• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
I Dream of Doggies
  • Home
  • Behavior
  • Breeds
  • Health
  • Shop

What to Do if Your Dog Catches a Bird

August 10, 2020 by Jason Jensen

My wife and I have been working on a greenhouse for the past few months, and the other day, a tiny bird flew into one of the windows, knocking itself out. For a second, we thought the bird was dead, but then it quickly sprung up and tried to fly away, until…

Golden Retriever with a quail in its mouth.
This Golden Retriever has just caught a quail and is bringing it to their owner.

Our dog, Maggie saw it, and instantaneously caught it and crushed it with her jaws. The whole event happened so quickly – literally a matter of seconds – there wasn’t much we could do other than shout, “No, Maggie, No!” She immediately dropped the bird, but it was already too late.

The bird was dead. All we could do at that point was dig a small hole and burry it so that neither of our dogs came back around later to pick at its dead body.

Unfortunately, if your dog catches a bird, there isn’t much you can do about it. I always recommend training your dog to respond to a stern vocal command, such as “no” or “stop”, when you want them to desist from any bad behavior. If your dog won’t let go of the bird, you’ll have to carefully remove it from your dog’s mouth before they swallow it. However, some dogs will bite their owners if they try to remove “food” from their mouth, so be extremely cautious when trying to take the bird from your dog.

What Are the Risks Associated with Your Dog Catching a Bird?

It’s perfectly natural for wild dogs to catch and eat birds. Couple that with the fact that many dog breeds have been trained to hunt birds, and it’s no wonder that even the sweetest, most gentle dogs, will often jump on the opportunity to kill any bird within striking distance.

The biggest danger this poses to your dog is that they might choke on the bones if they try to swallow the bird. The sharp, jagged edges of the bones could also do damage to their insides if they swallow them. However, in my experience, most dogs will drop the bird after they kill it.

I’ve had a lot of dogs in my lifetime, and many of them at some point or another, have managed to wrap their jaws around a bird. This has never turned out well for any of the birds, but all of the dogs were just fine.

What if Your Dog Finds and Eats a Bird That’s Already Dead?

Birds carry diseases and parasites, and the longer a bird has been dead, the more bacteria, worms, etcetera the bird is likely to be infected with. For this reason, you really don’t want your dog to eat a dead bird. But what if it’s already too late?

In this scenario, the best thing to do is to take your dog to a vet. Odds are they will probably be fine, but you want to insure they didn’t contract salmonella, a worm, or any other diseases birds commonly carry, such as the parasite, trichomoniasis.

Can Dogs Get Rabies from Birds?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, birds can neither contract nor transmit rabies since they are not mammals. That also means your dog cannot get rabies from fish, snakes, or other reptiles. Basically, anything that is not a mammal cannot transmit rabies to your dog.

References:

Mass Audubon. Common Bird Parasites and Diseases. Retrieved from: https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/birds/common-bird-parasites-diseases#:~:text=The%20four%20diseases%20that%20most,susceptible%20to%20mites%20and%20lice.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Jason Jensen
Jason Jensen
Jason Jensen is the founder of idreamofdoggies.com. He is a professional writer, experienced doggy-daddy, and longtime animal rights advocate.
Jason Jensen
Latest posts by Jason Jensen (see all)
  • Why I Feed My Dogs Tofu (Health Benefits + How to Feed it to Them) - June 21, 2022
  • Why I Feed My Dogs Lentils (Health Benefits + Recipe) - May 11, 2022
  • Why I Give My Dog Fish Oil for Arthritis Instead of Flaxseed Oil and Glucosamine - August 27, 2021

Filed Under: Behavior

Previous Post: « What to Do If Your Dog Breaks a Tooth (Symptoms & Treatment)
Next Post: What to Do if Your Dog Has Eaten Rat Poison (Symptoms & Treatment) »

Primary Sidebar

are vizslas good with other dogs?

Are Vizslas Good with Other Dogs?

Can dogs eat Boursin cheese?

Can Dogs Eat Boursin Cheese?

A Havanese and cat snuggling

Havanese: A Great Dog for Cat Owners

Mashed sweet potatoes

Why I Feed My Dogs Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Health Benefits + Recipe)

hair ties

What to Do if Your Dog Swallows a Hair Tie

vaseline

What to Do if Your Dog Has Eaten Vaseline (Symptoms and Treatment)

mastiff puppies lazy

Are Mastiff Puppies Lazy?

Labradoodle looking out window

Are Labradoodles Protective? (Typically Not, but They Might Learn to Be)

Gammon

Why You Shouldn’t Feed Your Dog Gammon

old age symptoms in dogs

Most Common Health Problems for Older Dogs

Footer

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties.

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • facebook
  • pinterest

Copyright © 2023 I Dream of Doggies on the Foodie Pro Theme