There's something rodential happening in our garage. The garage is a
rickety affair tacked on to the house and falling apart. There's no
door; the concrete is cracked and falling apart. It's more of a badly
designed hut that can fit a car. We've known for years that it will
have to be torn down, but we're procrastinators. As long as it's not so
ugly that neighbors complain that we're violating code, it stays. I'd
rather do something about it, but I don't feel so strongly as to turn it
into an argument with Jim. Cubbe may be working on my side though.


Cubbe has discovered rodents, and she hasn't been so happy and excited
by anything in her life! Even we can smell them. In fact, if it
weren't for Cubbe, that would be our only evidence of their existence.
We've seen no evidence of any sort of nest or destruction. We're not
even sure if it's squirrels or rats or mice or something else that
awakens with spring. The smell is in one corner, and that's the corner
that Cubbe keeps pulling towards when on leash, whining and wagging and
wanting to spend all her time exploring and chasing. She's verging on
obnoxious in the house as she keeps pointing towards the garage, making
her high pitched noise, wagging her tail and coming to get us to show us
her discovery. We put her in the bedroom when it gets to be too much.


I suppose I should be training her to leave the idea alone, but I'm
loathe to scold her from something that's obviously making her so happy.
And she's not literally breaking any rules. She hasn't dug up carpets
(as she does when she hears something in the basement) or do anything
more than run around with the most interested excited expression on her
face. Happy spring, Cubbe!


--Lia

Julia Altshuler wrote:
I suppose I should be training her to leave the idea alone, but I'm
loathe to scold her from something that's obviously making her so happy.

Patience loves sqwirrrls almost more than anything else, so
I can definitely relate to enjoying their enjoyment :-).

However... there's a couple of things you might not be aware
of :-(.

Rodent urine is the major vector for leptospirosis, something
that is often mild--even asymptomatic--in dogs, but can lead
to permanent kidney damage and death. Even if a dog has been
vaccinated for lepto, that doesn't mean it's fully protected.
There are 8 major isovars (types) of lepto, and the vaccine
only protects against 2 of those.

Lepto is a problem in some area and not in others. Ask your
vet if it's a problem in yours, and if so, if the common
isovar(s) in your area are covered by the vaccine. Many
people opt to avoid the lepto vaccination due to the fact
that it is of all the vaccines the most likely to cause an
adverse reaction. In your case, though, you might want to
think about getting it if Cubbe isn't current on it at
the moment.

Second consideration: if you decide to do something about
the rodents, use poison as a last resort. Trapping is far
safer if you have dogs & cats around. The rodent poisons
in widest use today are based on warfarin, a drug that
causes hemorrhaging. Even if you put the poison in places
where your pets can't get to it (well duh, right?) any
rodent carcasses that your dogs and cats can get to may
well have enough warfarin in them to poison them as well.

Just a couple of things to think about.

Dianne

Julia Altshuler wrote:
I suppose I should be training her to leave the idea alone, but I'm
loathe to scold her from something that's obviously making her so happy.

Patience loves sqwirrrls almost more than anything else, so
I can definitely relate to enjoying their enjoyment :-).

However... there's a couple of things you might not be aware
of :-(.

Rodent urine is the major vector for leptospirosis, something
that is often mild--even asymptomatic--in dogs, but can lead
to permanent kidney damage and death. Even if a dog has been
vaccinated for lepto, that doesn't mean it's fully protected.
There are 8 major isovars (types) of lepto, and the vaccine
only protects against 2 of those.

Lepto is a problem in some area and not in others. Ask your
vet if it's a problem in yours, and if so, if the common
isovar(s) in your area are covered by the vaccine. Many
people opt to avoid the lepto vaccination due to the fact
that it is of all the vaccines the most likely to cause an
adverse reaction. In your case, though, you might want to
think about getting it if Cubbe isn't current on it at
the moment.

