Almost Outfoxed

1bush2hog · Jun 2, 2006

Had a close one. I was out in the backyard picking up the hose and getting ready to mow the yard when I looked up and saw what I thought was a strange dog coming around the corner of my house. A second later I realized about the time he saw me and turned to come towrd me, that it was not a dog but a fox. I immediately started looking for something to defend myself with as I know seeing a gray fox in the middle of the day is unusual and that having one to start towards me at only 20ft away is even more unusual.

One of my dogs, Shade, a cock-a-poo and my parents smaller dog, Oreo, a black pom-a-poo was out with me. Shade starts toward the fox and I started yelling at the fox as the fox is now within 10ft of me, when out of nowhere Oreo, which is less than half the size of the fox comes out of nowhere like a bat out a heck and jumps on the fox. They roll around a bit giving me time to run back up to my garage and grab a shovel. By the time I got back around the house to where the fox was, he was trotting off into the woods making a WHAAAAA sound every few seconds.

I asked my wife to call the vet and animal control and I looked over Oreo but could find no broken skin on her.

I was very lucky as I believe the fox to have been rabid due to it's actions. I am also glad to have had my dog and my parent's dog vaccinated.

I washed my hands good, warned the neighbors on both sides of me who have small kids and dogs, and proceeded to start mowing. All the while keeping a keen eye out for "Cujo"

I wanted to strap on my 45, but figured this might get everyone in my neighborhood too excited if the saw or heard it -

Glad to know I still have those guardian angels looking after me!!!

Be careful - it tis the season for rabies and just when you think it will never happen to you... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Hopefully it won't! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

1bush2hog · Jun 2, 2006

Had a close one. I was out in the backyard picking up the hose and getting ready to mow the yard when I looked up and saw what I thought was a strange dog coming around the corner of my house. A second later I realized about the time he saw me and turned to come towrd me, that it was not a dog but a fox. I immediately started looking for something to defend myself with as I know seeing a gray fox in the middle of the day is unusual and that having one to start towards me at only 20ft away is even more unusual.

One of my dogs, Shade, a cock-a-poo and my parents smaller dog, Oreo, a black pom-a-poo was out with me. Shade starts toward the fox and I started yelling at the fox as the fox is now within 10ft of me, when out of nowhere Oreo, which is less than half the size of the fox comes out of nowhere like a bat out a heck and jumps on the fox. They roll around a bit giving me time to run back up to my garage and grab a shovel. By the time I got back around the house to where the fox was, he was trotting off into the woods making a WHAAAAA sound every few seconds.

I asked my wife to call the vet and animal control and I looked over Oreo but could find no broken skin on her.

I was very lucky as I believe the fox to have been rabid due to it's actions. I am also glad to have had my dog and my parent's dog vaccinated.

I washed my hands good, warned the neighbors on both sides of me who have small kids and dogs, and proceeded to start mowing. All the while keeping a keen eye out for "Cujo"

I wanted to strap on my 45, but figured this might get everyone in my neighborhood too excited if the saw or heard it -

Glad to know I still have those guardian angels looking after me!!!

Be careful - it tis the season for rabies and just when you think it will never happen to you... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Hopefully it won't! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

scott_vt · Jun 2, 2006

Wow, that is strange !!! Only thing that could have been worse is a wolf wandering around in your yard /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Glad everyone is OK!

scott_vt · Jun 2, 2006

Wow, that is strange !!! Only thing that could have been worse is a wolf wandering around in your yard /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Glad everyone is OK!

GeneD14 · Jun 2, 2006

Gee...that sounds pretty intense for a day out in the yard.
Glad to hear you and your pets are ok.

GeneD14 · Jun 2, 2006

Gee...that sounds pretty intense for a day out in the yard.
Glad to hear you and your pets are ok.

1bush2hog · Jun 2, 2006

Yea - it completely caught me offguard to say the least. I thought I was going to have to test my punting skills. I firmly believe that little dog saved me as the fox was coming towards me making that WhAAA sound.

