# Arrgh! Teal ate a vole



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

No worries. Dog's have been eating whatever critters they can since the beginning. She'll be fine.


----------



## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

Nolefan is right. Disgusting as it seems dogs and cats eat all sorts of things that the very thought of make us want to gag. She'll be fine.


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

She's just forever gross. She's the only dog we have that would swallow one whole! They're fairly common around here and nobody else eats them lol


----------



## Rkaymay (May 12, 2014)

I'm laughing. She was probably beyond thrilled.


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I can only imagine. She almost had one once before but I got it from her faster than DH. Lottie was her accomplice. She found the vole and carried it into the garage and dropped it, and then Teal scarfed it.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

In about 3 weeks check her poop for tapeworms. They look like little grains of rice. Otherwise, no worries.
A well bred Golden has plenty of prey drive  .


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

ArchersMom said:


> My husband let her out this morning and then came back in to tell me she swallowed one.


Just one?


----------



## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

Tugg once caught a baby bird learning how to fly, I saw the little legs sticking out of his mouth, by the time I got to him he had swallowed it. And I am sure that's not the worst thing my dogs have eaten.


----------



## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

I have all kinds of gross stories about things my dogs have eaten up at my cabin. (They did have fun with the nest of baby bunnies....until I put a stop to that party.) And over the years no harm done. Now the porcupine incident did not end up so well. But even the two dogs involved in that unfortunate situation were fine in the end. On a Sunday of course so major bucks at the emergency vets...
Editing to add: The decomposed Opposum was an interesting find too...


----------



## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

Perhaps you can refer to it as the "vole burger incident". For dogs with a small appetite? Sorry! I do feel your pain since many years ago my daughter's dog ate her hamster (I had told repeatedly not to let it out around the dog! Steep learning curve). No more hamsters in our house after that incident. Every time I see one of the tiny hamster videos on YouTube tube I think of the little guy. Life cut short in one gulp.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

G-bear said:


> Perhaps you can refer to it as the "vole burger incident". For dogs with a small appetite? Sorry! I do feel your pain since many years ago my daughter's dog ate her hamster (I had told repeatedly not to let it out around the dog! Steep learning curve). No more hamsters in our house after that incident. Every time I see one of the tiny hamster videos on YouTube tube I think of the little guy. Life cut short in one gulp.



The Voleburger incident bwahahahahahaha! that's good. Prey drive has saved me from the whole nightmare of the "small pet" kingdom my children always wished for. Can we have a parakeet??? Nope, we have hunting dogs. Can we have a hamster, a guinea pig, a lizard a....... ???? No, no, no! Our dogs will eat a hamster! Sigh.... Our worst episode was the night Ellie brought a live rabbit into our living room.....


----------



## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

G-bear said:


> Perhaps you can refer to it as the "vole burger incident". For dogs with a small appetite? Sorry! I do feel your pain since many years ago my daughter's dog ate her hamster (I had told repeatedly not to let it out around the dog! Steep learning curve). No more hamsters in our house after that incident. Every time I see one of the tiny hamster videos on YouTube tube I think of the little guy. Life cut short in one gulp.


This reminds me of time we came home to find my son's goldfish on the floor -- well actually just the head of the goldfish, the rest had been eaten - by the kitty. Poor Swimmy


----------



## Jim18655 (Dec 4, 2015)

We had a male Golden that absolutely loved small animal snacks. Bunnies were a delicacy. I saw him once with something in his mouth and called him over. When he got close all I could hear was bones crunching. He went around the house right to the nest to get another. I had to fence them in to save what was left. Another time I saw him with a baby squirrel and only the tail sticking out of his mouth. When I called him he flipped his head up and swallowed it live. My wife went crazy afraid it would try to dig its way out. He survived both instances and who knows how many others I didn't see. Small animals are the main part of any wild canid's diet so don't worry except for the possible parasite issue.


----------



## kellyguy (Mar 5, 2014)

If you could cross train them to go after moles, I'd love to borrow them.


----------



## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

my4goldens said:


> Tugg once caught a baby bird learning how to fly, I saw the little legs sticking out of his mouth, by the time I got to him he had swallowed it. And I am sure that's not the worst thing my dogs have eaten.


Same thing with Casper, only the tail was sticking out from the front of his mouth. He thought I didn't know. He had it very carefully laying on his tongue. I got it back by trading for pepperoni and put it back where Casper couldn't get it. Then we found the neighbor's cat in our backyard, so I don't think the chick survived.


----------



## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

kellyguy said:


> If you could cross train them to go after moles, I'd love to borrow them.


My dad's yellow lab did moles! I have no idea how he knew they were there but would suddenly sit quietly, listening, waiting..... then dig one up. Goodbye to that mole.


----------



## penparson (Sep 19, 2010)

They are truly disgusting - once you see the tail sticking out of the mouth it's too late!


----------



## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

ArchersMom said:


> She's just forever gross. She's the only dog we have that would swallow one whole! They're fairly common around here and nobody else eats them lol


I saw the one couple on Naked and Afraid roast 2 voles and chowed down.
They needed the protein.


----------



## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

ArchersMom said:


> *She's just forever gross.* She's the only dog we have that would swallow one whole! They're fairly common around here and nobody else eats them lol


 I'm sorry, but that made me laugh out loud. 



fourlakes said:


> I have all kinds of gross stories about things my dogs have eaten up at my cabin. (They did have fun with the nest of baby bunnies....until I put a stop to that party.) And over the years no harm done. Now the porcupine incident did not end up so well. But even the two dogs involved in that unfortunate situation were fine in the end. On a Sunday of course so major bucks at the emergency vets...
> Editing to add: The decomposed Opposum was an interesting find too...


And then this made me think, we should get all the Four Lakes dogs together and let them have a little reunion and chance to talk about their favourite memories of catching furry creatures. Shala would contribute to the squirrel group, and then give a little reflection on the pros and cons of skunk catching...


----------

