# possum- with possum fever?



## ApolloRider (Feb 14, 2013)

Aw he is so cute.
If he is dragging his hind don't release him..
Just take him to a wildlife rehab and they can euthanize him, or rehab him. 
They will know what to do.


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## ApolloRider (Feb 14, 2013)

By the way.. 
If you handle him use gloves, and hold him at the BASE of the tail, and support it's body. if you are scared of being bitten hold the base of the tail and scruff him. If you hold him my the end of the tail you risk the entire thing breaking off.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

ApolloRider said:


> Aw he is so cute.
> If he is dragging his hind don't release him..
> Just take him to a wildlife rehab and they can euthanize him, or rehab him.
> They will know what to do.


Lol, he was adorable --he would look at us and grab ahold of his back feet like he was holdin hands -- i thought they worked because he could move the 'toes' but he couldnt move the actual legs.


Oh he let em go already..


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I for one and will totally take all abuse for it, say that giant rat should have lead in it before you ever touched it. It's obviously sick, or you'd never had got to PLAY with it, that's just unwise in any form. A healthy opossum will ruin your day! Likely longer. Do everyone a favor and dispose of that animal.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ApolloRider (Feb 14, 2013)

That's not true! I found an opossum when I was a kid and I kept it as a pet for 4 years, until she died.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

ApolloRider said:


> That's not true! I found an opossum when I was a kid and I kept it as a pet for 4 years, until she died.


Feel free to explain more. Possibly you found an off the tit youngster and raised it, it's happened. Raccoons can also make good pets (so I hear).
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ApolloRider (Feb 14, 2013)

It was about the age of the one in that picture..
4-5 months old maybe? 
My dad owned a pest control company and he caught it for one of his customers. I begged him to let me keep it and he did. I used leather gloves to handle it and eventually it just became tame.
I've had several strange pets, I had a squirrel also that one was a baby it got mangled by a cat and I nursed him back to health and had him for 7 years. 

I also had a rat rescue in high school.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Yep. Shoot it next time ya see it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

He could have done anything, could have even gone so far as to break his back or hips. If you see him again and he's still doing it, the most humane thing would probably be to shoot it (unless they are protected where you are, in which case take it to a local vet or animal rescue or something)

In NZ, possums are not allowed to be kept as pets, or treated at the vets because they carry tuberculosis, they all have to be euthed here, but I'm not sure on the laws where you are 
Cute little guy though


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Keeping a healthy wild animal as a pet from birth is one thing but handling a diseased one is entirely a different matter and I wouldn't have even touched it, odd behavior is a sign of rabies in early stages
If you couldn't bring yourself to kill it then you should have placed a crate over it with something heavy on top to prevent it escaping and called your local agency that deals with sort of thing
It wont survive in the wild if its injured or sick and if its diseased it will spread that on to whatever eats it or comes in contact with it.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

***update***

We was thinkin our other dog broke its back when she found him yesterday.. 


Theres good and bad news.. 






The bad news? there aint any.. 

the good news-- he not around no more! :-o

Our lab got ahold of em this mornin and had possum burgers--not literally.. he cant cook- hes a dog! :lol:


.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I reckon it had Australian Stringhalt from eating killer dandelions.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Whenever an animal acts sick.. or abnormal.. the first concern should be rabies. An animal with rabies is NOT ALWAYS VICIOUS! 

Now.. you handled this creature.. and your Lab destroyed it. Hope that dog is vaccinated but I can bet you are NOT. 

Most Possums when picked up will go into a catatonic state (play possum). The fact that this one did not and was partly paralyzed has me thinking rabies. 

So, shut off the computer and call your Doctor or Hospital and tell them this entire story. They may want to see you. They may wont the remnants of the head of this animal for testing. They may want you to quarantine your dog.. or re up his rabies vaccination. 

Rabies is 100% fatal. Please do not trifle with all this. It is not a game and you very very really could die a horrible death if exposed. Yes.. the virus enters thru an open wound.. but that can include a minor scratch, under the quick of a nail.. etc..


