Two rabid bobcats found in southwest New Mexico

Two bobcats were confirmed to be infected with rabies after attacks in two southwest New Mexico counties.

A man near his house in Grant County was attacked by a bobcat. The man is currently receiving rabies shots. In Sierra County, another rabid bobcat attacked a dog, which had already received a rabies vaccination. Both bobcats were euthanized.

It’s state law to vaccinate your cats and dogs against rabies, said State Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps Rabies can be “prevented, but not cured.”

In a news release, the New Mexico Department of Health said horse and livestock owners should consider vaccinating their animals against the virus as well.

If unvaccinated pets are exposed to rabies, they either need to be euthanized or put into isolation for several months to prevent the spread of the disease, Phipps said.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of keeping household pets up to date on their rabies shots,” Phipps said. “They can even be exposed to rabies if they don’t spend time outside of their yard; rabid animals have been known to enter fenced-in yards to attack pets, and rabid bats can also get in house and bite indoor cats.”

Phipps urged pet owners to contact their veterinarian immediately if they see their pet around a wild animal.

Two years ago, three rabid bobcats were found in New Mexico.

How to tell if an animal is rabid

In an email to the Journal, Phipps said, depending on what part of the brain the virus attacks, animals can show “any number” of symptoms.

But wild animals, including bats, skunks and foxes, make up the majority of rabies cases in the state. Phipps said people should look out for wild animals that are staggering or uncoordinated, drooling or unable to swallow or showing abnormal behavior, including a lack of fear of or aggression toward people and pets.

Bats on the ground, unable to fly, might also be a telltale sign of rabies.

Wild animals showing any of those symptoms should be reported to animal control or a New Mexico Department of Game and Fish game warden. If bitten by a potentially rabid animal, the state DOH recommends immediately seeking medical treatment.