I was wandering around outside just a few minutes ago with our Jack Russel Terrier, Sammy... out in the driveway, I saw something that, from a distance, kinda looked like a kitten... creeping in closer, I found that it was actually some sort of large rodent. Initially, I thought it was a muskrat, because there are a lot of ponds around where I live and I've seen dead Muskrats before... however, I noticed that its feet were not webbed, and its tail was furry, so I figured it must've been a gopher or a groundhog or something.

Something was up with this Gopherthing... I walked alongside it, following it, but it didn't try to escape... it was staggering about, occasionally stumbling over onto its shoulder... I couldn't help but wonder if it was sick or had a hurt leg or something.

It wandered off into the grass, and Sammy jumped in after it and attacked it. I saw him bite at it, and there was a brief tussel of growling and hissing and snarling... I saw him grab onto it and shake, and saw it try to twist around and bite him... I called Sam off, afraid it might bite him and give Sam rabies or something...

I carried Sam inside, and looked over him... he doesn't have any visible injuries... I sure hope Sammy didn't get bitten and get whatever the Gopherthing might've had...

Might've been a groundhog. I saw one up in Pennslyvania and it acted kind of like that... but it was also kind of missing ALL of its left side besides the legs. Really gross.

o.0 ......Ok

You just had to announce that, didn't you? Jack Russels are little brave hearts. One tried to attack my dog, of whom is 7 feet tall on his hind legs. Was funny seeing him jump up and down, snapping at my dogs chin. He just ignored it, with an annoyed look on his face.

You can contract rabies if the deceased animals blood gets in your dogs mouth, and he has a cut, however minor in his mouth. Your safest bet for your dogs health, is to go to the vets immediately. Taking a chance may lead to him biting you, and infectin YOU with rabies, if he DID have that. And, several shots administered INTO your stomach, hurt like hell, and... Make you feel very sick.

Has your dog had his rabbies shots?
If not, you should probably take him to the vet, make sure he didn't get rabbies and he could get his rabbies shot.

The animal you saw may have just had an injury though. I always thought if an animal had rabbies they would go after anything they saw and from what you said, the animal just wandered around until he had to defend himself...I don't know too much about rabbies though, except that my grandfather's brother died from it so it's not something to be lax about.

My dad has 2 JRT's, and they both got loose once. They ran off into the woods for 2 days. One came back, the first day, with part of her nose hanging off and a cut on her leg. She was patched up immediately, the other dog came back a day later.. completely covered in blood--none of which was hers. XD
The 2 went out and killed something big. Today, they are both alive and well and have no injuries to speak of. JRTs are brave little dogs man.. Wow..

As for the gopherthing, no idea. Perhaps it was a woodchuck :P And on the subjects of large rodents, I remember being in the car recently and seeing a porcupine crossing the road.. REALLY slowly.. like he hasnt a care in the world! XD /envy

I saw a picture the other day of a pitbull with its face covered in needles from a porccupine...it looked really painful and I felt bad for the poor thing.

We just found out that we have a resident groundhog on our property. We've seen its holes but never saw the actual animal until last week. My dog also found it and chased it and now, whenver she goes outside, she goes sniffing around for it.

<_< My dog fought a racoon once, the racoon died and I had to bring my poor dog to the vet......He was find though :)