They just killed a possum!! Eueuweuweeuww!!

[bcmoffatt]

Yuck yuck yuck yuck!

Kena knocked it off the back fence, and then he and Mochi played tug-o-war with it! Barf!!!!

Do I need to worry at all?? Do I need to do anything?? Can the dogs catch anything???
I didn't see any blood (although it was dark out) and the dogs don't have any scratches or marks on them. The possum didn't put up much of a fight...
I'm only 95% sure that the thing is dead. I tossed it over then fence onto the driveway. I'll check on it in a few hours.

Cricket only has his first puppy shot... Is it possible that he could be exposed to something that got on the other two?? I'm worried!!

 

[Renee750il]

If they're up to date on rabies they should be perfectly fine. Not a lot of rabies reported in possums either You don't even want to know how many possums, groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels and - if we include Shiva in the count - SKUNKS my bunch has killed . . . and eaten. Bimmer goes by wolf rules and taught the grrrls to do the same: you kill it you eat it.

 

[bcmoffatt]

If they're up to date on rabies they should be perfectly fine. Not a lot of rabies reported in possums either You don't even want to know how many possums, groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels and - if we include Shiva in the count - SKUNKS my bunch has killed . . . and eaten. Bimmer goes by wolf rules and taught the grrrls to do the same: you kill it you eat it.

Thanks. They're up to date, but Cricket hasn't had his rabies yet. This always happens when I've got a puppy in the house! Last time, Kena was just a puppy and one of the dogs brought a baby possum in, uninjured, and it hid behind my fridge!!

I have heard that rabies is very rare in them, something about them being marsupials, not mammals...

I called my friend who used to work for Animal control, and he says they should be fine since they didn't really get into the possum. But, I just went and checked on it and there is a little blood... It's also very cute, and still moving!! I'm upset now. This is the biggest thing they've ever mangled. There are often possums on the back fence, but the dogs usually just stare at them! I don't even know how Kena got it down this time! I wish he had fallen back over the fence into my neighbor's yard instead, poor little thing.

 

[Renee750il]

Yah, mine don't play around with things. It's quick and over with, which, since they are what they are, I'm just as glad. They kill quickly and cleanly and don't play with their food so I don't have to deal with wounded prey. That would have me feeling pretty awful too.

 

[bubbatd]

Been there !!!! If the dogs weren't bitten , I wouldn't worry .

 

[adojrts]

I wouldn't worry, possums are considered to be quarry when we go hunting with the Jrts.
Although we don't have possums here and I have never been hunting when the dogs have gotten into one, I know countless working jrt people that have and I have never heard of a problem.
It sounds like your dogs made quick work of dispatching it, don't worry.

 

[bcmoffatt]

Thanks everyone!
My heebie jeebies are wearing off, and I'm starting to relax.

My friend who used to work for wildlife control was mighty impressed that the dogs killed it so quickly, and without any sort of struggle! Ugh. lol.

 

[maple]

Oh, poor you!! Ick.
Kona cornered one in the backyard at our old house and that thing was a nasty little snarling critter!!

 

[bcmoffatt]

Oh, poor you!! Ick.
Kona cornered one in the backyard at our old house and that thing was a nasty little snarling critter!!

EEep! I don't think Kena has the foresight to corner anything, he just grabs it! (those girl dogs are smart! LOL!) He violently murdered a snake in the summer, right beside me, on lead, before I even realized what was happening! He will out anything on command, but it's always dead before I can say it!

 

[Miakoda]

Everyone's right. My dogs have gotten possums, raccoons (nasty little buggers), and even a few armadillos (in addition to squirrels and rabbits). Dogs will be dogs no matter how we groom them or clothe them.

 

[HoundedByHounds]

yes thankfully possums as Renee' pointed out are not considered a high risk vector for rabies..tho they can have fleas/ticks/worms.

I doubt it's even dead honestly. Unless pieces are missing I have found they are QUITE resilient.

 

[bcmoffatt]

I doubt it's even dead honestly. Unless pieces are missing I have found they are QUITE resilient.

Yeah, it was gone this morning. Yay! He was really cute. Plus, I wasn't looking forward to shoveling his corpse into a garbage bag first thing in the morning. LOL!!

My dogs usually only kill small critters which are easier to dispose of.

 

[horsecrazyy]

If they had their rabies shot then I wouldn't worry. It is their insticts {pardon my bad spelling}

 

[maple]

My dogs usually only kill small critters which are easier to dispose of.

LOL!! Sorry, I'm laughing with you . . . it sounds like you've got the husky mafia living with you :lol-sign:

 

[HoundedByHounds]

I've put many a possum in a garbage bag at night only to come back to an empty sack, with a neat possum sized hole in it in the morning LOL.