Rat

[Automan]

My cocker has just turned up with a rat in her mouth and yes she had killed it do I need to be aware of anything.

 

[VSS]

Aware of the fact that:
a) you've got a rat problem;
and b) the cocker will be mad keen on rats, almost to the exclusion of all other quarry, from this day forth.

If it didn't bite her, and she didn't eat it, and she's up to date with her jabs, nothing to worry about.

 

[hcm1]

agreed, check she is up to date with lepto vaccination and watch for any swellings on the face in the coming days in case of infection starting up. Unlikely, but possible.

 

[Alex88]

My HWV did this once. Now once she thinks she's picked up all the ducks on the pond on an evening flight, she goes ratting, or finds grass snakes but fortunately, she's not gone hard mouthed, hasn't really made any difference. Don't worry.

 

[Morkai]

I remember when my Beagle did the same, caught one in the porch, it bit her, she went wild on it, tore it to pieces.

She was fine but her blood lust took around an hour to wear off.

 

[finbar]

Killed a good springer of mine she was 7 years old fit strong dog . Picked & killed rat gave it me like a pheasant on a Monday tea time went of her food Thursday got antibiotics in to her made appointment at vet for Monday told them what had happened she died on Sunday
Leptospirosis

 

[hcm1]

Killed a good springer of mine she was 7 years old fit strong dog . Picked & killed rat gave it me like a pheasant on a Monday tea time went of her food Thursday got antibiotics in to her made appointment at vet for Monday told them what had happened she died on Sunday
Leptospirosis

horrible! You have my sympathy. I had one recently, off colour Saturday evening, vomited on Sunday, seen into hospital Monday morning, died on wednesday. This was a vaccinated dog who had unfortunately gone 3 months over. Nasty disease.

 

[Brittany boy]

Don’t know if it’s true or not but was told years ago that dogs build up their own immunity to certain diseases once they have had the initial injections. Take it leptospirosis isn’t one of them.

 

[splash]

Funny things dogs ! Can be soft mouthed with game but almost terrier like on vermin

 

[hcm1]

Don’t know if it’s true or not but was told years ago that dogs build up their own immunity to certain diseases once they have had the initial injections. Take it leptospirosis isn’t one of them.

The way immunity works is not standard across all diseases. The general consensus is that following initial vaccination courses (including a booster at 1 year of age) SOME animals will maintain immunity to Distemper Hepatitis and Parvo for a number of years. Generally accepted as about 3 in practice. Now some animals seem to maintain immunity for longer and others likely don't maintain it for even the 3 years. Lepto immunity appears to be less long lasting with 18 months being quoted as the absolute maximum and likely nearer 12-15.
The problem with all these scenarios is that there is massive individual variation in both individuals and also their local scenario and environs. If an animal is vaccinated and then is exposed to low levels of lepto regularly (possibly in a working dog scenario or farm dog) then maybe immunity will be maintained. If not then the immunity is likely to wane.
Then there is individual response to vaccination, some animals react better than others.

As with all things there is a risk benefit balance to strike with vaccination but having seen lepto and its effects, not to mention the fact that it is a zoonotic disease, I would prefer to maintain a robust vaccination regime, rather than play the odds.

 

[User00047]

My terrier has killed loads of rats an d stuff over the years and never had any ill effects.
Maybe I got him vaccinated or something, I don’t actually remember now. He’s 16 years old this year and a bit knackered so he can’t actually catch a rat any more but still looks for them

 

[Bo Diddley]

Hi @hcm1, what is Titre testing all about? A lady was telling me she does not want to over vaccinate her dogs and has them tested using this test... is it just a trendy fad?

 

[hcm1]

So what titre testing does is basically measure the number of antibodies an animal has to a certain disease. Titre testing is easily available for certain diseases but not all, and lepto is one disease that titre testing doesn’t really work for if you are trying to assess immunity. Immunity is more complicated than simply having antibodies and the type of immunity an animal has is sometimes different for different diseases. Generally speaking vaccination is best applied based on risk/benefit which is different for any given animal/situation. We live in a litigious society so sadly, often the official advice given has an element of arse-covering on the basis that is better to give advice that can’t be questioned, than risk leaving yourself open to recriminations if the tiny chance you ignored comes to pass. Sad really!

 

[SikaSeeker]

She’ll be sound, just clean any nips and if you’re very worried, make sure her lepto is up to date for the next one!