Can a dog get rabies from biting a rat? A Complete Guide

Can dogs get rabies from eating rats?

In terms of dogs catching, killing, and then eating rats, the government advice is the same. Dogs cannot get rabies from eating rats.

As already mentioned, nobody is 100% certain why rodents don’t carry the disease, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for dogs to eat rats – there are other risks they can encounter with this disgusting habit.

Why rodents don’t carry rabies risks to dogs

Well, here’s the thing; scientists don’t really know why rats and mice don’t carry rabies, but there is a theory which makes a lot of sense. The theory goes that due to the size of rodents, they would not survive a bite from a rabid animal.

What this means is that if an animal with rabies was to bite a mice or rat, the rodent would die. The chances of survival are extremely slim; therefore, the mouse or rat will not be running about with rabies, and subsequently be able to infect a dog.

But then you might think that what if a rodent is killed by a rabid animal, and then the corpse if found by your dog and eaten – surely that way your dog will get rabies from a rat or mouse?

You would be mistaken again, because rabies is typically only transferred via a bite and saliva, and only lasts for seconds when outside of the body. Here are some facts about rabies which help paint the picture better.

Rabies is not spread through unbroken skin: Let’s say your dog licked a dead rat or mouse, it would not get rabies, even if the rodent was infected.

Rabies is not transmitted through blood or feces: Dogs cannot get rabies from eating mice or rat poop as feces does not transmit the virus, neither does blood.

Rabies only transmits through saliva: The main way rabies is transmitted is via a bite where saliva transfers from the infected animal to the next. We know that rats and mice don’t get rabies, so even if they bite your dog, the chances are very slim.

Rabies is short-lived in the open air: Rabies can only live outside of the body for a couple of seconds, meaning it’s unlikely to be present on the corpse of a dead rodent, rat, or mouse.

Rabies only survives in dead animals for 48 hours: And even that is a stretch, as rabies will quickly die off once the rat or mouse dies and their saliva dries up.

Rabies is rare in the English-speaking world: The disease has virtually been eliminated in the UK and Australia, with hardly any cases reported annually in the United States and Canada.

If you need further confirmation on whether dogs can get rabies from mice and rats, lets me simply quote from the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where they say:

Rat bite fever

It is estimated that 50-100% of rats carry the bacteria Streptobacillus moniliformis that causes the disease known as rat bite fever (RBF). RBF is transmitted through bite and scratch wounds from an infected rat, though may also occur after close contact with its droppings or urine. Most dogs are considered carriers of the disease and may not show any signs of illness, though there have been rare cases where dogs have become sick. There is also a reported case of a human contracting RBF after being bitten by a dog known to eat rats.

This Will Happen If Your Dog Kill A Rat

First, you should definitely contact your veterinarian and explain the situation. Your vet may want to keep your dog under observation, not because of rabies but because of the possibility of infection from the bite.

Basically, while rats and mice are able to carry the rabies virus in their bodies, they have not been shown to be infected with rabies in wild populations. Rabies transmission from rats is not a concern. The U.S. Public Health Service does not recommend rabies vaccine shots for someone who has been bitten by a rat, and about 50,000 people are bitten by rats each year in the U.S.

No one is quite sure why wild rats don’t have rabies. One theory is that they are so small that they rarely survive an attack by a rabid predator such as a fox, and so do not live to pass on rabies. A woodchuck (ground hog) is one member of the rodent family that occasionally gets rabies and can transmit it through a bite.