In early June, an injured bat was picked up by Placer County Animal Control in South Placer County. The injured bat was euthanized and sent to a state lab for testing. Subsequently, the bat tested positive for rabies. The bat has been identified as a Mexican Free-Tailed Bat which is native to North America and abundant in the Placer County area. No other bats have been picked up by PCAC since this initial incident.
Here at Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic, the discovery of a rabid bat in our region does not go unnoticed and serves as a reminder that all pets should be current on their rabies vaccine. The rabies virus is transmitted from infected wildlife species like bats, skunks, and raccoons to domestic pets like cats and dogs thus, it is important that all pets receive the rabies vaccine booster regularly in order to avoid contracting this deadly virus and to prevent human exposure. We recommend that pet owners check their pet’s vaccine history and if a booster is needed, make an appointment immediately with their veterinarian.
The rabies vaccine booster is given every three years to dogs after the initial adult pet vaccine series is complete and either annually or every three years to cats, depending on the vaccine type. If you are unsure of your pet’s vaccine history, please contact your veterinarian and they should have a record on file. For further information about rabies vaccinations or if you are a Loomis Basin client and want to check your pet’s vaccination history, please either call Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic at (916) 652-5816 or login to your Pet Portal account to view your pet’s vaccination history. Click here to access Pet Portal
