My dog jumped in a dirty canal. Should I worry about diseases?

Most likely Stella will be ok. There are some bacteria associated with water such as Leptospirosis. If she has any vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, weakness or pain Stella should get examined by her veterinarian.

It is unlikely that anything will affect your dog, even though the puncture wound should be ideally checked by your local veterinarian. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. There are a variety of diseases that can be spread through water. However, if he only sniffed the rain water or licked a small amount, then it would be unlikely that he would be affected. This is especially true if he is still acting normally. In the future, try to avoid rain water. However, dogs seem to seek it out. Monitor him for any vomiting or attitude changes. I hope this information helps!

Examine your dog for any sign of injury due to the fight with the rat (if any). If any (which is likely, sometimes even inside the mouth) take him to your veterinarian for an examination. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid licking/scratching at the wound. If your dog is not vaccinated for Leptospira, take him to your local vet anyway. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. He is more than likely going to be just fine. If he did lick something on the ground, it would depend on what he consumed and how much was actually ingested. There is a bacterial infection that is spread through the urine of wildlife, livestock and infected dogs. It is known as leptospirosis. Most dogs are vaccinated for this disease if it is prevalent in your area. If he shows any signs of illness, he will need to be seen by a veterinarian. It is a good sign that he is still acting fine. I hope this information helps!

You are correct that the rat can carry diseases. I recommend to call your veterinarian and tell them what happened. They may want to check him for any bites and booster his vaccines. The main concerns for rats are Leptospirosis and fleas who can carry plague depending on where you live. Theoretically, rabies and rat poison ingestion would also be a risk. Your veterinarian will be most familiar with your local environment and the potential diseases. Also make sure Brady is up-to-date on his flea prevention. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Oh no! While it's not good Thalia had a dead rat in her mouth, she's a very good girl for dropping it right away. If she did not chew on the rat, eat part of the rat, and if there was no blood, then the likelihood that she picked up any disease from the rat is very low. The biggest concern would be if she ate part of it, chewed on it, or if you saw any blood from it in her mouth. If any of those scenarios apply, then yes, I would take her into your asap. Should the rat appear intact, there are no signs she chewed on it, and she was simply carrying it, I would wash her mouth out with water very well (use gloves to be safe!), and that should be fine. To be safe, you can get her checked out, but just carrying the rat should have no issue. Definitely get her the vaccine on Monday. I hope this helps!