My dog ate a hedgehog

[VandaMay]

I think it was was dead already and my dog has just eaten all of it whilst out walking. He was a little distance away and I thought it was a stick. He’s eaten all of it, should I be worried about rabies?

Ugh god my dog’s forever eating all kinds of disgusting stuff he drags out of bushes, tbh I would give the vet a call, not rabies but hedgehogs do carry all kinds of pests and the spines could cause damage too.

Hope your daft dog is ok!

Thanks everyone, I’ll call the vet tomorrow- he seems fine, he has a cast iron stomach I think. I’ve had him for 6 months, but he’s a rescue who was neglected as a young pup ((he’s 13 months now) and will eat literally anything.

My old Lurcher was eating something in the distance once
I asked her to “ Leave it” but she was eating fast til I got close-
It was a load of dumped cooked chicken thighs
SwelterIng in the sun, already turning slightly green.
A catering van had been there for a cricket match the day or two prior.

I was worried about food poisoning and stuck bones-
But amazingly she was alright- Just a little 💨 Windy.

Our Lurcher was starved before we got her-
She ate poo from a toddler’s potty when I first got her- ( A friend’s toddler who was just potty training in the garden )🤢
She would eat anything and everything til trained to “ Leave it!”
Early hunger really does seem to have an impact. If they had to scavenge for food.

Aw I can relate- I have to supervise when he’s going for a poo to pick it up straight away or he’ll eat it 🤮

Makes a change from badgers eating them. No, rabies isn't a risk if you are in UK or Ireland.

Seems ok, just caught him trying to get into his food bag

every time I tell him off I get this look

that's a proper 'wasn't me' look!

Ours ate a dead pigeon last week and had the runs for days. Apparently that's what happens when they eat something infected with bird flu

Hahahaha oh god his face is amazing bless him

Oh no - aren't they an endangered species? I hope he doesn't get arrested. 😉

The ungrateful (but gorgeous) devil.

You're buying him royal canin and he's snaffling dead hedgehog!

Hedgehogs can have (and die from) a whole host of parasites, lungworm, roundworm, fluke, thorny headed worm. Also they can carry things like salmonella and cryptosporidium. Jo idea if any of that is dangerous to dogs, but definitely worth a call to the vet.

Eww.

I had a dog eat a litter of kittens once. Traumatised

Nothing better than some half rotted soupy dead thing under a gorse bush to a lab

Could also be the mother hedgehog. If stressed they’ll eat their young.

Can't help but think labs really do eat everything!!!
He is gorgeous, hope he is okay

Dogs are gross.

Well royal canin has a really poor ingredient list so I wouldn’t think much on that for a working breed of dog!

OP are you sure it was a hedgehog? If you are, I’d probably call your on call vet as they can induce vomiting and get him to bring it up - lung worm and household poisons are both concerns here.

He eats a mixture of Royal Canin, pedigree tinned dog food, plus tinned fish such as sardines and mackerel. Several vets I’ve seen have highly recommended Royal Canin

Why are some people shocked? I don’t have a dog but my friends lab will literally eat anything or attempt to eat anything. Entire raw bones are completely crunched and eaten. Spines wouldn’t be any problem at all.
cat poo, used tissues, chunks of wood and sticks. Anything really.

I don’t think anyone is shocked- more about whether the dog is ok given the parasite situation

I bloody knew it was a lab before I'd finished reading the post, he looks so proud of himself 🤣🤣🤣

That’s most likely because several vets are paid on commission to sell it at their practices.

Oh he thinks he’s the bees knees, I just caught him trying to get roast chicken off the work top, I do my best cross tone of voice and say ‘No that’s naughty’ and he just tries to give me his paw and lick my face. He’s the daftest dog I’ve ever met 😂