TACLOBAN CITY - Ninety-eight percent of biting domestic animals are dogs that normally are rabid, and this is the reason why the government is focusing on these animals its rabies prevention and treatment programs.

This was according to Dr. Andrew Orias and Dr. Norietta Ursua, livestock and rabies program coordinator respectively of the department of agriculture, who were guests during the Express It at The Park on Saturday.

According to the two veterinarians, once a person is bitten by a dog it is safe to let the blood flow from the wound to allow the blood to carry out the dog’s saliva and then wash the wound with running water using an anti-bacterial soap, and after which the victim must see a physician for proper treatment.

The dog, however, must not be killed but instead must be observed and immediately submitted for observation at the DA’s diagnostic and laboratory office in Brgy. Diit, to properly determine whether the dog is rabid, so appropriate treatment could be facilitated.

The two coordinators also warned the public not to allow dogs to lick their wounds in order to heal because open wounds could lead to rabies infection from the dog. It is very dangerous because rabies could kill anybody, they said. Asked if cats and pigs are also rabid, they said that unlike dogs cats seldom bites and they are normally not rabid