Second consideration: if you decide to do something about
the rodents, use poison as a last resort. Trapping is far
safer if you have dogs & cats around. The rodent poisons
in widest use today are based on warfarin, a drug that
causes hemorrhaging. Even if you put the poison in places
where your pets can't get to it (well duh, right?) any
rodent carcasses that your dogs and cats can get to may
well have enough warfarin in them to poison them as well.

Just a couple of things to think about.

Dianne

Julia Altshuler wrote:
I suppose I should be training her to leave the idea alone, but I'm
loathe to scold her from something that's obviously making her so happy.

Patience loves sqwirrrls almost more than anything else, so
I can definitely relate to enjoying their enjoyment :-).

However... there's a couple of things you might not be aware
of :-(.

Rodent urine is the major vector for leptospirosis, something
that is often mild--even asymptomatic--in dogs, but can lead
to permanent kidney damage and death. Even if a dog has been
vaccinated for lepto, that doesn't mean it's fully protected.
There are 8 major isovars (types) of lepto, and the vaccine
only protects against 2 of those.

Lepto is a problem in some area and not in others. Ask your
vet if it's a problem in yours, and if so, if the common
isovar(s) in your area are covered by the vaccine. Many
people opt to avoid the lepto vaccination due to the fact
that it is of all the vaccines the most likely to cause an
adverse reaction. In your case, though, you might want to
think about getting it if Cubbe isn't current on it at
the moment.

Second consideration: if you decide to do something about
the rodents, use poison as a last resort. Trapping is far
safer if you have dogs & cats around. The rodent poisons
in widest use today are based on warfarin, a drug that
causes hemorrhaging. Even if you put the poison in places
where your pets can't get to it (well duh, right?) any
rodent carcasses that your dogs and cats can get to may
well have enough warfarin in them to poison them as well.

Just a couple of things to think about.

Dianne

I wasn't aware of any of this. (Except the bit about avoiding poison.)
Thanks!

--Lia


dianne marie schoenberg wrote:

Rodent urine is the major vector for leptospirosis, something
that is often mild--even asymptomatic--in dogs, but can lead
to permanent kidney damage and death. Even if a dog has been
vaccinated for lepto, that doesn't mean it's fully protected.
There are 8 major isovars (types) of lepto, and the vaccine
only protects against 2 of those.

Lepto is a problem in some area and not in others. Ask your
vet if it's a problem in yours, and if so, if the common
isovar(s) in your area are covered by the vaccine. Many
people opt to avoid the lepto vaccination due to the fact
that it is of all the vaccines the most likely to cause an
adverse reaction. In your case, though, you might want to
think about getting it if Cubbe isn't current on it at
the moment.

Second consideration: if you decide to do something about
the rodents, use poison as a last resort. Trapping is far
safer if you have dogs & cats around. The rodent poisons
in widest use today are based on warfarin, a drug that
causes hemorrhaging. Even if you put the poison in places
where your pets can't get to it (well duh, right?) any
rodent carcasses that your dogs and cats can get to may
well have enough warfarin in them to poison them as well.

I wasn't aware of any of this. (Except the bit about avoiding poison.)
Thanks!

--Lia


dianne marie schoenberg wrote:

Rodent urine is the major vector for leptospirosis, something
that is often mild--even asymptomatic--in dogs, but can lead
to permanent kidney damage and death. Even if a dog has been
vaccinated for lepto, that doesn't mean it's fully protected.
There are 8 major isovars (types) of lepto, and the vaccine
only protects against 2 of those.

Lepto is a problem in some area and not in others. Ask your
vet if it's a problem in yours, and if so, if the common
isovar(s) in your area are covered by the vaccine. Many
people opt to avoid the lepto vaccination due to the fact
that it is of all the vaccines the most likely to cause an
adverse reaction. In your case, though, you might want to
think about getting it if Cubbe isn't current on it at
the moment.

Second consideration: if you decide to do something about
the rodents, use poison as a last resort. Trapping is far
safer if you have dogs & cats around. The rodent poisons
in widest use today are based on warfarin, a drug that
causes hemorrhaging. Even if you put the poison in places
where your pets can't get to it (well duh, right?) any
rodent carcasses that your dogs and cats can get to may
well have enough warfarin in them to poison them as well.