The really ironic part is my Dad, who was down visiting from NC had just asked me the night before if we had seen any strange acting foxes - He must have had a premonition or something

I can assure you - Alot of thoughts went thru my mind in a very short period of time.

My wife really freaked out at the thought of me using a shovel on that fox - she doesn't understand

1bush2hog · Jun 2, 2006

Yea - it completely caught me offguard to say the least. I thought I was going to have to test my punting skills. I firmly believe that little dog saved me as the fox was coming towards me making that WhAAA sound.

The really ironic part is my Dad, who was down visiting from NC had just asked me the night before if we had seen any strange acting foxes - He must have had a premonition or something

I can assure you - Alot of thoughts went thru my mind in a very short period of time.

My wife really freaked out at the thought of me using a shovel on that fox - she doesn't understand

EddieWalker · Jun 2, 2006

When I was an Embassy Marine in Cameroon, a small country in West Africa, I had a puppy that I played kind of rough with. He regularly scratched my arms and left marks. Not enough to draw blood, but he did break the skin.

One day he got real sick and wouldn't move, eat or drink anything until he died. One of the guys from AID (American International Developement) came by while he was sick and looked at him, but wasn't sure what was wrong. After the dog died, he insisted we have him tested for rabies. He tested negative for spinal rabies, but the AID guy was so insistant that the dog must have had rabies, that they did a brain test.

The results were positive.

Everyone who came in contact with that dog had to go through the treatment. The Ambassador got involved and made sure it happened.

A few things I learnd.

Rabies can hide in the fat cells for a year or longer before infecting the person or animal.

There is no cure for rabies. (I know it's happened, but nobody knows how those few people survived or beat it.)

Once you are infected, it's fatal.

An animal can have it and show no signs of it for a very long time, but still transfer it to others.

I'm not trying to scare you, but if that fox was rabid, then it's very likely that it scratched the dog it fought with. This dog may or may not have rabies and it may be a year or more until you know for sure.

This is worse case information and I'm no expert. I am the only person I know who's been exposed and treated for rabies, and it's something I'm very afraid of!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Just watch that dog very carefuly and if it gets sick in the next year, quarentine it. I'd also contact your doctor and maybe even animal control and make a report. If that fox is rabid, it may still be around and it may make contact with your neighbors or their pets. It could also just die under a bush someplace and you'll never know.

Good luck and sorry about what happened.
Eddie

EddieWalker · Jun 2, 2006

When I was an Embassy Marine in Cameroon, a small country in West Africa, I had a puppy that I played kind of rough with. He regularly scratched my arms and left marks. Not enough to draw blood, but he did break the skin.

One day he got real sick and wouldn't move, eat or drink anything until he died. One of the guys from AID (American International Developement) came by while he was sick and looked at him, but wasn't sure what was wrong. After the dog died, he insisted we have him tested for rabies. He tested negative for spinal rabies, but the AID guy was so insistant that the dog must have had rabies, that they did a brain test.

The results were positive.

Everyone who came in contact with that dog had to go through the treatment. The Ambassador got involved and made sure it happened.

A few things I learnd.

Rabies can hide in the fat cells for a year or longer before infecting the person or animal.

There is no cure for rabies. (I know it's happened, but nobody knows how those few people survived or beat it.)

Once you are infected, it's fatal.

An animal can have it and show no signs of it for a very long time, but still transfer it to others.

I'm not trying to scare you, but if that fox was rabid, then it's very likely that it scratched the dog it fought with. This dog may or may not have rabies and it may be a year or more until you know for sure.

This is worse case information and I'm no expert. I am the only person I know who's been exposed and treated for rabies, and it's something I'm very afraid of!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Just watch that dog very carefuly and if it gets sick in the next year, quarentine it. I'd also contact your doctor and maybe even animal control and make a report. If that fox is rabid, it may still be around and it may make contact with your neighbors or their pets. It could also just die under a bush someplace and you'll never know.

Good luck and sorry about what happened.
Eddie