My dogs ate a wild rabbit?

Question

I went to a xmas party from 6pm to 10pm and when we got home, one of my dogs was holding a bloody rabbits leg, apperently they ate the whole body. My mom says their rabies vacines are still up to date with their shots but she says it was a while ago. My mom isnt really the worrying type and wont call the vet. What can a 13 yr old do?? Are there any home remedies to help get rid of the bacteria and help them poop out the germs?

Answer 1

you may want to call the vet and ask just to be safe because depending on the area rabies is not the only thing to worry about but dogs will kill and eat anything really so not to much to worry about but call the vet to make sure also he may want the rabbit parts that are left , not to sound gross, but they may need them to see if the rabbit had any diseases. when i was little i had a puppy that killed a rat and according to my aunt im not sure if this is true he had to be put down because he had rabies, but she may have just said that because she didnt want him anymore and so i wouldnt be mad at her.

Answer 2

Dogs are natural predators to rabbits. It's one of the animals that's actually a little difficult to stop them from killing, depending on the type of dog. Personally, I would not worry. I've had many dogs that killed rabbits (although I was not happy about it).

You also commented that you were worried about bacteria from the rabbit. If the rabbit had rabies there would be little you could do for the dog at this point unfortunately, but you have to remember rabies is a virus not bacteria. Any actual bacteria the dog may have come in contact with from the rabbit is highly unlikely to harm the dog.

I guess what I'm trying to say is you'll just have to wait to see what happens to the dog as a result of eating the rabbit. Even if you took the dog to the vet at this point, he would not be able to do anything if the dog has contracted rabies from a wild animal, and he would likely tell you not to worry about any bacteria from eating a wild animal as well. Dogs have much stronger stomachs than humans. It's amazing the things they can eat without seeming to bother them at all. Sometimes it's even a little gross :-)

Answer 3

On Thanksgiving, my dog was outdoors with my inlaw's dog, and they came back, each with a fresh deer leg in their mouth. A deer had been hit by a car and left, and the dogs feasted on it...They were just fine.
Dogs hunt. They love fresh meat. The dangers of the rabbit lie more in the bones than in the animal itself. Rabbits aren't typically rabid, and they are herbivores, making it highly unlikely that they are carrying any terrible diseases.

Notify the vet if you notice any weird activity, but allow for a day of diarrhea, just because the raw meat was something new to their systems. They were bringing home the leftovers as prizes, which my dogs do because they think they have discovered something wonderful. In the olden days, their discovery was indeed probably something wonderful.

Don't let it ruin your night, just keep an eye on them and try to keep them fenced in from now on.

Answer 4

Unless there has been a rabies outbreak in your area and you have not given your dog its shots you have nothing to worry about. Dogs chew on and eat things a lot worse things than a live rabbit, all that has done is given it an appetite for more of the same so watch out, hopefully none of your neighbours have pet rabbits they let out in their yards or take them for walks, they will be in trouble now.

Answer 5

Eating the meat may reason slightly of diarreha or vomiting, however must be diegested, because the wild ansesters of the canine ate rabbit as part of their food plan. The one situation is worms. I might get a just right de-wormer from the vet, make certain it covers all forms of worms. The rabbit had tape worms right? It should have had different types of worms too. Just right good fortune and ensure to praies your puppies and no longer scold them, due to the fact they the place simplest acting out their ordinary instintcs.

Answer 6

ingesting the beef would reason purely a sprint diarreha or vomiting, yet must be diegested, because of the fact the wild ansesters of the canine ate rabbit as an element of their weight loss plan. the only concern is worms. i'd get an outstanding de-wormer from the vet, make confident it covers all styles of worms. The rabbit had tape worms correct? it could have had different styles of worms too. good success and be confident to praies your canines and not scold them, because of the fact that they the place in basic terms performing out their organic instintcs.

Answer 7

Your dog will be fine, maybe a little diarrhea but not much to worry about. Would be a good idea to have her wormed in the next month or so since this rabbit obviously wasn't frozen first.

My dogs eat wild rabbit all the time, but after its been frozen several weeks to kill of intestinal worms etc.

But again your dog will be fine.

Answer 8

I grew up on a farm, and my dogs ate many rabbits, squirrels, and rats. Nothing happened to them. And I believe rabbits are not one of the major carriers of rabies like raccoons or skunks.

Don't worry more than likely your dog will be just fine.

Answer 9

If the rabbit was fresh (not roadkill) your dog is going to be fine. It's probably the healthiest he has eaten in a long time!

Dogs are designed to eat meat! Their digestive tract moves quickly so they don't get infections like a person would from eating the same thing.

Answer 10

The rabies shot is good for a year, so don't worry about that. Just watch the dogs to make sure they are not acting sick. dogs are tough. they should be fine. don't worry about home remedies, just keep an eye on them for a day or two.