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

*Elana's* right.
I'm not the alarmist type but you should never take risks with any possibility of rabies and the fact your dogs eaten it is a real concern if its around the house and you


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

I would have immediately 'touched' it with a .22 and gotten rid of the body. Around here, they are responsible for most if not all of the EPM. Skunks are responsible for most of the Rabies. Either one gets a quick .22. We do not take a chance on either.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

He eats all the possums around our property. Hes been vaccinated for rabies before. And rabies is spread through saliva through scratches or bites.. we wasnt bit. 

A dog can still get rabies from a rabies infested animal-- the vaccination just prevents the spread of rabies to other animals and humans. ;-)


And trust me i woulda knocked his head off but the dh was bein sensitive.. lol.


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## Sahara (Jul 23, 2010)

toto said:


> A dog can still get rabies from a rabies infested animal-- the vaccination just prevents the spread of rabies to other animals and humans. ;-)


What??????????


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Sahara said:


> What??????????



Shhhhh, keep quiet, Darwin is working something out here:wink:


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

The only good possum is a dead possum.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Sahara said:


> What??????????




Lol.. lets say your dog has had its rabies shots (they last anywhere from 3 to seven years reguardless of how long they say they last) your dog gets bit by a racoon with rabies or eats one- your dog now has rabies virus- he cant spread it to other animals or you.

the rabies vaccinations purpose is to protect you- the human and other animals from getting the rabies virus by not being able to spread it to the creatures (or humans) it comes into contact with. :wink: 

It doesnt prevent your animal from actually contracting the rabies virus itself. 


Vetll tell ya. :wink:


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## Sahara (Jul 23, 2010)

I am guessing you don't understand how vaccines actually work or what antibodies and an immune response does. :wink:

When you give a dog a rabies vaccine it makes the body produce antibodies that PREVENT the dog from getting rabies.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Sahara said:


> I am guessing you don't understand how vaccines actually work or what antibodies and an immune response does. :wink:
> 
> When you give a dog a rabies vaccine it makes the body produce antibodies that PREVENT the dog from getting rabies.



Oh i understand it well. :wink:

If thats true how can a dog thats been vaccinated before hand have rabies? 

I thought it prevented rabies virus?


My family member got the flu shot last year and still wound up with the flu.. huh..:think:


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

Immunity from any vaccine is not permanent. Hence the recommendation for booster shots. Also, there are MANY types of the flu. A flu vaccine only covers those strains the vaccine manufacturers predicted would be a challenge that season.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

aforred said:


> Immunity from any vaccine is not permanent. Hence the recommendation for booster shots. Also, there are MANY types of the flu. A flu vaccine only covers those strains the vaccine manufacturers predicted would be a challenge that season.



The way a vaccine works is - they take the flu virus and 'fix it' to where it boosts up your immune system so it fights off infections that look like the flu more rapidly and stronger.. same with the rabies vaccination and every other vaccination.. it can have flaws or the human or animal could have a weaker immune system and they can contract rabies or the flu.. rabies vaccinations are known to cause auto immune problems in dogs.. the more theyre vaccinated the higher the chance of gettin rabies..


Me i can walk around people with the flu coughin in my face and not get it because i have a strong immune system-- my family member on the other hand gets the flu shot every year and ends up havin the flu sometimes twice a year.. healthy as a horse any other time..


Point is every immune system is different and there is no way you can rely on a vaccination to keep you immune.. what if the ammount of disease is stronger because its a higher amount than what the vaccination (the bodys antibodies) can fight off?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Flu vaccines are not all that effective. Rabies vaccines are very effective. They do prevent rabies.

Your own immune system is very unlikely to prevent rabies. O'possums are not considered to be big carriers of rabies which is good.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Missouri & Illinois Opossum Conflicts and Advice


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Celeste said:


> Missouri & Illinois Opossum Conflicts and Advice


Thank you for this! Big relief. :thumbsup:


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I'll let others deal with the vaccination issues - but I can't wrap my head around letting my dog kill and eat a sick animal of unknown causes. 

Why on earth did you allow that to happen?


