You are here:

Ask the Veterinarian/Can my dog get rabies from eating a bone?

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/19/2010


Question
My 11 week old puppy found a bone outside while my boyfriend was walking her and she brought it in and was chewing on it for a few minutes before I took it away. They said she was too young for rabies shots and I was wondering if it were at all possible for my dog to somehow contract rabies from the marrow in that bone, if the animal it belongs to did indeed have rabies?

Thank you!

Answer
I doubt very seriously if an old bone (most likely a cow bone?) would have any type of virus in it after being outside for a while. Rabies is a virus and it requires a warm-blooded animal host to survive.

Dogs can get things like trichinosis worms from cysts deep inside of pork or bear meat bones but that is really rare.

I wouldn't be concerned about it but you were right in taking it away from her. Give her big raw carrots to chew on and she will have great teeth and have a healthy snack for life. My dog has been eating them for 12 yrs.

She can get a rabies shot at 16 weeks.  

Ask the Veterinarian

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.