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My dog ate unknown meat from snow. Will he get sick or rabies?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 5 years and 3 months old | 25 lbs

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 but i know that wasnt chicken skin, it was the size of my palm! And he ate it! I tried taking it but it was too late he swallowed it whole! Im scared will he get any diseases? Or rabies? oh i live in a forest in the country side, If that helps

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on December 31st, 2016

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.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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