ratting and diseases

[Guest hilly]

ive a patterdale an 2 jacks, and i am interested in taking them ratting, has anyone had any problems with diseases, and diseases being passed on to themselves or children through the ratting dogs?

[lone wolf 0]

ive been ratting with dogs for some time now and have never had any problems with diseases and the only thing was a couple of times dogs getting bitten.but if they are looked after properly you'll have no probs

regards lone wolf

[Guest ferretlass]

ive been ratting with dogs for some time now and have never had any problems with diseases and the only thing was a couple of times dogs getting bitten.but if they are looked after properly you'll have no probs

regards lone wolf

 

if your dogs are jabbed they should be covered for lepto, not sure what else dogs can catch from rats though

[Guest SPUD 1]

The main thing to do is keep ur dogs away from children for the rest of the day or maybe day after!

Also when ur dog gets bitten (nearly every time) let the cut bleed out and when you get home get

some warm salty water and wast your dogs down, Works everytime mate

Good luck

[PBurns 9]

Rats can transmit at least 35 diseases to humans, including leptospirosis (very, very common) and the plague (very, very rare). Other diseases transmittable by rats include: typhus, rabies, tularemia, trichinosis, leishmaniasis, spirilary rat bite fever, and spirochetal jaundice.

 

In fact, lepto is the main concern (but obviously not the only one!) Keeping yourself and your dog disease-free is relatively easy, provided you use common sense:

 

Innoculate your dog. Nothing is more important than a full innoculation (a 7-way shot, not just a 5-way). An innoculation for leptospiral jaundice (leptospirosis) is strongly, strongly recommended, but it will not cover all lepto.

 

Try to reduce physical contact with the rats. Wear gloves. Put rubber bands around your pants legs in areas where rats are really swarming, and only handle dead rats by grabbing their tail. Some people use salad tongs to handle dead rats.

 

Stay out of puddles and all other water where rats may have urinated. Your dog is most likely to catch leptospirosis by coming into contact with puddles and other water into which a rat may have urinated. Give your dog access to clean water so it does not have to drink from puddles.

 

Do not let your dog chew on a rat. Most dogs will bite, shake, snap, and drop a rat in the speed it takes to read this sentence. If your dog attempts to carry or chew on the rat, discourage this by yelling at it, bribing it, or even smacking it (gently) in the muzzle. In practice, some dogs are simply "mashers" and "crackers" and there may be nothing to do about it.

 

Do not wipe your face with your hands or gloves. This sounds obvious, but if it's hot it's almost an unconscious act.

 

After ratting use bleach. Wash you clothes with an extra shot of bleach, take a hot shower, and scrub well with special attention around the fingernails. Wash the dog well and with a flea shampoo.

 

If you get sick or feel bad a day or two after ratting, go see a doctor quick. If you cannot afford to go to a doctor, do not go ratting.

 

Dogs with leptospirosis are listless, off-color, and will generally refuse to go on walks. Though they will be off their food, they will be very thirsty and drink a great deal of water. At the same time they are consuming vast quantities of water, a dog will become dehydrated as it tries to flush its body of the disease. Treatment is with antibiotics, and it can take time.

 

Rat bite wounds are generally minor and can be treated by flushing the wound well with water and applying anti-bacterial ointment. Check over your dog thoroughly right after you have been ratting, and then again the next day and the next looking for abscesses or infections.

[mouse 282]

hours after either.always wa\sh mine down with warm salty water and make the kids shower and scrub up when weve been ratting.do not let dogs near kids for a few

[Jordan 1]

[only handle dead rats by grabbing their tail.

 

That is a load of bollocks in my honest opininion. which part of the rat is going to drag through its piss and shit.

[rabbit slayer 22]

ive a patterdale an 2 jacks, and i am interested in taking them ratting, has anyone had any problems with diseases, and diseases being passed on to themselves or children through the ratting dogs?

Ive got a patterdale x jackrussel when i go ratting i just make sure all bites and cuts are washed out with warm salt water, seems to do the trick.

[jonathan 0]

WHAT ABOUT FERRETS HAVING RAT BITES BECAUSE MY FERRET HAD TO HAVE A INJECTION OF ANTIBIOTICS AT THE VETS

[Guest MOLLY]

Never pick a rat up by the tail, always by the scruff at the back of the neck.

I always keep those antiseptic wipes for kitchen surfaces in the truck to do my hands prior to touching anything after ratting till i get home.

The lepto jab for dogs only covers a small amount of the lepto strains, being out and about and regular contact with rats helps the dogs to build up their own immunities naturally.

The rest is just basic hygiene anyone should use with dogs...never let them lick your face/hands, wash your hands after contact with them, and educate yourself with the signs and symptoms of weils disease, if caught quick enough if can be treated...if not it can kill you.

MOLL.

[Kye 77]

Man, i cant beleave that me, Royston and little Nathan are still alive!...

We used to hand catch rats, and they would spray piss, every where...never wore gloves, ours hands got covered in rat blood, piss, crap, cow muck...god only knows what!..

I cant ever remember being sick,...i can remember one time me and HOTWINGS was ratting in a place which is now done buy Royston,..

HOTWINGS' great Bull X bitch, Pipi (RIP) who was a GREAT hunter of all quarry, and a great marker on rats, had marked a rat under a tire, i moved the tire, and Pipi snatched the rat up and ragged it so hard it fell apart...both me and HOTWINGS got covered, and i felt summat land in my mouth!...i gobbed it out and it was part of the rats guts, and its BLADDER!...i shit myself and started heaving...but the dogs where marking down in the barn, so we just carried on!..lmao!

Needless to say i would NEVER do that again!..lol.

Kye,..

[Guest bone]

lost the best dog i ever owned and seen!! to lepto ratting on a tip,dont f--ck about with em any more ,prefare proper work.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

lost the best dog i ever owned and seen!! to lepto ratting on a tip,dont f--ck about with em any more ,prefare proper work.

 

Propper work? Until you have had a day on several hundred rats you probably think ratting is small time but a day on the rats where they are swarming is as good a tester of any dog.As good as a reasonable dig anyway.

PBurns -Your post was spot on mate even though I would never handle a rat without gloves on.However,the incubation for lepto in both dogs and man is 2 weeks from time of contact.The symtoms in humans is the same as a very bad flu which you cant shake off.I should know as Ive had it!.Knocked me about for several months but I still hunt rat regularly,addicted.

Rats can also pass on -ringworm,mange,TB,and streptococus infections.

Beware of poisons especially the liquid based ones {usually a pinky colour} which is very sweet tasting and the dogs should be kept away from it at all costs.I have lost 2 terriers through this shit ,the first because I didnt know what it was and the second ,a pup,which must have jumped up on a table unseen.The symptoms of the liquid poison are different from solid in that the first you know is the dogs off its back legs ,It is then too late for treatment and time to dig a hole! We have also recently lost a terrier through a brain hemorage from shaking rats! If you still want to go ratting the just take the precautions mentioned throughout the thread.

[Guest bone]

propper work wasnt ment to offend anyone? i just prefare to work dogs to ground ,

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

propper work wasnt ment to offend anyone? i just prefare to work dogs to ground ,

 

No offence taken mate.