My dog licked a bird. Is there a health risk? Do I need a vet?

It is highly unlikely that your dog touching a bird will cause any illness. While there is no way to know with certainty, dogs are always outside touching things they shouldn't be, and eating gross stuff like animal poop, carcasses, and puddle water. Their immune systems are built much tougher than ours fortunately, so unless you start seeing any clinical signs of illness I would not spend too much time worrying about this. Hope this helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about storm. Birds do not carry these viruses as they only affect mammals. Therefore Storm will not contract either rabies or parvo from the bird. However, he may get a pretty severe gastrointestinal inflammation which may cause vomiting and diarrhea. Some parasites may also be obtained from birds. If he does develop any GI signs then have him evaluated by his veterinarian immediately. Hope this helps and best of luck.

There are a couple of diseases that a rat can give a person, but it's very unlikely it could be spread this way. Bacterial and parasitic diseases usually require a certain amount be ingested before they cause disease. It would take more than a lick to the outside of the mouth to give a substantial amount. There are some scary diseases like hantavirus that can be spread quite easily though. However, it is relatively rare. The best thing you can do to rule-out disease is by taking the rat to a state laboratory for testing. The government has disease monitoring laboratories that will examine and test the body for diseases of concern in your area. You can call your local vet, or Texas A&M veterinary diagnostic laboratory (https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/) for more information. Otherwise, I would not worry too much. It appears that you have done a good job washing away any potential contaminants and it would be rare for you to have contracted anything. If you happen to feel ill in the next week, then please contact your doctor and mention the rat incident. I hope that helps and all is well.

It's very common for dogs to pick up dead animals, roll on them, and even eat them sometimes - this normally doesn't cause any serious issues. In Charlie's case, since he barely touched it (if at all), I would not expect any problems at all - he should be just fine :)

Because we do not know what the other animal was vomiting it is always possible that they could become ill (for example if the other animal had ingested a toxin or had a virus). That being said, there isn't really anything you can do right now for your dog other than monitor him closely. If he begins acting lethargic/weak, has vomiting or diarrhea or anorexia, or begins having trembling/muscle tremors or acting drunk/ataxic, then I would recommend seeking veterinary care. Luckily most of the time, however, dogs do not get ill in a situation such as this.

I am sure that was a very lovely surprise! Of course there are no guarantees what s/he chewed on but many dogs do this without us even knowing and without any long-term concerns. I think you are right to keep your dog from licking your child for a while, just in case, as well as monitoring your dog for diarrhea. Be aware that peroxide can cause vomiting in dogs. If you would like something topical to spray on, you could try something like this: Finally, it would be a good idea to discuss checking for internal parasites with your vet as these can easily be transmitted to children. They can typically screen for them with a simple stool test. I hope this is helpful!

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!