ORIGINIALLY ​WRITTEN 9.28.2019

Summary: One of the best ways to put this virus to rest permanently is to educate and vaccinate!  Vaccinate your pets on time. Tell children to never touch sick or dead wildlife, especially raccoons, bats, skunks, fox, mongoose, etc., any mammals. Report any sick animal acting odd.  If scratched or bitten go to the ER.  If travelling to foreign lands look into the viability of getting a rabies vaccination prior to travel. Get vaccinated after exposure in iffy in rural areas.
 
Let's Get Down to the Details:
Rabies is a vicious virus with a legendary history.  There is a scene in the movie “To Kill A Mockingbird” with a rabid dog.  It mirrored one of my grandmother’s childhood memories of a rapid dog walking down Main Street of her small town. What a nightmare!

The virus is on all continents (except Antarctica), according to the World Health Organization, but anyone infected can be saved if a vaccine is administered before symptoms appear. The virus affects the brain, the nervous system and is spread by more means than just a bite.

A death from rabies occurs about every 9 minutes with 40% of the deaths being children.  All but 1% of the deaths are transmitted by dogs although there are a variety of carriers.  It is primarily other carriers in the United States and in the other nations where the concern lies. 

DID YOU KNOW? TRANSMISSION OCCURS PRIMARILY THROUGH BOTH BITES AND SCRATCHES AND TOUCHING DEAD OR SICK ANIMALS IS ANOTHER WAY TO CONTRACT RABIES.  

If a child or adult is scratched by an animal such as a racoon, to go to the emergency room. Interestingly, bat bites occur while campers are sleeping, is also source of concern.  So sleeping under the stars or in a cave and just being outside highlights the summer months are the prime time for bites from animals normally nocturnal, diurnal (day), or crepuscular (twilight)!

In the States, animals other than dogs or cats, spread a majority of reported rabies cases. In domesticated animals, cats are the number one carrier. In one article it was written, “Rabies, though rare... has dramatically dropped in the United States over the past 100 years” (Welsh). It's true but it is the kind of statement that may contribute to a secure feeling about "bottling up" rabies in the U.S. when, maybe, it only lends itself to the notion rabies is a minor concern in the U.S., isolated from the world.

DID YOU KNOW? OVER 60 NATIONS ARE RABIES-FREE. 

“The true burden of the disease is likely to be underestimated due to chronic under-reporting and political neglect in many developing countries,” WHO says.  The downplaying of the world’s #2 virus wherever someone lives,  even where the virus has been eradicated, puts blinders on addressing a killer virus, when the cure is 100% effective if received quickly or prior to exposure.  Vaccinations against viral and bacterial diseases are available and/or required for about 14 diseases. Of these diseases like Mumps, Polio, Measles or Chickenpox (Varicella) there are one to multiple doses required and none of them have the 100% preventative claimer the rabies vaccine has.  Not one. 
 
Rabies in 2019: Can it be eradicated by 2030?  
The World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) are working along with others toward eradicating rabies. They plan to end human deaths from rabies by 2030 through the establishment of the global organization, “United Against Rabies,” a collaboration of several world organizations with mutually agreed upon mapped out plan to accomplish “Zero human rabies deaths by 2030”.  
 
Facing Some of the Difficulties
Rabies’ deaths exist in over 100 countries transmitted mostly by dog bites.  The greatest number of human deaths by rabies are found in Africa and Asia but there is a significant number of deaths in India.  Annually over 69,000 human deaths occur worldwide (2017) and most of these deaths are children under 15 years of age.  

In India there were 20,847 known* deaths. 40% of all the deaths were children. Polio was eradicated in India in 2014 and Rabies could be eradicated with the same commitment. There are others who say it will always be in India.  According to WHO there is a worldwide shortage of rabies immunoglobulin.  It costs more than 3 times what the average person makes daily ($2) in India for one dose.