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## spirit88 (Jan 12, 2011)

Any sick or weird acting wild animal gets shot around here and I sure won't let my dog any were near it. Sure wouldn't let dog kill and eat it either.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't have a gun, and I am a baby. If it's a cat or normal pet, it gets taken to the rescue. If it's a critter that a rescue won't take (did I mention I am a baby) I put it in a heavy trash bag, put it in front of my car tire and drive forward. I know that's rough, but we don't have guns and even if we did, we can't shoot in a town. I try to drive fast, I don't just roll over it.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

If it were my dog, they'd be at the vets. I certainly wouldn't present it as good news.... 






toto said:


> Theres good and bad news..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

toto said:


> Lol.. lets say your dog has had its rabies shots (they last anywhere from 3 to seven years reguardless of how long they say they last) your dog gets bit by a racoon with rabies or eats one- your dog now has rabies virus- he cant spread it to other animals or you.
> 
> the rabies vaccinations purpose is to protect you- the human and other animals from getting the rabies virus by not being able to spread it to the creatures (or humans) it comes into contact with. :wink:
> 
> ...


You are VERY misinformed. IF an animal is vaccinated, it should not develop symptoms if the vaccine has created the proper antibodies AND the proper level of antibodies. 

*If the animal is symptomatic it can pass the virus to anything its bodily fluids come in contact with.. mucus membranes, broken skin etc. whether vaccinated or not.*

This is why any animal that is vaccinated that comes in contact with a known rabies infected (not infested) animal requires that animal to be quarantined for 10 days and revaccinated. If a vaccinated animal bites a human, the animal is also quarantined for 10 days even if it is vaccinated because not every vaccinated animal develops enough antibodies to fight the virus (titers may be too low). If a dog or cat that is vaccinated bites someone, the 10 days is enough time for the animal to be observed for rabies symptoms AND for the animal to die of rabies.. at which time its head is cut off and sent to a lab for testing. IF the animal does prove to be symptomatic, _REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS, _people who have come in contract with that animal need to be vaccinated. 

Once any animal becomes symptomatic, rabies is 100% fatal and it is a horrible way to die.


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## aldebono (Mar 15, 2012)

Celeste said:


> Missouri & Illinois Opossum Conflicts and Advice



Thanks for posting this link Celeste!

Please everyone take a moment to read that article. Opossums get such a bad reputation and much of it is not deserved. 

The most important point is "In fact it is EXTREMELY rare if even POSSIBLE for opossums to get rabies because their body temperature is too low for rabies to survive and replicate well. The usual reason people think they have rabies is the drooling that opossums do when approached and scared."

My two non releasable rescue opossums were some of the best exotic pets I had. I know no one believes me, but they really are cute!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Though rabies is rare in possums horses can contract Equine Protozoal Myeloenephalitis (EPM - not sure if I've spelt it correctly) by inadvertently eating possum poo
Its not possible to keep them away from your property but its a good idea to keep numbers down and avoid encouraging them


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

An animal does not contact rabies IF it is current and protected by the vaccine. Mind you , rabies vaccine is not "live" like some vaccines that are given to help you build antibioties to fight the "disease" you are getting the vaccine for: like the flu shot. The few people that have lived after being exposed to rabies were caught immediately and treated with steriods and other types of medicine to try to stop the rabies virus from destroying the brain and other body systems. You do absolutely NOT have to be bitten by a rabid animal to get rabies, just some of the animals body fluid"saliva,blood from his scraped back legs, pee, poop, getting on your hand, or arm toe, etc that has the tinest scratch on it and you can get the virus.

Rabies vaccine is a "dead" vaccine, given to prevent getting rabies. It is not an injection with live rabies given into your system, you would die. Your dog, when given the vaccine is protected from contacted rabies if he is kept vaccinated and his titers are current and high. If you let the vaccine go because it can last for 3 or more years, then you are playing russian roullette with not only his life, but the lives of you and your family...


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## aldebono (Mar 15, 2012)

Agreed Jaydee. I think the best way to discourage an opossum from setting up shop is to keep any food picked up (they cant jump) and block off any small places to nest. Though they don't actually "nest" as they are very nomadic, they do like small dark places to sleep during the day. 

