Can puppy nails cause rabies?
Sarah Scott
Updated on May 23, 2026
Maricelle Licuanan Resurreccion, founder of the Philippine Pet Birth Control Center. While you get infected with rabies when bitten by an infected dog or cat, it can be just as fatal when a rabid dog or cat with saliva-infested nails—say, one that has been licking its paws— scratches a human.
Can rabies spread through dog nails?
Even though it is highly unlikely that a human will contract rabies from an animal scratch, it can still happen. The virus that causes rabies is spread through contact with saliva or brain tissue from an animal infected with rabies, but it cannot penetrate unbroken skin.Can a puppy scratch cause rabies?
Rabies is only transmitted by animal bites: FALSE.As a result, licks or scratches from rabid animals can also transmit the virus. Canines, particularly dogs, are the most common source of Rabies transmission worldwide because they bite readily and often have contact with humans and other animals.