Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My dog sniffed a dead squirrel. Can she get rabies or sick?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 9 lbs

Hi. There was a tail, some blood and pieces of a squirrel on our backyard. My dog go outside and was around it. He may sniff it. I dont think he would eat. My question is if she could get rabies or other thinks from it. She get her rabies vaccine 4 months ago and also was deworm.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 18th, 2019

No, Roxy cannot get rabies from this, especially since she is up to date on her rabies vaccine. Now eating the remains can make her sick and give her a GI illness. Put on gloves, and dispose of the remains so she cannot eat it.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
We have had a 13 striped ground squirrel in our yard this year. I was outside with my dog when he picked something up and walked away with it. It was the head of the ground squirrel Body was completely gone. I told the dog to drop, which he did. I th
Since your dog is vaccinated against rabies (and if the vaccination is up to date) he is protected and will not contract rabies. It is also very unlikely that this squirrel had rabies. However, should your dog get a fever within the next 6 or 7 days , you should take him to the vet as squirrels can carry tularemia and the plague, which caan be transmitted to people and are potentially fatal diseases. They can be treated with antibiotics.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog caught a squirrel yesterday, but didn't kill it. There was no blood from the squirrel and I think my dog just had it in his mouth (it was completely wet with slobber). Should I be seriously concerned about rabies? We live in SoCal.
Small rodents and squirrels are almost never found to have rabies, so I wouldn’t be too worried. However, it would be a good idea in general to make sure Bobby is kept up to date on his rabies vaccine so he’s protected if he has any future encounters with wildlife!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
If my dog is fully vaccinated (due for his next rabies shot January 2018) sniffs or (Godforbid) eats a dead carcass of an animal outside, is my family safe from rabies? He is fully vaccinated but I have small children and he is very much a lap puppy.
A dog must come into contact with saliva or nervous tissue (brain, spinal cord, etc) of an infected animal in order for the risk of rabies transmission to be present. Once the saliva or tissue have dried, the risk is quite minimal. Sniffing a carcass will not pose a risk. Blood, urine, feces, or muscle tissue are not infectious. As long as James remains current with vaccination, he should be fine. It is always recommended to keep him away from roadkill or dead animals anyway.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What do I do if my dog killed a squirrel? Do I need to give her a bath? brush her teeth? And how do I get rid of the squirrel properly?
There isn't much that could be passed from the squirrel to your dog. Cases of rabies are almost unheard of in them. Bury the squirrel in the yard where your dog does not have access to it. If you live somewhere where you cannot bury it, bag it securely in two layers of plastic garbage bag and call a local vet clinic to see if they will take it, if not call Animal Control for them to pick it up to dispose of.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog ( a doxle ) ate some type of meat that he dug out the snow! I live in the country and i was walking him and he dug something out of the snow that looked like meat i couldnt figure out because it was 5pm already but it looked like chicken skin
Oh dear! Dogs are bad about eating random things off the ground, and it can definitely be worrying. If it looked like a piece of meat, the most likely problem that this would cause is a minor upset stomach if it was spoiled or rotten. It's not possible to get rabies from eating meat like this, so no need to worry about that :) Some types of tapeworms and other parasites can be transmitted this way, so it would be a good idea to deworm him sometime soon to be safe. You can monitor him for the next day or two for any problems. If he has repeated episodes of vomiting, severe or bloody diarrhea, or if he's acting strange or lethargic, I would recommend having him examined by a vet since these can be signs of a more serious problem. Otherwise, you shouldn't need to worry.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog just tore a rat into pieces in my yard. Should I be worried for any diseases the dog can catch or even rabies?
There are a couple of different diseases that a dog can get from a rat. Intestinal worms and other parasites are the most commonly acquired diseases from eating a rat, but he would have to have eaten some flesh for this to be a possibility. Given this, it would be a good idea to get him dewormed within the next week. They can also acquire Leptospirosis, plague and other bacterial infections from rats, but this is quite rare, so there's nothing we would prescribe to prevent these at this time. Watch for vomiting, swellings near his jaw, diarrhea and blood in urine as possible signs of infection. These would normally be seen in 7-10 days if he did in-fact get infected. Rabies is a possibility with any mammal, but rats are not a common carrier, so the chances of Jax getting rabies from the rat is very small. Signs of rabies can be varied, but include the dog excessively drooling, not able to eat or drink and acting stuporous or aggressive. If you notice any of these signs, then
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How Rabies is common ? If dog ate something like dead Animal by mistake ia there chance of rabies ?
It depends on where you live, as rabies is more common in some areas than others. It won't like cause problems. Rabies virus from infected saliva must enter through an open cut, wound, scratch, or mucous membrane. Live rabies virus will not survive for more than 24 hours in dead animals when temperatures reach 70F.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog found a dead Squirrel and started to eat parts of it. I stoped him before he could eat much more but, what should I be looking out for? Will he be okay?
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! Unfortunately, dead animals can transmit bacterial infections and various parasites. I recommend keeping a close eye on Buddy for vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite. Pieces of bone or hair can cause intestinal blockages which result in similar signs. If Buddy exhibits any of the signs above, he should be seen by a vet right away. I hope all is well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I was walking Sabrina and I accidentally stepped in (dried) squirrel blood from a squirrel that got hit yesterday. I don’t think she stepped in it, but when we came home I wiped her feet three times - once with vinegar, once with a puppy wipe, and on
Hi there. No, I would not expect this to cause any problems. :) It's quite common for dogs to encounter dead squirrels and other animals, and they often pick up carcasses and carry them around, or even eat parts of them without any serious issues. There are really no diseases or other issues that your girl could pick up from the scenario you describe here, so you shouldn't need to worry.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog I just got from a shelter got away from me last night, and when I found him he was eating what I think was another dead animal. It was night, so I have no idea what it was. He hasn’t had his rabies shot yet, should I be worried about anything?
Most shelters will provide vaccines, so if you aren't sure of Redd's vaccine history, contacting the place you adopted him from to get a record of his vaccines is best. If you think he may have been exposed to rabies or another serious illness, seeking out veterinary care immediately is also a good idea to prevent accidental injury to yourself, or to Redd. In some cases, eating a dead animal carcass can cause severe digestive upset, or other issues due to the bones, bacteria, etc. Signs of this can include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, inability to produce stool, not wanting to eat or drink, fever, etc. If you see any signs of illness at all, seeking out veterinary care ASAP is best.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Food Dog Supplies Dog Health & Wellness Dog Treats & Chews Dog Vitamins & Supplements Wet Dog Food Dog Stool Eating Deterrent Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Flea & Tick Solutions for Dogs Dog Dewormers & Worm Medicine Squirrel X Nutri-Vet Dog Health & Wellness Sniff & Bark WormX Dog Health & Wellness Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Supplies Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food Nutri-Vet Dog Food VetIQ Dog Health & Wellness Rodentex Rachael Ray Nutrish Sensitive Stomach Dog Food
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored