By: Bailey Strohl – November 21, 2025
The first rabies case in a dog in nearly 7 years in Missouri was recently confirmed in mid-November.
According to the McDonald County Health Department, lab testing from the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory confirmed a dog had recently been exposed to rabies.
Health officials took to social media on November 12, 2025, to inform residents that the dog was then euthanized at a veterinary clinic in Newton County.
The health department stated the dog was likely exposed in the northwest area of McDonald County, possibly from an exposure to a skunk.
The confirmation marks the first case of rabies in a dog in Missouri in nearly 7 years, according to data made available by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).
The DHSS Statewide Rabies Testing Dashboard shows the dog in Johnson County was confirmed to have rabies in 2018, out of 576 dogs tested.
In 2017, tests confirmed two dogs had been exposed out of 554 dogs tested. The exposures were in Dent County and Howell County, Missouri.
There was also one case confirmed in a dog in Missouri in 2016, as well as one cat in Cass County, and one cow in Shannon County.
In 2025, one rabies exposure in a cat was confirmed in Missouri in Howell County.
One cat case was confirmed in Wright County in 2024, two in 2022 in Greene County and Jefferson County, and one in Howell County in 2018.
The dashboard shows bats, cats, cows, dogs, foxes, horses, raccoons, rodents, rabbits, skunks and other domestic and wild animals are often tested for rabies in Missouri.
As of the latest update on the dashboard in 2025, a total of 2,076 rabies tests had been conducted on several different animals in the state, resulting in 31 confirmed cases of rabies, including 24 bats and 5 skunks in addition to the one cat and one dog.
In the last ten years, Missouri has averaged about 24 cases of rabies per year among animals.
You can find updated information on rabies on the Missouri DHSS website and the Statewide Rabies Dashboard.
The McDonald County Health Department posted the following facts about rabies:
- 90% of rabies cases occur in wildlife (bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes).
- Incubation in pets is typically 3 to 12 weeks.
- Early signs are sudden behavioral changes and unexplained progressive paralysis.
- Later stage signs are aggression, biting, paralysis, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing.
The department also provided these tips for people to protect their animals and family:
- Keep domestic animals vaccinated.
- Avoid contact with wild animals.
- Report suspicious animal behavior to local authorities