Do all squirrels have rabies?

Squirrels will not carry rabies generally even if it is possible for any mammal that is warm blooded to contract or carry the disease. The squirrels are among a few animals that do not require the rabies protocol at the veterinarian, clinic or hospital. The squirrel is known to be benign most of the time, but you will not be guaranteed that a squirrel that bites you is free of rabies. It is good to let the doctor check the bites to ensure that you are safe.



An aggressive squirrel may not be common, but it is possible that you may find a protective mother when it has its babies nearby. You should know that a squirrel has been upset if it takes time to stare at you and is not running to the trees at once. This is why it is difficult for you to be bitten by a squirrel if you are not too close to it. The squirrel is an agile and fast creature that you can find in the wilderness, and they will run away from you as fast as they are able to do so. A squirrel hunter can be bitten when they collect a squirrel that they have shot, but this is a rare situation. You can sit near a squirrel which is walking and you can accidently touch it while it is resting. The squirrel can bite you, but in many cases it will run away.

A household pet that has been bitten by a squirrel should be taken to a veterinarian. The pet should be given the rabies vaccine some time in their lives, but the veterinarian may check for the infection of rabies in a wound. A wound has to be dressed by a professional, and the veterinarian should report this incident to a wildlife authority. You have to report this incident since it is vital to the safety of everyone, and a veterinarian can be told when there is a rabies infestation in that place.

When it is you who has been bitten by the squirrel, you will have to provide the information to the clinic staff and to the hospital about the animal and the behavior of that animal. You have to think about how the squirrel was behaving before biting you and you have to report such information to the medical staff who is treating you. The squirrel bite does not always lead to the rabies protocol in the hospital, but the staff will have to know how it behaved.

Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page.

Do all squirrels have rabies?