Less expensive choices are available other than the traditional vaccine.   India’s stumbling blocks include cultural issues, animal welfare laws, education, underreporting, livestock vs. domestic animal issues/priorities and simply reaching isolated but infected areas.  It is an ongoing battle. A rabid dog will most certainly die of rabies and a human will usually die if not vaccinated with 10 days. Rabies is spread through the saliva and because dogs lick their nails, a scratch can spread the virus.  The pathos of the disease is horrible.                       
Any mammal can carry and spread rabies.  Domestic animals (cats, dogs and ferrets), livestock (horses and cattle via most probable bites on back legs), bats, exotic pets (hamsters, guinea pigs, rats and mice), wildlife (skunk, fox, raccoon and mongoose) and small rodents (squirrels, etc.) and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares) can carry for rabies. In the wild in the United States raccoons are the most prevalent animal to transmit the infection east of the Mississippi. West of the Mississippi skunks are the most common carriers followed by the fox in the wild. Overall, bats carried 32.2 % (#1) of rabies in 2017 followed by raccoons, skunks and then foxes.
 
Direct Contact
What constitutes ‘direct contact’? Viral transmission occurs by direct contact with a carrier.  Direct contact is when saliva comes in contact via scratch or bite breaking the skin or contact with or soft tissue in the eyes, mouth or nose.  Remember animals lick (saliva) their paws, hence, the danger in scratches.

Another means of uncommon transmission that is not by bite or scratch is by petting an infected animal.  Contact with infectious tissue or fluid blood such as urine, blood or feces in or out of a controlled environment can result in exposure to the virus.  Aerosol exposure for lab workers is possible.  The virus dies when exposed to sunlight.

How Rabies Works 
Rabies does not travel through the bloodstream but through the nerves to the spinal cord and up to the brain.  There it multiplies causing inflammation (swelling, etc.) of the tissues. While this occurs, the virus as it continues to travel to the salivary glands wherein it is spread by saliva during a bite (primarily) or scratch. 

Infection
The incubation period is when there are no symptoms presented and can be weeks to three months. The first symptoms usually appear within 3-5 days of exposure. Symptoms are:

1. Tingling around the infected area
2. Flu like symptoms such as muscle aches, tiredness or loss of appetite.
3. Neurological symptoms develop such as seizures, odd postures with muscle spasms, hallucinations, confusion with unusual or bizarre thoughts, partial paralysis, agitation or aggressiveness. 

A person or animal produces a lot of spittle as if foaming at the mouth.  One of the neurological signs is an unnatural fear of water or choking because of the increase production of saliva with muscle spasms.
 
Turning the Tide
Rabies eradication is possible via vaccinating dogs and vaccinating the ‘at risk’ human population in a pro-active effort. Other than the primary vaccine there are cheaper choices such as using horse immunoglobulin. Kenya created a ‘Zoonotic Disease Unit’ coordinating leaders from the health and agriculture departments of the country to unite and create long term goals and strategy for a rabies free country. Their methods offer affordable possibilities for poorer countries.  The model was proven in Tanzania so it is a real, working model (Serengeti Health Initiative) and inspiration. A country’s political heart has to harken to this call.
 
In 2018 Rabies-Free Nations, Islands, Etc.   (In bold
Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Island, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Futuna, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hawaii, Herzegovina, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Italy,  Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Norway, Nevis, The Grenadines, The Pacific Islands, of American Samoa, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (Netherlands Antilles), Saint Pierre et Miquelon, Saint Vincent, Saipan, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tonga, Turks Islands, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), Uruguay, Vanuatu, Wallis, and Western Samoa

What Can You Do?
1.Educate yourself
2. Vaccinate your pets according to your vet's recommendation.  
2. Report any strangely acting and or sickly animal to the local health department or animal shelter (drooling, biting everything, movement impaired).
3. Teach kids not to pet animals in the wild like foxes, raccoons, skunks or bats. Never touch sick or dead animals. If you get scratched by a wild animal such as a raccoon or fox go to the emergency room. 
4. If traveling internationally, a rabies vaccination may be in order. Consider the country and how much time is spent outdoors, handling animals and if the area is rural.  It is difficult to get the vaccine in rural areas as in almost impossible depending on how remote an area you visit.  Stay safe!
 
For more information, check click:
World Rabies Day
 
References:
Contributors, WebMD Editorial. “Rabies in Cats.” WebMD, WebMD, https://pets.webmd.com/cats/rabies-cats#1.

“Is Rabies in Your State?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Apr. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/surveillance/index.html#targetText=Wild%20animals%20acco%20%20%20unted%20for%2091,and%20foxes%20(7.0%20percent).

PetTravel. “ Rabies-Free Countries.” PetTravel.com, https://www.pettravel.com/passports_rabies_free_countries.cfm.

“Rabies.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies.