They are extreme generalists, which means they will eat anything, so horse feed may be on the menu if nothing else is available. 

Another thing to remember, they can NOT see well. They can see individual items at about 2 feet from them and mostly movement any farther. It's their sense of smell and hearing that work well. They scare easily at loud noises and become defensive because they don't know what has snuck up and is about to eat them!


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

jaydee said:


> Though rabies is rare in possums horses can contract Equine Protozoal Myeloenephalitis (EPM - not sure if I've spelt it correctly) by inadvertently eating possum poo
> Its not possible to keep them away from your property but its a good idea to keep numbers down and avoid encouraging them


This. This might make me a horrible person in some folks eyes but that is why every potential carrier that I come across here gets the .22 flu. After seeing a friend's mare go through EPM after ingesting possum droppings that were in the hay, no way I'm even taking the chance of it happening here.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

You cannot discourage possums from taking up residency in your barn if you have hay stored there! We had friends that had 5 horse contract EPM about the same time they found a nest of possums in their hay barn. They evidently had fed hay contaminated with the possum feces before they found the nest with the possum curled up in it -- with a pouch full of little possums. We most often see them in tree on the creek that runs through our place or in the pastures going to or from the tree lined creek. 

I am not a mean person, but my horses mean a lot more to me than an animal that carries and spreads EPM. I'm sorry, but they just have to die of lead poisoning when they are encountered here.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

BTW I have no issue with Possums (other than the EPM link) and I have no issues with other wild life. Rabies OTOH is serious business. 

When possums are picked up they typically go into a catatonic state that looks like they died. This possum did not do that.. played with its paralyzed back feet.. and was out in the day. All those things are abnormal possum behavior. Most normal possums would immediately "play possum" and this one did not. THAT is the reason I mentioned rabies. 

The article, BTW, does not state that possums cannot contract rabies. They can and do contract rabies even if uncommon.

As to vaccination... in SOME animals the vaccine does not always "take." IOW's there is something in that animal's immune make up that does not respond as desired to the vaccine (killed vaccine in the case of rabies). Taking titers is fine.. but the level of titer needed to mount an immune response is also needed. This level varies between individuals!

If the vaccine was 100% effective no one would revaccinate or quarantine an animal that has been exposed or that has bitten someone. It is very effective.. but there are always individuals that simply do not respond. 

Ultimately, the real concern is that rabies, once it becomes symptomatic in human or animal, cannot be cured and can be spread to others. Rabies, once symptoms develop, is 100% fatal. 

ANY suspicion of rabies should be taken very seriously. In some countries (not the US) it is common to see rabid dogs and cats. In some countries rabies is so prevalent, all stray dogs and cats are assumed rabid!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

And yes.. I have seen the results of EPM. Horses and Possums are not a good combination.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Elana said:


> You are VERY misinformed.


 Aint that the truth


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Elana said:


> BTW I have no issue with Possums (other than the EPM link) and I have no issues with other wild life. Rabies OTOH is serious business.
> 
> When possums are picked up they typically go into a catatonic state that looks like they died. This possum did not do that.. played with its paralyzed back feet.. and was out in the day. All those things are abnormal possum behavior. Most normal possums would immediately "play possum" and this one did not. THAT is the reason I mentioned rabies.
> 
> ...





> Opossum Fears & Fables A lot of people who call the hotline have the wrong idea about opossums. No, they do not have rabies. In fact it is EXTREMELY rare if even POSSIBLE for opossums to get rabies because their body temperature is too low for rabies to survive and replicate well. The usual reason people think they have rabies is the drooling that opossums do when approached and scared. For the most part though, opossums are all bark and no bite. When a ‘possum is approached, it will open its mouth widely, show you all of their teeth, and begin to drool excessively. Usually this pose is enough to intimidate anyone, and you will leave it alone. Even in baby opossums we see this defense mechanism, although we’re so used to it that it is less than intimidating to us anymore. If pushed, cornered, poked, prodded, the opossum WILL bite, but it will never run after you, chase you, come towards you in an attacking way


