Do household mice carry rabies?
It is highly unlikely, rabies is transfered through a bite, with the size of a mouse usually if something bites it, it kills it. Mice generally do not carry rabies, I would not worry too much. The biggest concern would be if the mouse had eaten any kind of poison that your dog may have injested. But as far as rabies, nothing to worry about.
Rabies is very rare in rodents. There has never been a confirmed case of a rodent bite transmitting rabies to humans (dogs, I’m not sure). Most “cases” in rodents have not been confirmed (a beaver in Florida was acting “weird,” so it was killed and assumed to have rabies, but never tested). Like others have said, it makes little sense how a rodent could get rabies. If they were bit by a rabid animal, they would just be eaten or mauled so bad that they’d die long before the rabies could incubate. Plus the dog’s blood (requiring a break in the skin, not just consumption or contact with mucuous membranes) must come into contact with contaminated brain matter, spinal fluid, blood, or saliva. Rabies cannot be excreted in milk, urine, feces, etc. In fact, I seem to remember that there is some contraversy over it’s transmission from blood. The real concern for the dog eating (not just killing a mouse) would be if the mouse had consumed some poison. Other than that, it is unlikely your dog wil
I agree with Christy G, mice CAN carry rabies, but it’s not probable. Expecially since mice are prey animals, they usually get eaten by a larger animal. I’d only be concerned if that mouse ate some poison, but alot of times the poison in the mice acts quickly and they will die rapidly. If you are that worried, call your Vet and they will usually give you free adivce. Also, you should always make sure your pet is current on Rabies vaccines and Distemper vaccines (the disptemper vaccine DHLPPC) covers Leptospirosis which is contagious to humans….rats, possoms, racoons etc spread this to you or your pet fron contaminated urine in your yard. Point being, the pet does not have to directly come into contact with the infected animal.