Reinfrank, Alkira. “Seven of the Most Deadly Viruses, from Ebola to Rabies.” South China Morning Post, 30 Oct. 2018, https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2163766/seven-most-deadly-viruses-ebola-rabies-hidden-killers-are.
​
Written by Mary-Rose Abraham, Multimedia Journalist. “Why the World Is Not Yet Rabies-Free.” World Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/why-the-world-is-not-yet-rabies-free/. 

DID YOU KNOW? IT TAKES ONLY 0.5 GRAMS OF XYLITOL PER POUND TO KILL A DOG? Xylitol causes 'Acute Hepatic Necrosis' means sudden liver death and it is devastating. It is often fatal due to total liver failure and how quickly it occurs without immediate intervention. 

1. Inconsistent Identification: Xylitol is now better recognized as a poison to dogs, but many manufacturers are less than forthright about the use of it in their products. Xylitol can also be identified as Birch Sugar or Sugar Alcohol.

2. Poor Placement on Label: Instead of listing it with the traditional ingredients it is set aside under 'Supplement Facts' such.

3. Amount: The amount of xylitol is not provided. More importantly, the concentration is withheld and so it becomes a two-part guessing game for the attending physician.  

4. Trace Elements:  Trace elements are not required to be listed in the ingredients. A trace element equates to a greater than 0.1 kg, 1000ppm or less than .01% and in under 10 minutes a dog a start to show a reaction to trace element poisoning. 

DID YOU KNOW? XYLITOL CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS A TRACE ELEMENT

5. Used Everywhere: Xylitol is in everything, or so it seems from clothing, mouthwash, OTC and RX medicine, to even food, gummy/chewable vitamins. It is also found in Sublingual Supplements such as tablets, films or sprays that melt under the tongue. Though gum is still #1 or the most common place one can find xylitol, but it can also be found in commercial peanut butter and in animal peanut butter as well. 

So What Names Mean Xylitol?
Xilitol,
Xylit,
Xylite,
Xylo-pentane 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 -pentol,
Natural Sweetener,
Sucre De Bouleau- sounds beautiful in French but simply means Birch Sugar
Meso -Xylitol,
Birch Sugar,
E967,
Sugar alcohol, 1,
-anhydri-d-xylitol,
Anhydroxylitol,
Birch sugar,
D-xylitol.             
All of which are found in ‘Ingredients’ lists.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center cautions use of any product with the letters “xyl” because they are synonyms for xylitol.
 
2019 Peanut Butter Report:
Commercial Xylitol Free Peanut Butter - Jif and Skippy
Dog Product Xylitol Free Product - DOG for DOG Dogsbutter, Smartbones Peanut Butter, Claws, Zuke’s Mini Peanut Butter Treats, Peanut Butter Filled Dog Bones
Reported having Xylitol - Go Nuts, Hank’s Protein Plus Peanut Butter, Krush Nutrition, P28, Nuts n’ More, Nutty By Nature
 
Red Flags and Warnings/ Marketing Catch Phrases

Conclusion  
I would say read the Ingredients labels, but that is no longer enough.  Since things like trace amounts are allowed in products/food but do not have to be listed a buyer will not find them.  Moving the Xylitol listing out of the Ingredients list, or simply giving an alternative name to maybe hiding the use of Xylitol is becoming more common and with the growing list of products using Xylitol. I have no suggestions to safeguard your dog.  The best advice here is to avoid impulse purchase(s) for your dog and try to keep all human products away from your dog that may be questionable.
 
References:
Nicholas, Dr. Jason. “My Dog Ate Xylitol: What to Do and Who to Tell?” Preventive Vet, 19 May 2016, https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/my-dog-ate-xylitol-what-should-i-do.

Nicholas, Dr. Jason. “Xylitol: The ‘Sugar-Free’ Sweetener Your Dog Needs You to Know About.” Preventive Vet, 10 Aug. 2015, https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/xylitol-sugar-free-sweetener-dangerous-for-dogs#targetText=Xylitol%20Is%20Toxic%20To%20Dogs.&targetText=More%20pronounced%20hypoglycemia%2C%20such%20as,as%20little%20as%2030%20minutes!

“The Shocking Ingredient in One of Your Dog's Favorite Foods.” The Dog People by Rover.com, 31 May 2018, https://www.rover.com/blog/xylitol-dogs-peanut-butter/.

“Xylitol Products Dangerous to Pets.” Pet Poison Helpline, 3 Mar. 2020, https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-safety-tips/xylitol-just-gum-anymore/.

