Birthday Gifts for Pets

Risks Dogs Face When Fighting With Wild Animals

4 July 2016

Madison Adams

If you discover that your dog has been in a fight with any type of wild animal, you may want to take it to a vet, especially if you see blood or other signs of injuries. A fight with a wild animal poses several risks to your dog's health, which is why you should take it to a veterinarian if this occurs. Here are several of the problems your dog faces from wounds that occur from fighting with a wild animal.

Rabies And Other Diseases

There are a number of different types of wild animals that dogs can fight with; here are some of the risks you should be concerned about relating to diseases if your dog is not current on is vaccinations:

• Opossums – These animals typically do not carry any diseases that your dog can contract.
• Raccoons – Raccoons are a huge risk for an unvaccinated dog, because they often have rabies and distemper, and both of these are very serious diseases for dogs. Raccoons can also carry a disease called leptospirosis.
• Coyotes – A coyote can carry rabies, distemper, canine influenza, and parvovirus.
• Foxes – Foxes can carry rabies and tapeworms, which can spread to a dog.

Wild animals can also carry a lot of ticks on them, which can transfer to your dog. Ticks can carry a variety of different diseases, which include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis. Any wild animal your dog fights with could potentially cause your dog to become sick, and it's important to tell the vet what type of animal your dog fought with if you know for sure. This can help the vet know what to look for.

Infections

Even if your dog has had all its vaccinations, you should still allow a vet to examine and treat the dog if there are any open wounds. Fights that occur between dogs and wild animals can be brutal. Both animals try to survive the fight and win, and this can result in bites, scratches, and other types of wounds. The diseases carried by wild animals can spread to your dog through its mouth or blood; however, you will not have to worry as much about these things if your dog has been fully vaccinated.

Open wounds are common after fights like this, and one of the biggest problems these cause is infection. To make sure your dog's wounds will heal well and to prevent infection, a vet will look thoroughly at the dog to locate all the wounds. Next, the vet will need to clean the wounds to remove the dirt, germs, and bacteria from them. The vet may then apply an antibacterial ointment to each of the wounds to help them stay clean.

If this is not done properly, bacteria in the wound can work its way into the dog's bloodstream. This is how an infection occurs, and it can leave a dog very sick. The symptoms of infections often include redness and irritation at the site of the wound, as well as vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. If the vet suspects that an infection may already be present, he or she may give the dog antibiotics. These will help kill infections that are already inside the body, and they are often recommended simply as a safety precaution.

Fights between dogs and wild animals can occur, and this is why you should always make sure your dog is vaccinated according to the recommended schedule. If you have an emergency situation of any kind that involves your pet, you can visit a 24-hour emergency vet care clinic for help. 

To learn more, contact a center like Oakton Animal Hospital.

Share