My chow killed a possum. Can she catch anything?

Shan&Kayla · Post by **Shan&Kayla** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:06 am

and animal control won't take it. I called and they said I can bag it and put it in my dumpster (uh, yesterday was garbage day, it would sit for a week) take it to the landfill, or bury it. Kayla would just dig it up! She had to have killed it sometime Yesterday evening while we were eating dinner, or this morning when Ryan let her out for a little while. (before I got up) I noticed it laying out in the back yard by the patio, when I was doing dishes this morning, and looked out the window over the sink. It wasn't really noticeable from the patio door. It is a BIG possum too...and I am surprised I didn't hear any ruckus, since Kayla will normally throw a loud barking fit when it comes around.
I normally am not squeamish, but being pregnant has me all pukey, and I just can not go near the thing right now. I feel bad that Kayla killed it

I checked her over, and I can't find any wounds, but her being a chow, there could be bites I cant find under all that fur...Kayla had all her shots back in January (when I adopted her from the shelter) so what do I need to be watching for? I am pretty sure it is the same one Kayla cornered last spring and I took a pic. It has been driving Kayla bonkers for almost a year. I guess It wont be a problem anymore

th possum back when Kayla cornered it

The guilty party

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:22 pm

Pekoe has killed a possum and a few other critters, I called the vet on her fist kill and they said as long as she was up on her rabies shot it was ok or I could bring her in for a booster and that it is common for dogs to do that and that its nothing to worry about.

I don't like Pekoe killing anything either but she has beaten me to the stop button on her leash and dove into bushes and came out with her catch, her being black is hard to she what she is up to at night.

You probably have never seen a Chow with its catch but it is violent, they really don't bite it but shack it violently in their mouth so you may not see any bites. Pekoe shook her kill so hard one time, i was telling her to let it go, she finelly let go, threw it against a wall so hard it cracked the wall then wouldn't leave untill she was forsure it was dead.

Did you notice a proud look in Kayla's expression and walking around with that Chow walk like the proud hunter.

Shan&Kayla · Post by **Shan&Kayla** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:30 pm

oh yes she is quite proud of herself!

She has been strutting around all morning with her tail up high as it can go

I did take a quick look at the possum, after I noticed it, and yes, it looks like she just threw it around and shook it until the neck broke. Then the fun was over

There are some wounds on the possum, but nothing really major. I have seen Kayla chase critters before, but this is the first time she has actually killed something since I have owned her

She has been begging me all day to go out in the backyard, but that's a no-no until My husband gets home and gets rid of it!
-Shan

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:34 pm

She won't eat it, she will just stand over it all day waiting for it to move or if she knows its dead she won't pay any attention to it, maybe just sniff it.

SWANCIN · Post by **SWANCIN** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:54 pm

Oh My!! I think she'll probably be ok if she's vaccinated, but Oh My!!
I remember when Kodi snagged a squirrel (I saved it from her, but oh what a sight that must've been to anyone watching me try to get her away from it), then over a year later, killed a rat and brought it in the house as a gift to my husband

. For the Squirrel episode, I saw the shaking and quickness of the attack, impressive but horrifying at the same time. Guess that's all part of the breed .... I call Kodi my Warrior Huntress as one of her many nicknames.

Rest in peace, lil possum

Purple kisses,

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:37 am

Milly and Mabel have never killed anything - yet!!

But we have seen them corner a cat in our back garden. It was horrible, they worked as a pair and pinned it down behind the greenhouse. Fortunately, Fred spotted what was going on and it took all the strength he could muster to hold them off until I answered his yell and went to help.

Wicked Chow girls! They were determined

.

But I remember meeting a couple in town a while ago and they had just moved to Crewe. We had M & M with us and they stopped to admire and swop stories! They had a house with a long walled back garden and they let their chow boy out the first morning they were there. A bit later they found a dead cat at the bottom of the garden. A couple of days later, the same thing then a couple of days later - again.

A couple of days later they let him out and watched - he shot down the garden like a rocket and by the time his dad had run down after him, he was on his way back sort of dusting his paws off as if to say " Well! There's another one gone!" The people told us it was absolutely horrible to see. So, I suppose it is nature - it is just the way they are!

Our fur babies are not mere dogs - they are Chow Chows!!

Post by **Zhuyos mom** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:58 am

Have you thought of calling your local non-emergency fire/police department? They do things like that from time to time...at least in the Bay Area they do. Your pregnant, they just might come. Also, do you have an equivalent to CalTrans? They are the group that fixes public roads, highways, etc. In my county, if you find a dead animal on the street, you call CalTrans and not the Humane Society to pick up and dispose. Perhaps you can sweep Mr/Ms. Possum to the street after you call them, or use a long handled pooper scooper.