Not so worried about the rabies as i am EPM (possum fever) the draggin his backlegs or bein paralized in his back end made me think of possum fever- but i come to realize my dog found the possum- we think she bit it (sounded like she got ahold of it then dropped it and started barkin) 


I know- its yucky to play with critters- ive always been the type to catch turtles, frogs, snakes, gophers, etcetra.. turtles can cary disease (salmonella and other bacterial diseases) i always wash my hands thoroughly --not worried about me- or the dog (hes been vaccinated recently for rabies) im more worried about the possum havin EPM. We feed mostly hay though -they do get a handfull of compete oat mixture or sweet.. i think the chickens clean up what they miss but still- its a scary thing.. :-o


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## Sahara (Jul 23, 2010)

I bet that possum ate dandelions.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Sahara said:


> I bet that possum ate dandelions.


 
*snicker*


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Handling critters is no more "yukky" than turning a calf that is presented wrong in a cow.. or assisting the vet operating on a right DA or laying in the mud giving artificial respiration to a new born calf that wasn't breathing because it was born backwards and there was a delay getting the shoulders out (and the head). 

.. and yeah.. I have done those things and more.... 

OTOH handling an animal that is ill and potentially can transmit a deadly disease is just dangerous.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Sahara said:


> I bet that possum ate dandelions.


That were affected by mycotoxins? Wouldnt he be 'goose stepping' not paralized? :rofl:



Elana said:


> Handling critters is no more "yukky" than turning a calf that is presented wrong in a cow.. or assisting the vet operating on a right DA or laying in the mud giving artificial respiration to a new born calf that wasn't breathing because it was born backwards and there was a delay getting the shoulders out (and the head).
> 
> .. and yeah.. I have done those things and more....
> 
> OTOH handling an animal that is ill and potentially can transmit a deadly disease is just dangerous.



Want a cookie? :rofl: seriously me and ol possum baked em fresh.. he drooled a little in em though.. might get rabiess... oooo.. watch out now! 


Actually it is a lota more different than handeling a creature that you know for a fact youve vaccinated for disease and care for- and that youve raised from a calf.. not sayin animals are predictable -theyve got minds of their own (we know) but id trust a heifer calfing over a aligator.. for one- my arm aint gonna get ripped off if a cow bites me since they only have one set of teeth- and im not gonna die of an infectious disease cause by toxins that break down flesh. 

It didnt have rabies.. unless my dog can get Possum fever? Or me? Thatd be a new one.. but im not worried about possums havin rabies after readin up on em. Everything says its very rare and this one didnt do anything out of the normal. He was grabbin his back feet because he knew he was got. Whats he gonna do? Lol.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

Aww, Not gonna lie - it's kind of cute!

There are two forms of Rabies: Dumb and Furious. Furious is your standard rabies, with the extreme aggression. Dumb is when the animal is increasingly lethargic, and slowly the whole body becomes paralyzed and it dies. So that's a tick for "Rabies." But the body temp not harboring rabies very well thing... I didn't know that. That's a tick for "It had a broken back."

We have no idea. We don't know how it was acting, either, besides the dragging hind end. Either way it's better for everybody had it just been shot - no dogs to get at it, the poor thing doesn't have to suffer, etc. It was cruel to let it go, and incredibly dangerous. I would bring my dog to the vet and keep a close eye on him - What happened happened and the only thing you can do now is deal with potential aftermath.

AND - fun fact that a lot of people don't know - Rabies is NOT 100% fatal. Six people have survived symptomatic rabies - meaning that AFTER they started showing rabies symptoms they were treated and came through *without* receiving the vaccine. I mean, not good odds there, but. Still.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

And yes, a vaccinated dog CAN get Rabies. There's a lot of factors at play with vaccines - even if it's 100% effective, what if it's a bad batch? What if it wasn't given properly, or it's been too long since the shot?

