Do Squirrels Have Rabies? Are They Rabid Animals? Here's The Truth!

Squirrels are these cute furry animals that seem to be quite social.

Squirrels may seem tamed but are actually wild animals that fall under the rodent species. They are scavengers that sometimes hunt and eat other small rodents.

People who acquire squirrels as pets should know that even though squirrels don't carry the rabies virus like other rodents do, they are still at a slight risk of getting rabies. Apart from this, they carry some other diseases that can be transmitted.

Therefore you should pay attention to your pet's behavior, whether squirrels or any other animal, as their behavior is the most important symptom that can guide you to understand if there is anything wrong with them or not.

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How commonly do squirrels have rabies?

Squirrels don't inherently carry the rabies virus. However, they are still at risk of catching it from other wild animals. This risk is very low but is still there. Squirrels are considered to be low-risk animals.

Low-risk animals like squirrels, hamsters, rabbits, chipmunks, gerbils, guinea pigs, rats, and mice have a lower chance of infecting humans with rabies. These small mammals do not carry the rabies virus, and the chances of them transmitting it are very rare.

On the other hand, there are high-risk mammals such as skunks, foxes, wild raccoons, bats, and coyotes that have a greater chance of transmitting the virus. They can transmit rabies through their bites and infect other animals or humans that come in contact with the infected animal and its saliva.

Animals such as cats, dogs, and cows kept as pets or livestock, can also transmit rabies. However, the chances are significantly reduced if they get vaccinated. Squirrels may not carry rabies, but if they get into a fight with a wild animal or a rabid one, they can contract the disease too.

How can you tell a squirrel has rabies?

Rabies, also known as Lyssavirus, is a disease that affects the brain of the infected individual. At the very last stage, the disease can be transferred from one animal to another through saliva. It is zoonotic in nature and can be transferred from an infected animal to humans.

One of the most known rabies symptoms in animals is the excessive aggression they start showing by biting and snapping at anything and everything. Previously the animal may have been calm and social, after contracting rabies, it would reveal a furious side of its personality.

Other symptoms of the disease include being in a drunk-like state and walking in a wobbly manner. They may also face difficulty in standing up straight and keep falling over. Extreme symptoms can also be detected such as paralysis, either complete or partial, and lethargy.

However, some of these symptoms may also clash with signs of other diseases in squirrels. Therefore, if you see any of these symptoms, take extreme precautions and take the squirrel to a veterinarian and get it confirmed whether the animal has rabies or another disease.

Can I get rabies from a squirrel scratch?

Rabies is contracted through the saliva of infected animals when it comes into contact with an open wound. This means if a wild animal with rabies bites another animal or human, then they will most likely contract the disease too.

Scratches don't really affect the transfer of this disease unless the saliva touches the bite wound. If a squirrel scratches you with its sharp claws, it is rare to catch rabies, but there are chances of contracting other diseases that squirrels may carry.

Squirrels carry a disease called ringworm, and they might transfer it to humans through contact. However, the cases of squirrels passing any diseases to human is very rare. If such an instance does take place, it is important to get it treated immediately.

Do you need a rabies shot after a squirrel bite?

Squirrels rarely carry rabies. Moreover, healthy squirrels don't necessarily bite humans or other animals unless they are provoked. There are still instances, even though few, where a squirrel might have been infected with rabies, and if you are bitten by such a squirrel, then it is of utmost importance to immediately get the shot.

When a human contracts rabies, they would first feel an itch around the bite area. This would be followed by flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, and lethargy. A human bitten by a rabid squirrel (or even a healthy one) should immediately seek medical assistance as rabies is fatal.

Squirrel bites that do not carry rabies are still harmful as they may carry other diseases such as tularemia and leptospirosis. Tularemia affects the skin along with lymph nodes.

The bacteria makes the lymph nodes swell, and the bite will be surrounded with ulcers. The symptoms of tularemia might appear in just a several days, but they can also take up to two weeks to develop.

Meanwhile, the signs of leptospirosis include headaches, rashes, vomiting, and fever. It can also cause another illness that is jaundice. It is a serious illness that can also be fatal. Leptospirosis may also cause kidney damage.

Prevention of any such illnesses should be prioritized. Get your pet squirrel vaccinated as early as possible. The chances of contracting these illnesses are reduced but there is still a possibility of contracting a disease even if the animals has been vaccinated properly.

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