Dear Dr. John,

Our dog just showed up at our back door with a severed rabbit in her mouth. She is not quite one year old. It took us a bit to unclamp her from it.  She is up to date on all her vaccines. Is there anything that I should worry about?  The entire scene was gross.

We live in the suburbs, and I wonder if there are any concerns with dogs or cats bringing home dead animals that they have either killed or found outdoors. What risks are there that we should be concerned about and what should I be looking for now or in the coming days? L.W.

Dear L.W.,

Dogs and cats are known for bringing home all kinds of things, some which can be quite unsightly! These gifts, as they see it, can be either live or dead prey that they have caught and killed or things that they have found outdoors. In your specific case, the risks might be your dog contracting various parasites, getting a gastrointestinal upset, or a bacterial infection such as Tularemia or Rabbit Fever, all depending on whether or not the dog ingested any part of the rabbit.

Another thing to look for is if there are any wounds on the dog although the likelihood of a rabbit injuring a dog are very small. An open wound on a dog from any wildlife should always be suspect for possible rabies exposure but rabbits are not usually of high concern, unlike other species such as bats and raccoons. Small mammals are low risk for rabies. These same rules also apply to cats bringing home different animals but if a cat brings home a bird, caution must be taken given the current risks of bird flu/avian influenza. If they catch mice, ingestion of the prey could lead to issues if the mouse ate poison.

As for now, inspect your dog for wounds and then watch her for the next week or so. Since your dog is current on vaccines, the risks are low and your dog should be OK, but you might choose to contact your veterinarian to inform them of the situation or if your dog starts to appear to be ill.

Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.