I am a scientist, and this sometimes interferes in my personal life.

People don’t like to hear you decry something they read on the Internet and believed for some reason. Sometimes your friends don’t like to hear you scold them about feeding their pets human foods. Sometimes your significant other gets frustrated when you scoff at the idea of ghosts.

And you often find yourself failing to enjoy movies. For example, explosions in outer space shouldn’t produce loud sounds. There’s no air to carry the vibrations to your ear.

Yes, it’s a curse being a nerd.

But let me share this spoiler with you: rabies rarely looks like a 200-pound monster dog, frothing at the mouth as he chews through your hatchback’s door.

Yes, it can look that way. But it usually doesn’t.

What you picture with that description is what’s often called “furious rabies.” It’s the exception.

Much more common is “dumb rabies,” where the afflicted animal seems to be in a stupor. Other neurologic dysfunction may be present — such as twitching, stumbling or even seizures — but the dull appearance is actually a very common presentation. And that’s why it’s the more dangerous version.

Many animals affected in this way are brought to a vet for a work up, and as you might expect, the diagnosis of rabies occurs postmortem.

In the intervening time, many people are exposed to the animal. Clinic staff, the animal’s family, even concerned strangers may inadvertently be exposed to a fatal disease.

When I was in vet school, dozens of students worked with a rabid horse before it died and was eventually diagnosed. Most of them worked with its teeth. Scary, right?

So remember, rabies looks like anything. Depending on where in the brain it causes damage, and how severe that damage is, it can look like Cujo, or it can look like a sad puppy. Either version can kill you.

Keep your pets vaccinated. And if they ever become sick, be honest if they haven’t been vaccinated. That way rabies can be included in the differential diagnoses. Embarrassment should never be fatal, for anyone.

Matthew Sisk is a practicing veterinarian from Habersham County. Have questions about your pet? He can be reached at mattsisk2003@yahoo.com.