Not only that, but you're supposed to bring them in for a booster after a potential exposure - otherwise the potency of the initial vaccine drops and the risk of infection goes up. The rabies shot isn't just "Oh, he's got his shot he's good," you still need to give him the booster. It's not too likely that the dog's contracted it but the fact that you're willing to risk it baffles me. I don't know what I would do with myself if my dog died of something I could have fixed - He's the best dog in the world, I don't know what I would do without him.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Shoebox, thank you for your voice of reason- and bringin logic back- was much needed. :thumbsup:


He was so precious- but heda definitely gocha if ya let em! 










^ he looks all friendly but hes tryin to get the dh to leggo of his tail, lol. 
He wasnt in a dumb state or overly aggressive state either-- just in a possum state of mind- if you will.. many here (on the forum) fail to realize a possum dont really 'play possum' thats a wives tail-- ive yet to see one play dead, lol. They usually run away if they can. :mrgreen:


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

toto said:


> That were affected by mycotoxins? Wouldnt he be 'goose stepping' not paralized? :rofl:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Possums don't get possum fever (EPM). They eat infected dead birds & such, then in their feces pass sporocysts that contain spores that reproduce asexually. The horse eats something contaminated with the sporocysts & those cause lesions to the spinal cord &/or brain in the horse. The possum is fine, just a carrier.

The reason rabies is seldom found in smaller prey animals is whatever bit them killed them so they didn't live long enough to pass it on. For example, a coyote with rabies grabs a rat, the rat has a slim chance of getting away while some creature larger or faster might, like a horse.
In the case of this baby possum it's mother could have contracted rabies & given it to the baby.

One girl recently survived rabies after being bitten by a bat. She is not neurologically normal.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

toto said:


> Shoebox, thank you for your voice of reason- and bringin logic back- was much needed. :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> He was so precious- but heda definitely gocha if ya let em!
> ...


Not true, they can and do play Possum. (I've seen it twice - the first time we came back to a very not-dead opossum in a box. He was not a happy camper. The second time we watched from afar until it started twitching, and eventually got up and wandered away). It's not a conscious reaction, it's a physiological reaction.

Wikipedia explains it pretty well, and it really is interesting to read about.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum#Behavior


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

natisha, very interesting thing to think about. I was wondering what a human would be like after surviving rabies- since it affects the brain.. that particular person didnt get the boosters to fight it off or did and it was too late? Is there a link to the article?


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

toto said:


> natisha, very interesting thing to think about. I was wondering what a human would be like after surviving rabies- since it affects the brain.. that particular person didnt get the boosters to fight it off or did and it was too late? Is there a link to the article?


She didn't even go into the hospital until she was symptomatic. They put her into a medically-induced coma. 

Milwaukee protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Shoebox said:


> Not true, they can and do play Possum. (I've seen it twice - the first time we came back to a very not-dead opossum in a box. He was not a happy camper. The second time we watched from afar until it started twitching, and eventually got up and wandered away). It's not a conscious reaction, it's a physiological reaction.
> 
> Wikipedia explains it pretty well, and it really is interesting to read about.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum#Behavior



Cool- ive never seen one 'play possum' it says most of them forget? Lol. 

I suppose in order to provoke the 'play possum' deal youd have to make them think you were about to kill em instead of just doin it? :lol: <~ my kinda feel dumb laugh.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

toto said:


> Cool- ive never seen one 'play possum' it says most of them forget? Lol.
> 
> I suppose in order to provoke the 'play possum' deal youd have to make them think you were about to kill em instead of just doin it? :lol: <~ my kinda feel dumb laugh.


Yes, the little ones forget. They're not sure what they should be afraid of yet. Opossums are small - They've got a lot of predators! And a lot of predators would rather have fresh meat then a drooly, stinky, "dead" thing! (I would too, to be fair)


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Shoebox said:


> Yes, the little ones forget. They're not sure what they should be afraid of yet. Opossums are small - They've got a lot of predators! And a lot of predators would rather have fresh meat then a drooly, stinky, "dead" thing! (I would too, to be fair)



I musta never seen an adult possum? :shock: lol. I know the one in the picture is a baby but havent really seen em much bigger than that.. 











