My dog killed a groundhog. Should I worry about rabies if vaccinated?

Since your dog is vaccinated against rabies (and if the vaccination is up to date) he is protected and will not contract rabies. It is also very unlikely that this squirrel had rabies. However, should your dog get a fever within the next 6 or 7 days , you should take him to the vet as squirrels can carry tularemia and the plague, which caan be transmitted to people and are potentially fatal diseases. They can be treated with antibiotics.

It's good Rosie is up to date on all her shots, rabies would be the most important one in this case. I'd have her seen by a vet in the morning. I would be concerned this could become infected, and she will need antibiotics to prevent an infection. Tonight, wash the bite marks with warm water and antiseptic soap. I hope this helps!

You need to get Max vaccinated against rabies ASAP! It is possible for him to get rabies from a rat but not likely. Any mammal can carry the rabies virus but it is more common to get it from bats or other wildlife, not really rats. Don't take any more chances and get his vaccinations as soon as possible! I hope the helps. Best wishes!

[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.

I would not personally be worried about this at all. I doubt the mouse that bit him, if he even did get bit, was rabid. If you said he got bit by a bat or a raccoon, skunk or fox (a truly wild animal) I would be more worried. Just get his rabies booster as soon as you can do it so that way he is always up to date.

The first thing I would do is get some Capstar and give it to your dogs to kill all fleas that may have jumped from the prairie dog onto your dogs. Then, if they have not been on flea prevention, start with it by getting som flea prevention for them and applying it. Plague is transmitted by rodent fleas. At this time there is no way to find out whether your dogs were infected, Watch for lethargy and fever and general malaise and if any of this appears within the next three weeks, take them to your vet immediately for an exam and let your vet know about the prairie dog.

Hi! It's fantastic that Pikica has been vaccinated against Rabies. I wouldn't be concerned. It's most likely that Rabies hasn't been transferred to you or your pet. You'll want to be sure to keep your pet up to date on heart worm prevention and that Pikica is fully protected against intestinal parasites. Parasites can be easily transmitted between wild and domestic animals. Keep up the good work!