21/01/2026
‼️𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 ‼️
Sharing my experience with rabies, as I have had 2 confirmed cases. Please note: My experience might be different from others, as rabies has different stages.
- 1st case Nov. 2025 (Woody) -
Woody was rescued on October 18, 2025, a victim of animal cruelty. He was brought to the vet the same day and was given an anti-rabies vaccine, along with other tests. He was isolated for 15 days while under medication, then later joined my other rescues.
-1st day
On November 20, a month with us, behavioral changes started to appear. He became restless, disoriented and aggressive toward other dogs, but not toward humans (he started a fight). He was roaming around and seemed uncomfortable. He still responded to us when we called out, ‘Woody!
We isolated him right away in a room. He was stronger than usual and managed to bite and damage the wall while trying to escape. He was restless, and his barking changed—it sounded hoarse. He kept walking and roaming around the room without sleeping the whole night.
-2nd day
He was calm. I could touch him and sit beside him. He drank water and ate a little, then vomited. He was still walking around, sitting for a few seconds before continuing to walk. His bark was still hoarse. There was foaming in his mouth, but no drooling. At first, I thought it might be due to his swollen mouth, since he kept biting the wooden wall.
I stayed with him in the room the whole night. When I woke up at 4 a.m. to check, he was gone. He only lasted 2 days after the symptoms showed up.
His body was submitted to the BAI for rabies testing on November 22. We received the results on November 25, and it came back positive for rabies.
Woody may have already been exposed to rabies before he was rescued. We have no way of knowing when the contact happened or how long the virus had been incubating in his body at that time. He was given an anti-rabies vaccine after rescue, but rabies has a variable incubation period, and vaccination cannot reverse infection if the virus was already active.
I requested our nearest vet to vaccinate all my rescues with anti-rabies immediately, but they refused. According to them, they can only give the vaccine after a 15-day observation period. They explained that vaccinating during the incubation period may be useless, as the vaccine and medicines might no longer work if the rabies virus is already active in the body (mas malakas daw ang rabies during incubation period).
We were also advised to coordinate with the Municipal / City Vet for further assessment and proper protocol.
I coordinated with our Municipal Vet and was given the same advice. They advised that my rescues should be observed for 15 days, and after that, they could roll out the anti-rabies vaccination. I was told to send an update after the observation period.
I sent them a message and waited. They may have overlooked my message, as they are very busy and it was already December. I felt shy to follow up, knowing how hectic their schedule is.
I had planned to save first so I could have a private clinic vaccinate my dogs, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do so right away.
- 2nd Case Jan. 2026 (Nova) -
Nova was rescued in 2023, and I’ve had her for almost 3 years. She has had no contact with Woody, as she usually stays in the kitchen or outside. Nova is smart, sweet, and hyper. She climbs the fence to go in and out whenever she wants and roams around the neighborhood, where there are many other dogs. She is vaccinated with anti-rabies, but I wasn’t able to have her re-vaccinated after Woody’s incident, which is required.
-1st day (Jan.14)
She often sniffs other dogs, and because of that, she sometimes gets into fights with them.
-2nd day (Jan.15)
She went to our neighbors in the morning and bit 4 puppies, and sadly, 2 of them died. She went home like nothing happened, then continued sniffing other dogs and getting into fights. We were able to cuddle her to help her relax, but later she became restless again, started fighting, and her bark changed. That’s when I decided to isolate her in a room. I stayed with her in the room, cuddling and talking to her. She was tied up, but being a smart dog, she managed to escape after just a couple of minutes. She broke the chain and part of the wall, climbed the fence, and went into neighbors’ houses, biting puppies and other dogs. In total, she injured 6 more dogs.
I was able to contain her and put her back in the isolation room with a bigger chain. She was disoriented, kept biting the wall, tried to escape, walked around continuously, and barked hoarsely. She stayed awake the whole night.
- 3rd day (Jan.16)
She was calm, laying down and resting. She seemed back in her senses—sweet and more relaxed than the previous day. She was tired and unsteady on her feet. She drank water, and I was able to force-feed her with no aggression. I hugged her, and she lay down on my feet.
On Jan. 17, Nova crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 2 am.
Nova’s body was submitted to BAI for a rabies test on Jan. 17, and the result, received on Jan. 19, was positive.
Lesson on symptoms from Woody and Nova’s cases: Early signs such as, restless, disorientation, aggression, unusual behavior, and hoarse barking are crucial to recognize for timely action and safety.
In rabies cases like Woody and Nova, the 14–15 day observation period is counted from when symptoms first appear. If the animal survives beyond this period, it’s usually safe to conclude that other health issues, not rabies, are the cause.
All my rescued dogs, as well as neighborhood dogs and cats, received anti-rabies vaccination on Jan. 19. All my rescues will be under observation for the next three months to ensure they are clear of rabies.
Rabies has different stages with varying symptoms. Sometimes only one stage appears, sometimes a combination, and in the worst cases, all symptoms may show.