I think this one can move his back legs now that i see the 3 pictures his fet and legs are doin all kinda weird stuff, lol. Maybe he was just bein a weirdo? 

Do they 'play paralized' or somethin so maybe preditors think theyre rotting or sick or somethin?


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

I have another possum question-- if a possum dies and its bones are there layin in the grass (of course im not gonna let the horses eat grass there) but what if i wasnt around to stop them and they are that grass? 

Is the protozoa still alive in the possums bone structure or around the area where the 'other parts' (to be less gruesome) have melted away into the earth or does the protozoa die when the host dies? (If it was an EPM infected possum)


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

my dog caught an oppossum two summers ago. The dogs were all barking, so out we go with the flashlight, and Meg has something in her mouth, At first I thought oh no someone dumped a cat and she got it. She finally drops it,at my feet, I almost peed.. It stayed limp for 10 - 15 mins, we had it on the end of a shovel. So after that we jsut put it in an empty trash can. 30 min later dogs having fits again, we go out, and that little sucker was trying to jump out the trash can , hissing and spitting. So my hubby took the can to the acreage across from us and let it free. I guess it came over to eat all my grapes and berries.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

The possum that your dog killed was probably paralyzed because it had been bitten by a dog already. As far as whether a dead possum could spread EPM, I think it could. I would dispose of it away from horses. Dogs have been killing possums since dogs and possums have been on the same continent. It is their instinct. 

Also, possums will "play dead" or actually they faint. 

I had a dog that killed the same possum 7 nights in a row. He would think it was dead and let it alone. I then caught the dog and put him up. The possum was so stupid the poor thing came back night after night. It eventually stayed dead. 

Now that it is known that they carry EPM, I would not just let one walk away. I would at least relocate it.

One more thing, I am convinced that Purina Cat Chow is the natural food of the possum.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Celeste said:


> The possum that your dog killed was probably paralyzed because it had been bitten by a dog already. As far as whether a dead possum could spread EPM, I think it could. I would dispose of it away from horses. Dogs have been killing possums since dogs and possums have been on the same continent. It is their instinct.
> 
> Also, possums will "play dead" or actually they faint.
> 
> ...



How would you recomend getting rid of the 'other parts' that have melted into the earth? Should i dig up a hole and fill it with 'cleaner' dirt? --silly as that sounds.. 

I agree- our dog has been doin it for 18-19 years- and is "healthy as a horse" lol. 
that bein said- ive conjured up another question-- if my dog eats a Possum thats contracted EPM and my dog poop it in the yard- could it spread that way? Or if he pees on their hay or somethin naughty.. hes mischievous. 


:rofl: haha! My dog would have definitely eaten it.. :-o


Do you put out a live trap with catfood? Thats cleaver! :thumbsup: we dont have any cats (that we feed) only ninja kitties that eat mice out of and around our hay barn.. you think a cat would chase off a possum?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

As far as disposal, if I knew that I had rotting possum guts in my pasture, I might try to dig them up and dispose of them. They probably are all gone.

Cats can't deal with grown possums. The possum is too mean. Dogs should keep them run off pretty well. 

I keep cat food out for my cats, and every now and then it will bring in a possum. I have started keeping it in a really high place and I think that has helped.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Theres no carcus or innards - just the skeletal structure. Thats why i was wonderin.. we led our horses around the shop and i saw the bones-- im not even sure if its a possum but it looks that way. There was this old little terrier type dog that was hangin around our property for a while and i think its either it or a possum.. ill have to look up what the bones look like.. nothin has dug them off yet though- so i thought it was weird!

i wasnt sure whod run who off if the situatuin came to head.. seems like a Ferrell cat would be mean enough to run off a possum- i dont have a clue, lol.  i know our old rooster wold whoop a possum for sure! Lol. He was a BMF! :lol: 

I thought possums climed things too? Theyre always in weird places- seems like.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

They can climb, but so far they haven't found the cat food that we keep on top of a refrigerator on our porch. (Jeff Foxworthy would be proud........... )


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