Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Practice Exam

An animal that is foaming at the mouth may have rabies, which is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can lead to severe symptoms including aggression, disorientation, and the characteristic foam or excess saliva around the mouth. Rabies is particularly associated with behavioral changes and neurological symptoms as it progresses, and the foaming is caused by difficulty swallowing and the muscle spasms affected by the virus.

While distemper can also cause foaming at the mouth and other severe symptoms like respiratory issues and neurological signs, rabies is the more common and critical concern linked directly with this specific symptom in an animal. Conditions like fleas and heartworm have different clinical presentations and are unrelated to the symptom of foaming at the mouth, as they do not typically affect the neurological function or cause excess salivation. Understanding rabies and its implications is crucial for not just animal health but also public health given its zoonotic nature.