It can happen to anyone, especially dog owners who live in the country…
One moment you’re outside in the yard enjoying some sun and the next you’re frantically googling ‘dog killed rabbit‘ as you try to figure out what to do next…
If your dog recently got ahold of a rabbit or even ate part of one before you were able to intervene, take a moment to breathe…
There are tons of reasons why your dog might have gone after a rabbit, and all of them are natural…
And to help you get through this macabre situation, in this article we’ll be covering the following information…
- Why Do Dogs Chase And Kill Rabbits?
- Can A Dog Get Rabies From A Rabbit?
- Are There Other Potential Health Risks?
- Other Things You Should Consider…
In the end, you’ll know what to look out for if your dog killed a rabbit, and you’ll also have a good idea of what you need to do to prevent it from happening again in the future…
Let’s begin by discussing why dogs actually chase and kill rabbits…
Why Do Dogs Chase Rabbits And Kill Them?
Dogs have been domesticated for over twenty thousand years, but just because your best friend lays on the couch all day doesn’t mean he’s lost those hunter instincts…
Rabbits and other small animals are the natural prey for many creatures, and something about the way they move so quickly just drives certain dogs up the wall, tree, or along the fence line…
Sometimes dogs stumble across a rabbit nest while they’re not being watched closely, and before you have a chance to react you’ve got a problem on your hands…
It’s a terrible situation, but sadly it’s also a part of nature. Your dog isn’t a bad dog for what he did either…
Those urban myths about dogs getting a taste of blood and turning into a killer are just that, myths…
Sure, there is a chance that having his drive to hunt prey instigated (and the reward of overtaking the kill) might make him more likely to go after small animals in the future, but it’s not because he’s blood crazy now…
And if your dog is excited by the quick skittering of small animals there are ways to capitalize on that in a healthy way.
Can A Dog Get Rabies From A Rabbit?
The next logical place your mind might go is to wonder if your dog is going to catch a disease from the rabbit he killed and/or ate…
If the rabbit in question was a domesticated pet, then the most likely answer is no. Rabbits kept for 4-H or as pets are typically taken care of better than a wild rabbit…
And although you’d sadly have a difficult conversation ahead of you with the owner of the rabbit, there likely isn’t anything to worry about as far diseases are concerned…
That being said, rabies is a potential problem especially if the rabbit that was killed was a wild rabbit…
And this is just another reason why your dog should be up to date on his or her rabies vaccination…
If you suspect that the rabbit in question had rabies, you’ll want to contact your veterinarian about the situation, and bringing the rabbit into your vet might be the best way to test it…
Are There Other Potential Health Risks?
If you can verify that the rabbit was dead before your dog started eating it then the safest bet would be bagging up the bunny and taking a trip to your vet to have it tested…
However, if you saw the rabbit alive before it died then the best thing to do would be keeping an eye on your dog for any sign he could be in pain…
Most dogs have nothing to worry about after eating a rabbit, even if they swallow it whole…
But if your dog starts vomiting or suddenly develops diarrhea then your going to want to contact your vet as soon as you can…
Typically, some of the worst things your dog could get from eating a rabbit are parasites, but if you regularly worm your dog these likely won’t be an issue…
Tapeworms are found in practically every wild animal and are transmitted through the muscle tissue and poop…
And Coccidia is also present in rabbit poop. It can cause coccidiosis in your dog which is an intestinal tract infection and will require a visit to the vet where a stool sample will be taken…
A couple of other very rare diseases rabbits can carry are Tularemia and the Plague. Yes, that Plague, although the chances of your dog finding a rabbit with the plague are very, very rare.
My Dog Keeps Killing Rabbits… How Do I Stop It?
If your dog killed one rabbit, it’s not likely that he’s going to turn into some sort of bunny serial killer, but at the same time, his instincts to hunt are strong…
Some dogs do start to hunt and kill rabbits repeatedly, and if that’s the case, your best course of action should be training…
Teaching commands like ‘drop it’ or ‘leave it’ is a great way to make sure your dog will listen the next time he picks something up that you don’t want him to have…
There are many different training programs out there but the one I recommend is the Brain Training For Dogs program…
I like it because it’s highly effective, easy to follow, and you can access the program from the comfort of your own home…
If you’d like to learn more about how Brain Training For Dogs can help your dog become more obedient and to follow your every command, click the link below…
One other thing to note… make sure you don’t hold this behavior over your dogs’ head. He isn’t a miscreant now because he attacked a rabbit…
Dog’s don’t have a predilection to be bad or good, and all of their behavior is taught, much like a child…
Don’t punish him for what he’s done, but instead work on setting him up for success in the future.
Other Things You Should Consider…
Many people purchase a specific breed of dog without doing proper research into their care…
If you’ve purchased a breed that was created to hunt small wildlife like rabbits or otherwise, that prey drive will always be there…
You can train them not to go after the local rabbits or squirrels but that desire to hunt will still be there and might even begin to manifest in other ways like destruction or anxiety…
So finding a way to exercise your dog in a way that is effective, constructive, and stimulating is another great method for curbing those behaviors…
I recommend that you look into local activities for different types of working dogs. In addition to that, dog agility courses are pretty common as well, and usually open to the public.
Final Thoughts…
It is completely natural for dogs to want to hunt, but it’s also our responsibility to make sure our dogs are safe…
While rabbit meat isn’t the worst thing your dog could ingest, the average dog will eat more than a handful of potentially life-threatening things in their lifetime…
Just be sure to contact a veterinarian if your dog is acting weird or displaying unusual behavior…
And take the time to properly train your dog because if your dog is more obedient, you’ll have a much better chance of stopping this type of behavior in the future.