# Dogs cornered an opossum in the yard



## telsonman (Dec 11, 2010)

Ok, so I let my dogs out tonight, and they went straight to the corner of the yard, so I knew they were after something. I have a husky and a sheltie. I grabbed a flashlight and went to where they were, and saw the opossum laying there. I first thought it was dead, then noticed it moved a little, so it was feigning death. I pulled my dogs out of the area and moved them back inside, and was about to kill it, but the wife was whining for me not too(you know the drill) and I smacked it with a stick and it took off running. It wasn't aggressive or anything, just defensive before it ran away. 

It didn't appear that my dogs attacked it. Since it was playing dead when I saw it, my husky was just smelling it, like it would anything dead. I didn't see any blood on either of my dogs, and they are both sleeping now, and never licked any bite areas or anything. They are a few weeks late on their rabies shots because we've been pretty busy, and was planning on getting them mid-week. I also know that opossums rarely carry rabies.

Anyway, should I be worried about them having contracted rabies, or am I just over-thinking this?


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## Nicodemus (Dec 11, 2010)

I wouldn`t worry about it myself. Possums are funny critters. Some will sull up, and then you run up on one sometimes that will fight the whole county, if you provoke him. Had one like that a while back. He would eat you up.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Dec 12, 2010)

I found one "dead" on my driveway one night several years
ago, and my 4 dogs were sniffing around it, and "apparently"
had killed it when it got into my fenced yard.....I threw it in the
back of my truck and away I went to throw it into the
woods down the road a bit.....Got to a likely spot, got out and 
opened the tailgate to retrieve said "dead" possum only to find
it on its feet all bowed up and ready to fight !!!!!
Whacked on the side of the truck a bit and he eventually found
the open tailgate and launched itself into the woods.....
Possums will from time to time, play "possum".....
Glad he didn't bite you...


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## Jeff Raines (Dec 12, 2010)

I've snatched many opossum up by the tail,mainly they'll just hang there,grin and drool.

Back in the mid 80's,I snatched one in the middle of Acworth,took it to the McDonalds,open the door and tossed it in,while hollerin "woooo what a rat"


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## dawg2 (Dec 12, 2010)

telsonman said:


> Ok, so I let my dogs out tonight, and they went straight to the corner of the yard, so I knew they were after something. I have a husky and a sheltie. I grabbed a flashlight and went to where they were, and saw the opossum laying there. I first thought it was dead, then noticed it moved a little, so it was feigning death. I pulled my dogs out of the area and moved them back inside, and was about to kill it, but the wife was whining for me not too(you know the drill) and I smacked it with a stick and it took off running. It wasn't aggressive or anything, just defensive before it ran away.
> 
> It didn't appear that my dogs attacked it. Since it was playing dead when I saw it, my husky was just smelling it, like it would anything dead. I didn't see any blood on either of my dogs, and they are both sleeping now, and never licked any bite areas or anything. They are a few weeks late on their rabies shots because we've been pretty busy, and was planning on getting them mid-week. I also know that opossums rarely carry rabies.
> 
> Anyway, should I be worried about them having contracted rabies, or am I just over-thinking this?



Opossums have a natural immunity to rabies.  It would be extremely RARE for one to test positive.  Don't worry about it.  But it is a good idea to keep rabies vacs up to date.  There is a 3yr shot you can get them in GA.


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## telsonman (Dec 12, 2010)

I didn't know there was a 3 year shot. Do all vets stock that now?


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## Twenty five ought six (Dec 12, 2010)

telsonman said:


> I didn't know there was a 3 year shot. Do all vets stock that now?



No.

Some vets refuse to give it.  Cuts them out of two year's fees.

The excuse is that it doesn't provide sufficient immunity.


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## boz614 (Dec 17, 2010)

I echo Dawg2's comment.  I don't know if it is because they are marsupials or what, but to my knowledge, there has never been a confirmed rabies case in our area with one of them.


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## HALOJmpr (Dec 18, 2010)

telsonman said:


> I pulled my dogs out of the area and moved them back inside, and was about to kill it, but the wife was whining for me not too(you know the drill) and I smacked it with a stick and it took off running.



My wife can be the same way .... but I had one bow up on me and make a racket .... not happy.  I told her I had to shoot him in self defense  

Dogs should be fine ... get yer rabies up to date though!


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