My dog ate a dead animal. Is there a rabies risk for them?

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.

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.

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.

I am sorry for your loss. If the death was the direct and immediate result of the attack, rabies would not be a concern. The main route of transmission is from a bite but it takes weeks for the virus to develop and become infectious

Usually from the wound the virus travels through the nerves to the central nervous system and salivary glands as well (from where it can then spread and be transmitted). Unless the tongue was injured (so the virus could have travelled to nerves through blood stream), there are basically no chances that infection occurred. Rabies do not resist in the environment for long (max 24 hours usually) time as well.

[Rabies](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/rabies/) in rats and other small rodents is extremely rare. I would be more concerned with the possibility that the rat had been poisoned elsewhere and its weakness was why your dog was able to catch and kill it. Leptospirosis, an infectious disease that affects the liver and/or kidneys, is also a high risk from contact with rats. Other possible diseases your dog could contract from contact with rats are: • Rat Bite Fever (*Streptobacillus moniliformis* form). Dogs can be infected by the bacteria by biting or eating infected rats. Dogs do not themselves get sick, but serve as carriers for the infection, passing it along to humans. • [Tularemia](https://www.petcoach.co/article/tularemia-rabbit-fever-in-dogs) is caused by the *Francisella tularensis* bacterium. Rabbits, hares and rodents, including rats, are particularly susceptible to the organism, and often die in large numbers during an outbreak. If a dog eats a rat (or other animal) infected by this organism or drinks water contaminated by infected rodent waste, the dog can become ill as well as passing the disease on to humans. Symptoms in dogs include refusal to eat, fever, cough, vomiting, and diarrhea. If not caught and treated, it can lead to death. In humans the symptoms are specific to the mode of infection (deer fly, ticks, contaminated water, handling dead infected animals, etc.) but can include: chills, eye irritation, fever, headache, joint stiffness, muscle pain, ulcers on skin, shortness of breath, sweating and weight loss. • [Bubonic plague](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/plague): dogs can become carriers of the *Yersinia pestis* bacterium if they are bitten by the flea of an infected rat. Dogs do not tend to be sickened by bubonic plague but can pass the disease on to human caretakers. • [Salmonellosis](https://www.petcoach.co/article/small-pet-rodents-can-pose-a-salmonella-risk-to-humans) can be transmitted to a dog that encounters the fecal material of rats, other rodents and especially reptiles. Symptoms in canines include: fever, diarrhea, dehydration and shock. Death can occur if untreated, and the dog can spread the infection to human through its feces.

Rabies is very common in the united states. Any patient that has Rabies will pass away with in 10 days. The likeliness that a dog in the vet clinic had Rabies is very very rare. However you son will not get Rabies or should be concerned about getting Rabies with this type of exposure. Hope that helps- thanks for using pet coach