My dog ate a dead bird. Should I worry about parvo, rabies, or worms?

Hello, thank you for your question about Luna. Generally, the viruses/diseases that dogs are vaccinated for are not commonly transmitted from ingesting dead birds or other animals. However, it is possible that Luna may experience GI upset or a GI infection secondary to this. If Luna develops any vomiting, diarrhea, or inappetance I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian. In the meantime to try and help settle her stomach you could offer her a bland diet such as boiled chicken/hamburger and white rice. Hope this helps, good luck!

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for dogs to eat dead animals found in the yard or on walks. Thankfully, in most cases the worst that may occur is some stomach upset (vomiting or diarrhea). Monitor for GI upset ([vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/) and/or [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/)), lethargy, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. If your dog is behaving normally otherwise, you can [manage minor GI upset at home](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea) by first withholding food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte during this fasting period. Resume feeding a bland diet ( boiled boneless / skinless chicken and plain cooked white rice) in small, frequent amounts. Begin with 1 tablespoon of food every hour and gradually increase the amount if there is no vomiting. Continue feeding bland until there is no vomiting for 48 hours and/or the stool is normal then transition slowly to the regular diet. If the vomiting or diarrhea don't stop or if you see other symptoms (lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, etc.), see your veterinarian.

There is no way to know for whether or not the bird Rocky licked was carrying any sort of pathogen, and whether or not that pathogen is transmissible to dogs. I would operate under the assumption that everything is going to be OK unless you begin to see any clinical signs of illness. You can certainly obtain a fecal sample and bring it into your vet to make sure he didn't pick up any intestinal parasites. Hope this helps.

The good thing is that dogs are actually well-equipped to handle rotting flesh and other unclean food sources. It's not uncommon for a dog to be attracted to these sorts of things and eat them. Luckily, there is very little diseases that can be passed from a bird to a dog and if there were worms, or maggots (more likely) they wouldn't be expected to cause an infestation in Russel. At this time, there is really nothing that needs to be done and he will likely be just fine. It's possible that this could cause an upset stomach or infection which will lead to vomiting and diarrhea. If you happen to notice this or any other signs of illness with Russell, then you should take him to the vet. Below is a link to a good guide for determining when to take him to the vet. https://www.petcoach.co/article/diarrhea-vomiting-in-dogs-when-to-call-your-veterinarian/ I hope that helps and all is well with Russel.

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.

There is a parasite called giardia that can be transferred by eating bird poop. It is a 1 celled parasite, and not a worm. It tends to cause more diarrhea then vomiting , but can cause both. I would recommend taking a poop sample to your veterinarian. If Fluffy continues to vomit then I would recommend an x-Ray to look for the possibility that she swallowed an object. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The only thing I would be concerned about would be some vomiting or diarrhea in the next 24-48 hours just because it won’t sit in her stomach well. Otherwise I wouldn’t worry. Kisses to Kalli