Shan&Kayla · Post by **Shan&Kayla** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:03 pm

Thanks for the idea Lou! if there is a "next time" I might just try that! I had been bugging my husband to make a trip to the dump anyway (we just did a major garage cleaning lol) so he has NO excuse to put that trip off any longer

so the possum is gone...Kayla is still oh so proud, and we can go about our business

-Shann

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 2:06 pm

Well, I am glad you are rid of the evidence!!

However, I still have a little chuckle about Kayla! I cannot blame her being "oh so proud".

She is a Chow Chow, after all!

I mean, if Gwrol can dispatch the Rooster to The Happy Hunting Ground, why can't Kayla see of the possum!!

Milly and Mabel are so envious!!

Shan&Kayla · Post by **Shan&Kayla** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 2:11 pm

lol Judy.

Kayla was quite miffed at my Husband after he disposed of it.

She watched him through the sliding glass door, and when she was let out, she immediately inspected the ground where it had been. She was VERY annoyed with us!

-Shann

thfonz98 · Post by **thfonz98** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:48 pm

my yogi has killed a rabbit before and just left it there...she also "helped" me find and kill a gopher. She could smell the gopher coming up its hole(was sniffing the hole) and i wacked it with a shovel when i finally flooded it out of its hole(s). She wanted nothing to do with the gopher after i killed it.

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 12:26 am

Well Shann, you have taken her trophy away and she can no longer show all and sundry what a clever girl she is!

Poor little love, Milly and Mabel are devastated for her! They don't like it when we look at their hedgehog in the garden. They don't try to kill it for obvious reasons!!

But they walk round with it now - I have not told them it considers them harmless!!

Shan&Kayla · Post by **Shan&Kayla** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:22 pm

I can just see M&M following the hedgehog along, muttering to each other...

-Shann

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:12 am

For future reference, if you see a opossum killed or one that was recently killed(by car or animal or any other way) PLEASE check its pouch. Many babies slowly starve in the mothers pouch because the mother is dead and they cannot survive. They look like little *Censored Word* mice babies when they are extremely young, then they get their fur. MANY opossums have been saved by checking their pouches. Although many consider them a pest, the babies deserve a chance to live. Opossums can have their babies really at anytime so ALWAYS check, please. Thank you.

I am glad your dog is okay.

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:45 pm

Shann, they really do follow the hedgehog round. We now have two hedgehogs in the garden - the big one has been around since the spring and now a smaller one - presumably this years young - pretty little thing that shows no fear of M & M at all.
They follow it and when it stops to eat or snuffle in the grass, they stand perfectly still and watch it, joined at the shoulder, grunting away and it is absolutely lovely to watch. Earlier on in the year, when the big one would not unroll for them, Milly got really cross and barked a really un-chowlike yappy bark at it but now they both ignore M & M, they are happy.
We havn't seen them for the last few nights so perhaps they have gone to bed for the winter.
We have built a hedgehog house for it/them and now have a beautiful small wood pile in a sheltered corner of the garden, covering a beautifully lined little hedgehog house.

I just hope one of them takes up residence!!

M & M know the little house is there 'cos they watched us make it but they have shown no interest in it since it was completed so perhaps if they do, we will know somebody is snug at home!
Oh!, I wish!

carolyn dewrance · Post by **carolyn dewrance** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:01 am

Years ago my Cher and Denim (1) killed a mongoose, I was terrified that they would get Rabies, so I had them re innouculated and watched the very carefully for the next 6 months, but they were fine, I even put the dead animal in a bag and put it in the freezer so that the Vet could check it over the next day. he he.

Carolyn

Joe & Robin · Post by **Joe & Robin** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 6:07 pm

Our Bear had her share of prizes. When she was just over a year old she brought me a Blue Bird with it's wings sticking out of either side of her mouth - while I was eating my dinner. Then she stalked a squirrel and brought me its head (all the time wagging her tail). Then she taught a shunk a lesson while I was away on a business trip and Robin was house/Chow sitting (I believe this was a true test of love between Robin, Bear and I). What a mess that was. It smelled around my house (and Bear) for weeks. She also set the possum's in their place at Robin's mom's house (twice) while her mom was tending her.

Each time she went to the vet and got checked out but never got sick. If anything, I think she was wondering why we were not more appreciative of her victories.