# Dog got hold of a dead mouse



## WynWins (Oct 14, 2013)

I was at the beach a few hours ago and I sat on a bench to pour my 6 month old Husky a bit of water and when I looked away then turned back she had picked up a small dead mouse. This was out in Santa Monica. Is this something I should be worried about and take her to see the vet immediately? She seems fine but my last puppy (her brother) passed away after just 3 days of us having him back in December so I'm more than a bit cautious.


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## sydneynicole (Apr 2, 2015)

My dogs catch and eat wild mice all the time. Along with birds, moles, rabbits, chipmunks, and the occasional squirrel. I wouldn't be too concerned unless you know that the mice there have a disease that is dangerous to dogs or something. She should be fully vaccinated by now on the off chance that the mouse had any sort of funk going on. Dogs will be dogs. Sounds like she didn't even eat it?


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## WynWins (Oct 14, 2013)

No she didn't eat it. She basically had it in her mouth for about 5 seconds then I made her drop it the moment I saw her with it. I just didn't know if that was long enough for some like random weird disease to transmit to her. I'm not sure if the mice there have some strange disease but I was a bit worried.


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## sydneynicole (Apr 2, 2015)

I wouldn't be concerned. Like I said my dogs do way worse and I don't think much of it. You could always call the vet tomorrow to run it by him/her. When in doubt, ask the vet.


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

Dogs' stomaches can handle much more yuck than we can. We used to have a dog that ate dead, rotting things. In fact, he would bury carcasses, let them ferment, and then dig them up and eat them. Make sure your dog is fully vaccinated and has parasite protection so they don't get sick or infested with worms. They are scavengers by nature, lol.


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## lzrddr (Feb 3, 2015)

I have to agree... it would very unlikely for you pet to contract anything serious from a dead rodent, though fleas could be a realistic contagion that might be contracted. Fleas 'anxiously' seek out new hosts once they one they have been living on die. Same goes for ticks. Leptospirosis could be contracted from a dead rodent, but that is not a common bacterial disease, at least in the Santa Monica area. Rabies is extremely rare in rodents, and if your pet is vaccinated, it shouldn't be a worry anyway. Eating a rodent could be a way to contract a few species of tapeworm, but by far the bigger concern would just be the bacteria found in dead meat that might make your pet sick to their stomach.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

My main concern would be if it were poisoned, but even then a large dog shouldn't be too affected by the amount of poison a mouse can eat. And of course that would only apply if she actually ate the mouse. I think she'll be fine .


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## rkj__ (Dec 15, 2015)

Your dog is just being a dog. I would not worry even a little bit.


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