Dogs don't have rabies in their nails, although in rare cases a dog may transmit the rabies from their saliva to their nails and then if you are scratched by the dog with that nail while it's still wet with saliva, then rabies can be transmitted to you, but it's not from the nail itself.
A minor nail scratches of dogs can cause rabies in rare cases, if the dog had rabies and they licked their paws and transmitted the rabies virus to the paws, which then would be transmitted to you or the human through the scratch.
However getting rabies from a dog scratch is rare as the rabies virus is mainly transmitted through fresh dog saliva or nerve tissue and not from dry claws.
Thankfully the rabies virus cannot survive long on dry surfaces like a draw dog claw, so a scratch from a dog is very unlikely to cause rabies in humans.
If a dog does scratch you, you should wash the dog scratch thoroughly with soap and water and if you know the dog is vaccinated for rabies, monitor the dog for 10 days and if the dog remains healthy, it was not rabid.
If the dog is a stray or an unfamiliar dog, or if you're concerned, consult a doctor.
And even if there is no risk of rabies from the scratch, any scratch could possibly lead to a tetanus infection, so you should ensure that your tetanus vaccination is up to date.
To tell if a dog has rabies, observe the dog and look for symptoms of rabies like changes in the dog's behavior, excessive drooling, paralysis, aggression and even foaming at the mouth.
One of the common symptoms of a dog with rabies, in the later stages of the condition is foaming at the mouth.
When dogs are in the later stages of rabies, dogs will often foam at the mouth, although foaming at the mount is not seen in all cases of dogs with rabies.
The foaming at the mouth when dogs have rabies is caused by paralysis of the dog's jaw and throat muscles, which make it difficult for the dog to swallow and results in excessive drooling.
Other symptoms of a dog having rabies include difficulty swallowing and seizures.
Rabies affects the dogs nervous system, so eventually the rabies cause paralysis in the dogs throat and jaw m
The muscle paralysis from rabies makes it impossible for the dog to swallow, which results in a buildup of saliva that comes out as drool or foam.
Other signs of rabies in dogs is aggression, agitation, or uncharacteristic affection, seizures, lack of muscle control and paralysis and sometimes a fear of water.
While a fear of water is not always present in dogs with rabies, it is also another symptom of rabies disease.
Rabies disease in dogs is a fatal viral disease that affects a dog's brain and spinal cord.
Rabies in dogs is mainly transmitted through saliva of an infected animal, most commonly through a bite.
Symptoms of rabies progress rapidly and include behavioral changes, like the aggression, paralysis and difficulty swallowing as mentioned above.
The rabies in dogs can lead to death within 10 days of the first signs.
Keeping dogs up to date on their rabies vaccines can keep them safe prevent rabies as there is no cure for rabies once they get it.
If you've been bitten by a dog and think they have rabies you should seek medical attention to be safe.
Rabies can also be fatal in humans and can be transmitted from the dog to the human through a dog bite.