My aggressive dog: Is rabies testing needed before euthanasia?

Question

My 10-year-old basset hound suffered from a brain tumor. One of her symptoms was random aggressive behavior, even biting us. When we made the hard decision to have her euthanized and took her to the vet, he told us that due to her aggressive behavior he would have to perform a brain autopsy (that we would have to pay for) to check for rabies. Our dog was up to date with all her vaccines. He would not proceed unless we agreed to that. Does that sound legit? We ended up going to a different vet. Pet's info: Dog | Basset Hound | Female | spayed | 50 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, that would be a legitimate concern. Neurological behavior changes could be due to a brain tumor but it could also be due to a disease like rabies. Since rabies is a zoonotic disease (can be transmitted from animals to people) and it is nearly 100% fatal you need to be very judicious in diagnosis. Unless you had a CT scan or an MRI of Elektra's brain showing the tumor I think it is very reasonable for your vet to request a necropsy with rabies testing. Rabies is not unheard of in this country. I am actually surprised the second vet didn't request the same thing. We get lazy in this country and take for granted that rabies is rare but do you want to be the one rare case in reference to a fatal disease? It is better to be safe than sorry in my opinion. I am really sorry you had to deal with this but I don't feel like your original vet was out of line at all. Hope this answers your question and I am sorry for your loss of Elektra. Best wishes.

My aggressive dog: Is rabies testing needed before euthanasia?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Why is my new pet biting? Is she stressed or scared in her new home?

My degu has trouble breathing, coughing, and nose discharge. Help?

My robo hamster is limp, bleeding, and collapsed. Is it wet tail?

Is my pet's occasional sneezing and eye crust a URI symptom?

How to keep a pet mom and her newborn babies warm and calm?

Share