Owners of Backyard Hunters....

[virgovictoria]

I just wanted to know if any of your pets have ever gotten "sick" from catching critters outside....

My Emma fancies herself a huntress and has caught a few moles... Lily will toss a critter around too, if she gets a hold of one of Emma's catches...

Their vaccs, flea, tick, Lymes, and heartworm prophylactic are all up to date... I just didn't know if there is something harmful the critters could be carrying that I should watch out for via signs/symptoms in the girls...

They aren't hungry dogs, so they aren't eating them, per se - they're just playing with their kill... tossing it.... shaking their head back in forth, pouncing.... doing little pack things.... practicing....

 

[jazz lady]

My kitties leave me "presents" in the yard all the time. They're up to date on all their shots and have never gotten sick. :shrug:

 

[CrashTest]

My kitties leave me "presents" in the yard all the time. They're up to date on all their shots and have never gotten sick. :shrug:

Same here. My fur-ball will even catch things with no fur - frogs, snakes, etc. The only thing that seems to get her sick is when she munches on grass.

 

[virgovictoria]

Thanks... One of my Huskies used to catch birds mid-flight - and I worried then... Another, not so bright (but still my bestest boy) loves to catch insects including bees/wasps, causing his face to swell (and momma to sh!t a brick) and he had a thing for frogs until he realized that they tasted horrible...

Just wanted to know about the mole arena - I'm kinda new to that... On most other accounts, Emma will appear to be a very lazy girl.... but she is a little huntress and she can sure smell it, dig it, catch it and trap it when she wants to....

 

[CrashTest]

Thanks... One of my Huskies used to catch birds mid-flight - and I worried then... Another, not so bright (but still my bestest boy) loves to catch insects including bees/wasps, causing his face to swell (and momma to sh!t a brick) and he had a thing for frogs until he realized that they tasted horrible...

Just wanted to know about the mole arena - I'm kinda new to that... On most other accounts, Emma will appear to be a very lazy girl.... but she is a little huntress and she can sure smell it, dig it, catch it and trap it when she wants to....

I had a Husky years ago. I don’t think he was smart enough to catch moles and mice but he tried. You could always tell when he was hunting for mice and moles from the crusty dirt covering his nose. His favorite prey was possums. He thought he was the Bomz when he would catch a possum. He would also catch box turtles and crack them open with mouth.

 

[cattitude]

.....

 

[kwillia]

.....

That must have been an awfully BIG mole...

 

[cattitude]

Toads are toxic. They secrete a liquid from behind their eyes to ward off predators. The dogs have drooled and barfed. After a few hours of that, they were fine.

There are toads that are poisonous, but not around here.

 

[jazz lady]

Same here. My fur-ball will even catch things with no fur - frogs, snakes, etc. The only thing that seems to get her sick is when she munches on grass.

Mine do that too - anything that moves is fair game. They also usually wait until they're in the house to barf. My dogs usually don't go after critters but if they find a dead one left by the kitties, it's stop, drop, and roll for some doggie perfume.

 

[virgovictoria]

I had a Husky years ago. I don’t think he was smart enough to catch moles and mice but he tried. You could always tell when he was hunting for mice and moles from the crusty dirt covering his nose. His favorite prey was possums. He thought he was the Bomz when he would catch a possum. He would also catch box turtles and crack them open with mouth.

Huskies are diggers by trade, anyway... You can tell by the change in color of their nose when they've acquired the "fever"... One of mine actually developed a "digging hump" on the bridge of his nose from burrowing under layers of dirt... It's their natural instinct to build a cool den in the dirt.

I read a book on this gal (her observations) who finally allowed her pack to commence to their digging on her ranch and they proceeded to build an elaborate tunnel and den... And, sled dogs weren't usually fed, per se, they had to catch their own food - which is why most don't live to eat (but eat to live) and shouldn't be around small critters until you can completely trust them....

My whole question stemmed from the fact that my girls AREN'T outdoor dogs and don't eat critters regularly and I just didn't know if they'd - or if it's just me that wants to....

 

[virgovictoria]

.....

what IS that?????

 

[CrashTest]

.....

When I was a kid we lived in downtown Naples Italy. The boxer we had back then got into a few tangles with cat-sized rats and dog-sized cats. We were always worried about his safety but he was not a team player. His yard was his yard – end of story.

 

[cattitude]

what IS that?????

The boxers got a ground hog and killed it but not before it bit Biscuit. He got cellutis. Nothing $350 couldn't take care of.

 

[virgovictoria]

Mine do that too - anything that moves is fair game. They also usually wait until they're in the house to barf. My dogs usually don't go after critters but if they find a dead one left by the kitties, it's stop, drop, and roll for some doggie perfume.

 

[jazz lady]

The joys of being an animal mommy. I know you understand.

 

[Ponytail]

Daisy ate one of those green tree frogs once and it could have killed her from what the vet said. I thought that I had gotten her meds mixed up and over dosed her tranquilizers. She acted like she was drunk for about two days before I took her to the vets office, and after some questioning, I remembered seeing the frog leg get sucked in right before the "gulp". Evidently all of the other stuff that Daisy had eaten prior to that frog over the years primed her well for that incident.

 

[Lilypad]

My Dobe was catching birds mid flight till I fenced off a habitate for the birds (and squirrels).
My 2 Sheperds starting catching butterflies and large dragonflies-if I could only get them to catch Japanese beetles!!
And the 2 hunting dogs catch a nap, that's bout all!

 

[jazz lady]

Daisy ate one of those green tree frogs once and it could have killed her from what the vet said. I thought that I had gotten her meds mixed up and over dosed her tranquilizers. She acted like she was drunk for about two days before I took her to the vets office, and after some questioning, I remembered seeing the frog leg get sucked in right before the "gulp". Evidently all of the other stuff that Daisy had eaten prior to that frog over the years primed her well for that incident.

Is there anything she WOULDN'T eat? I sure miss Daisy and all her stories.

 

[Ponytail]

Is there anything she WOULDN'T eat? I sure miss Daisy and all her stories.

Just when I thought I had the place "Daisy Proofed" and had anything that she would possibly eat out of reach, she would proove to me that I'm just not that smart.