Rabies symptoms?

Question

First off, we are in Vietnam and have no access to a Vet. One of our 4 dogs has been foaming at the mouth but not continuously. She is not being vicious and is still taking water. The question is... When a dog has rabies are the symptoms intermitent, are there periods where the dog will appear back to normal? or is it just total dimentia from the get go and continuous frothing from the mouth and attacking anything within reach? I was actually bitten by this dog about three weeks ago and it drew blood. Not the dogs fault. The dog was stepped on by accident and just snaped at the offending foot. We need answers here. please help.

The dog foamed at the mouth twice yesterday and three times today. continues to drink water and is not aggressive.
I had a TAT injection and a #1 rabies injection this morning and my buddy did as well. Still hoping that it is not Rabies but things are not lookin to good. Thanks for all the info. Please star and will keep all posted. Thanks again!

all your answers were good. I am going to toss coins for the best answer but appreciate all of your help!

Answer 1

Rabies Symptoms
Rabies symptoms range from the subtle to the extreme. The disease can be broken down into three phases as it progresses.

The Prodromal Phase
During this initial phase, which lasts just a few days, the disease produces very subtle changes that may be easy to miss, including:

Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Intermittent fever
Slight changes in behavior such as irritability or the desire to be left alone
The "Mad Dog" Phase
This phase, which typically lasts less than a week, is the most frightening one because it is then that the classic horrible symptoms of the disease are most likely to occur, although it should be noted that not every animal stricken with rabies appears to pass through the mad dog phase. Some humans and animals skip these rabies symptoms completely and move straight to phase three, the paralytic stage.

Rabies symptoms for the mad dog phase may include:

Lack of coordination, irregular muscle movements, and/or seizures
Aggressive behavior toward objects and other creatures
Restlessness and roaming aimlessly from one location to the next without a discernible purpose
Disorientation and lack of recognition for familiar people and places
Lack of fear toward natural predators
The Paralytic Phase
In this final and fatal stage of the disease, affected humans and animals display the following symptoms.

Foaming at the mouth. This symptom is caused by the growing paralysis of the throat and jaw muscles, which makes it very difficult to swallow saliva. Consequently, most animals will also refuse food and water completely at this stage.
Slack jawed appearance, which can also be attributed to progressing paralysis.
Full bodily paralysis that results in death.
It should be noted that the virus can remain active inside a dead animal for forty-eight hours, and the creature's blood and other bodily fluids can transmit the virus if it comes into contact with fresh open wounds or muscous membranes.

Answer 2

I hope you have access to medical care for yourself. Normally, in humans, symptoms will appear in about ten days so if you do not have any, then your dog did not have Rabies when she bit you. Could the foaming be caused by something else? Could she have eaten a bug or a toad? Some pesticides can also cause foaming at the mouth.

Rabies is also called Hydrophobia - fear of water. The animal is unable to drink because the throat swells up and prevents it from swallowing. Not all dogs are vicious when they are Rabid. Some get very quiet and sort of depressed. The disease is fatal to both humans and animals.

You did not say how long your dog has been sick but if it's Rabies, the disease will progress to the point of death. It is caused by a virus that spreads to the brain. I have included a link below to some additional information.

Answer 3

Rabies can show up as a number of symptoms. We usually say if the dog is exhibiting any signs that are not normal for it, especially and neurological signs, then it could be rabid. Just foaming at the mouth doesn't mean rabies--it could also mean nausea or a bad taste. If there is a chance she or you were exposed, you need to seek treatment--rabies is fatal.