My dog attacked a possum. What diseases can she get? What to do?

Opossums can carry several diseases, but there isn't much a vet would do right now since Ash isn't having any symptoms of disease. I would recommend continuing on like normal. If she starts acting irregularly, or has a change in appetite or bowel or urinary movements, then it is time to see a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/.../trouble_affording_pet... https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant.../ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary.../

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Athena does not have any wounds, swellings, lameness or painful spots when you touch her, she most likely was not bitten. Possum bite can cause tissue damage and potentially serious infections, so if you see any deep wounds or scratches on your Athena, you should take her to your local vets for an appointment.

Hello. This is excellent advice, but I doubt you will need to place Ruby on antibiotics. Possum are very rarely implicated in the spread of disease, including rabies, so I would not be concerned at all. She should be just fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would recommend cleaning the wound with antibacterial soap and warm water tonight, then having your dog examined by a vet tomorrow to be safe - even if the wound is not actively bleeding, bite wounds from other animals have a high risk of becoming infected so she may need antibiotics to help prevent this. Your vet can also advise you of any rabies quarantine laws that may apply in your state - possums rarely carry rabies and if your dog is current on her vaccines she should be well-protected, but in some states an in-home observation period may be required to make sure there are no problems.

[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.

You should take him to your vet to check how deep the bite wound is, the main concern is an infection that will probably occur if it is left untreated, the vet will prescribe an antibiotic course to prevent that.

The main worrying fact is rat poison, if the rat ingested poison before he was killed by your dog, Gracy could be affected by it (it could be fatal). i would recommend taking her to your vet in order to get vitamin K coverage just in case.