10/20/2026
Halloween brings out the bats! 🦇
In Southern Ontario, bats remain one of the most consistent wildlife carriers of the rabies virus. Horses can become infected by a rabid bat, skunk, fox, or raccoon.
Once inside the body, the rabies virus travels silently along the nerves toward the brain.
Early signs can look ordinary: a mild fever, a shift in behaviour, or a subtle lameness.
As the infection takes hold, the horse may grow unsteady, lose the ability to swallow, or show sudden paralysis.
The progressive neurological change is swift and, without prior protection, nearly always fatal. It is the quiet, relentless advance of the virus that makes rabies one of the most unsettling diseases we encounter in equine medicine.
The good news is that annual rabies vaccination remains highly effective and is the simplest way to keep your horse safe.
If your horse’s rabies vaccine is due, or if you have questions about wildlife exposure on your property, please reach out. We are here to help!
