Thank god for Global warming and a Great dog.

[bobbi-j]

I would bet my left leg that they would advise an owner of a dog that was attacked by a wild animal to NOT try and treat the wounds themselves. Wild mammals are vectors for rabies. Rabies is a public health hazard. Veterinarians are obligated to report bites to domestic animals by wild animals to the department of public health. Advising an owner to perform actions that may cause them to come into contact with the rabies virus is dangerous and unethical.

Then maybe the OP should consider taking the dog to the vet for proper treatment. Or, OP could wear gloves to treat the dog's wounds. You can't just let the dog go with open wounds and not clean them. (I'm pretty sure I wasn't advising the owner to perform actions that may cause them to come into contact with the rabies virus.)

 

[centrarchid]

Scruffyfeathers,

Promptly see to the needs of your dog. If you are not familiar and comfortable with treating such a condition then involve a vet. Show a picture of wounds. I have dealt with wounded dogs many times and since aggressively pursuing a vaccination regimen have only had vet deal with infections and health issues not directly tied to the dogs duties (altercations involving cars, barb-wire etc..

 

[1muttsfan]

If it was a skunk you would have no doubts at all .

Small narrow feet with sharp nails and small puncture bite wounds sounds like one of the weasel family. They are ferocious predators and will take on animals much larger than themselves.

As long as the dog is current on its Rabies vaccination I would have no concerns for his health. It would be prudent to wear gloves while cleaning him up. Hunting and herd protection dogs often tangle with wildlife, and revaccination is seldom performed.

 

[centrarchid]

When we have tangled with mink the bite marks were so tiny as to be difficult to find. Also dogs dogs resolve issue with only one bite. Re-reading post makes me think something bigger than a weasel / mink. Mink and weasels will also leave an unpleasant smell on the dog, sometimes more so than a skunk depending on you taste.

 

[Scruffyfeathers]

Very good advice from all of you. Thanks!. Brenda and I have run a rescue facility for stray and abandoned dogs for years. Yes, we do have a Vet on standby that knows us well and has always been there for proper medical advice and care. We do not take shortcuts when it comes to our family member's health and well being. The primary wound on his hind quarter (thigh) was cleaned today with H2O2 and an antibiotic cream. He is alert, active and thus far no change in demeanor. Seriously, thank you all for your genuine concern about Lobo's health; recovery. That really means a lot! We are new to raising chickens and know little about their care. Your responses have indicated that we made a good choice in choosing this site (BYC) as an excellent "How to" site for many of our questions. Again, thank you all!.

 

[Scruffyfeathers]

1muttsfan: "Small narrow feet with sharp nails and small puncture bite wounds sounds like one of the weasel family. They are ferocious predators and will take on animals much larger than themselves".



Odd that you should mention the weasel family. I can't remember the number of pads (toes). What surprised me was how narrow and how long the claws appeared to be. Admittedly the mud may have exaggerated or minimized the actual print depending upon how fluid the mud was at the time of the print.

I don't have my first chicken yet and already I see I really need to read a lot more on Natural Predators and which safeguards to take.

Thanks for your input.

 

[centrarchid]

Your biggest predator issue will come from your own dogs. A lot of work remains ahead.

 

[Scruffyfeathers]

Centrarcid: Promptly see to the needs of your dog.

Trust me, these little guys want for nothing. Moving from a county suburban area to a "rural" area is definitely a change for us. That having been said, our primary concern is always focused on our family albeit dogs or chickens. Lobo, due to his "self appointed" status of "Protector" or Guard Dog" ranks extremely high on our list of "valued family members". While I would not trust Lobo near our chickens (Scruffy and Hatchie can fill that roll) I suspect Lobo's intentions are to keep all of us safe.

 

[centrarchid]

Centrarcid: Promptly see to the needs of your dog.

Trust me, these little guys want for nothing.  Moving from a county suburban area to a "rural" area is definitely a change for us.  That having been said, our primary concern is always focused on our family albeit dogs or chickens.  Lobo, due to his "self appointed" status of "Protector" or Guard Dog" ranks extremely high on our list of "valued family members".   While I would not trust Lobo near our chickens (Scruffy and Hatchie can fill that roll) I suspect Lobo's intentions are to keep all of us safe.

Your first challenge will be getting Lobo to leave birds alone. He has already demonstrated an issue with containment which is with current situation very bad. Getting him good with birds when he gets in with them will be a plus all around.


I have experience with many dogs (sometimes all at once like you have) and many more chickens than your considering. Therefore I state with confidence your first concern is all those dogs and getting them broke into life around poultry. If you are contesting this, then I suggest you rethink chickens.

 

[jhm47]

Hope Lobo turns out OK for you. I find it kind of humorous that you are complaining about the cold. We are forecasted to have -15 - -20 here tonight, and a high tomorrow of -1. This has been a strange winter, with an abnormally cold November, fairly cold December, and a very warm January. Now that the days are getting longer, we are having the coldest part of the winter so far. I have a 15 lb Rat Terrier that refuses to come into the warm house. She sleeps out in unheated buildings in some bales and other fairly decent places. The secret is to get them out of the wind. I also have a fairly large cattle herd, and they NEVER see the inside of a barn. We feed them well, and bed them down in places that the wind doesn't hit, and they are just fine. As to global warming---I'm all in favor of it. The winters here are loooooong and cold!