good, so trained, absolutely lose his mind. It’s heartbreaking to watch.”
The normally polite and well-mannered horse displayed extreme agitation and aggression.
“Clearly, in some of the videos that horse was really, really agitated. They were unable to halter him or put his lead on because he was really aggressive. Trying to bite the owner out the side of the trailer,” he said.
The horse developed a dangerous 107-degree fever and began biting metal bars so forcefully it lost teeth. Even powerful tranquilizers had little effect on the animal.
“We gave him nearly ten times the normal dose to even slow him down. And it didn’t last any time. He blew through the tranqs,” Murray said.
Murray explained that rabies presents differently across species, but horses typically show five common symptoms: lameness, colic, lethargy, aggression, and stupor. The disease is always fatal in any animal it infects.
What’s particularly concerning to Murray is that this isn’t the first rabies case his practice has encountered this year.
“Honestly, I would say it’s been a bad year since this case even developed. Like I said, we had a dog exposure within the past six weeks and there’s been some tested positive wildlife,” Murray said.
The State Public Health Laboratory confirmed rabies in the horse following its euthanization. Two other horses that lived with the infected animal have been placed under quarantine by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, while the Kentucky Department of Health is managing human exposures.
Murray strongly recommends vaccination for all pets and working animals.
“It is serious and it is something that we need to vaccinate for for protection in our animals. Dogs, cats, horses,” Murray said.
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