I wasn't aware of any of this. (Except the bit about avoiding poison.)
Thanks!

--Lia


dianne marie schoenberg wrote:

Rodent urine is the major vector for leptospirosis, something
that is often mild--even asymptomatic--in dogs, but can lead
to permanent kidney damage and death. Even if a dog has been
vaccinated for lepto, that doesn't mean it's fully protected.
There are 8 major isovars (types) of lepto, and the vaccine
only protects against 2 of those.

Lepto is a problem in some area and not in others. Ask your
vet if it's a problem in yours, and if so, if the common
isovar(s) in your area are covered by the vaccine. Many
people opt to avoid the lepto vaccination due to the fact
that it is of all the vaccines the most likely to cause an
adverse reaction. In your case, though, you might want to
think about getting it if Cubbe isn't current on it at
the moment.

Second consideration: if you decide to do something about
the rodents, use poison as a last resort. Trapping is far
safer if you have dogs & cats around. The rodent poisons
in widest use today are based on warfarin, a drug that
causes hemorrhaging. Even if you put the poison in places
where your pets can't get to it (well duh, right?) any
rodent carcasses that your dogs and cats can get to may
well have enough warfarin in them to poison them as well.

Possums aren't rodents, are they? Jim found a dead one inside a large
plastic garbage can. Poor thing had tried to claw his way out. We have
no idea how he got in, but the only logical explanation is that he was
up on the deck above the garage, got into the wooden boards that make
the roof of the garage and fell. Either that or he was committing
suicide and had a change of heart at the last minute. The order of
events must have been Cubbe hearing the possum which sent her into
excitement mode, followed by the smell of urine which Jim and I caught
whiff of, followed by the smell of dead possum. Jim double bagged him.
He'll go out in Friday's garbage pick up. The garbage can has bleach
and water in it. At least that's easier to clean in one piece than the
walls and floor. This explains the lack of any destruction or evidence
of nesting. Cubbe is still all waggy at the thought of exploring and
hunting in the garage, but it is normal for her to take several days to
get it into her head that something exciting is no longer there.


--Lia

Possums aren't rodents, are they? Jim found a dead one inside a large
plastic garbage can. Poor thing had tried to claw his way out. We have
no idea how he got in, but the only logical explanation is that he was
up on the deck above the garage, got into the wooden boards that make
the roof of the garage and fell. Either that or he was committing
suicide and had a change of heart at the last minute. The order of
events must have been Cubbe hearing the possum which sent her into
excitement mode, followed by the smell of urine which Jim and I caught
whiff of, followed by the smell of dead possum. Jim double bagged him.
He'll go out in Friday's garbage pick up. The garbage can has bleach
and water in it. At least that's easier to clean in one piece than the
walls and floor. This explains the lack of any destruction or evidence
of nesting. Cubbe is still all waggy at the thought of exploring and
hunting in the garage, but it is normal for her to take several days to
get it into her head that something exciting is no longer there.


--Lia

Possums aren't rodents, are they? Jim found a dead one inside a large
plastic garbage can. Poor thing had tried to claw his way out. We have
no idea how he got in, but the only logical explanation is that he was
up on the deck above the garage, got into the wooden boards that make
the roof of the garage and fell. Either that or he was committing
suicide and had a change of heart at the last minute. The order of
events must have been Cubbe hearing the possum which sent her into
excitement mode, followed by the smell of urine which Jim and I caught
whiff of, followed by the smell of dead possum. Jim double bagged him.
He'll go out in Friday's garbage pick up. The garbage can has bleach
and water in it. At least that's easier to clean in one piece than the
walls and floor. This explains the lack of any destruction or evidence
of nesting. Cubbe is still all waggy at the thought of exploring and
hunting in the garage, but it is normal for her to take several days to
get it into her head that something exciting is no longer there.


--Lia