“Xylitol Products List – Ingredient Toxic to Dogs.” Preventive Vet, https://www.preventivevet.com/xylitol-products-toxic-for-dogs.

“Xylitol Toxicity in Dogs: The Peanut Butter Danger.” NC State Veterinary Medicine, 28 Sept. 2015, https://cvm.ncsu.edu/xylitol/.

“Xylitol-Nuts-n-More-Peanut-Butter.” Frenchie's Kitchen, https://frenchieskitchen.com/blog/watch-out-for-xylitol-in-peanut-butter-and-other-products/attachment/xylitol-nuts-n-more-peanut-butter/. 

​Summary: The foxtail part itself is called a seed head with many parts that are seeds themselves.  The plant is a weed and grows wildly fast.  The dried awns or seed heads can adhere to fur and skin.  The danger is that the seed heads or awns can burrow into and through skin. 
 
Issue:  Longer-haired dogs are more at risk than shorter-haired dogs, and dogs with hanging ears are less in danger than prick-eared dogs, but any dog that run in grassy fields are at serious risk.
 
Dangers:  Infections in open wounds, abscesses, ear infections, blindness, seizures, tissue necrosis, etc. Possible life-threatening cases. Extreme cases are rare.
 
Symptoms:  Intense itching, scratching, or licking, glued-shut eye, head shaking, or sneezing

Areas of Infestation:  

• Ears
• Noses
• Eyes
• Throat
• Genitalia
• Between toes
• Open sores

How Can a Plant Burrow? 
Bristly foxtail has hairs with hooks. These hooks are the mechanism that enable the seed heads or awns to attach to fur and as they are incapable of going backwards, the awns burrow towards or through skin etc. 

How is Foxtail Dangerous? 
The plant dries out during the summer and the seed heads fall off. Not foxtails all are dangerous, but the ones in the 'Hordeum' genus, aka 'Wild Barley' are. The plant’s seeds consists of several seed heads or awns and when they dry out, the awns break apart.  The awns are pointed and sharp with long bristles or retrose prevent the plant from moving backwards thus it burrows deeper into its carrier. The bristle can break off if pulled backwards, but it will leave the awns behind.  The movement of the skin between a dog’s toes allows the foxtail to pierce the skin and continue to travel.  *Read more about how the foxtail can become life-threatening as it travels in the body in the Whole Dog Journal referenced at the end of this article.
 
Growth stages: 
It begins as a leafy plant but can look different dependent on species. At first it resembles green grass with a few basic wide leaf blades, but a mature plant can grow up to 4 feet tall and on one stem.  Leaves can be slightly hairy.

Growth: 
Normally seeds germinate quickly when the weather is 68-95 degrees F. It reaches maturity after germination in only 40 days and varies in color according to species and will bloom between May and November, approximately 212 days.

Seed head: 
Their seed head is distinctive.  It is often green but turns a yellow color when dried.  Dried, the seed head falls apart.  The seeds can ride the wind and remain dormant for almost 3 years.  

Genera: 
Alopecurus, 25 species or Setaria, 125 species.

Four Common Species:

• Giant Foxtail, 'Setaria Faberi'
  
  
• Green Foxtail, 'S. Viridis'
• Yellow Foxtail S. Pumila'
• Bristly Foxtail S. Verticillata'

 
What to do with it:
1. Eliminate it in your yard using a pre-emergent herbicide containing pendimethalin. 
2. Be aware of it where you walk/hike.
3.Keep your dog away from it or from sniffing it.
4. Do not let them go to seed.
5. Keep hair on your dog’s pads well-trimmed and your dog well groomed
6.Be watchful for symptoms
7. Seek immediate veterinarian care if you suspect foxtail exposure
​ 
References:
-, C.C. Holland, et al. “Beware of Foxtail Grass This Summer.” Whole Dog Journal, 30 July 2019, https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/environmental-hazards/beware-of-foxtail-grass-this-summer/.

“Foxtail.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/plant/foxtail.

Grant, Bonnie. “Information about Pennycress Plants: How to Control Field ...” Controlling Foxtail Weeds – How To Get Rid of Foxtail Grass In Lawns, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/pennycress-weed-control.htm.

Kelly, Jasey. “Growth Stages of Fox Tail.” Home Guides | SF Gate, 17 Nov. 2020, https://homeguides.sfgate.com/growth-stages-fox-tail-104375.html.