# Wild Rabbits?



## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

So, I was told by someone that wild rabbits carry disease and parasites that aren't good for dogs, and while freezing will kill the parasites, it does nothing for disease. Is there any fact to these statements? Anybody here feed wild rabbit to their dogs?

We have tons of jackrabbits in our area, and I'm trying to get my husband to shoot a couple for Rannmiller and I, but I just want to make sure it'd be safe to feed.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Shiloh our wolf hybrid dog has caught several live rabbits and gobbled them right down without one issue. I have never heard of anything like this...who did you hear this from and what specifically did they say...?

I will look into it a bit more though and get back to you on it....


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## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

Hmm, I think freezing for a few weeks should take care of anything. What types of diseases is this person concerned about?
The Dept. of fish and wildlife in your area may be of help there. I'm not sure if jackrabbits in your area suffer different diseases than the cottontails here in the midwest. 
I've fed my dogs wild rabbit, unfrozen even.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

My dogs and cats will get a wild rabbit from time to time. Not real often but they have never had a problem with it.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Ummm yes, they're terrible, awful to feed. Definately not good for YOUR dog.
You should send them my way instead.:biggrin:

Obviously kidding. I don't see any problem with it. Dogs are just equipped to handle things like that.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

CorgiPaws said:


> Ummm yes, they're terrible, awful to feed. Definately not good for YOUR dog.
> You should send them my way instead.:biggrin:


hehehehehehehe



Well, the person warned me more of parasites (works in particular). I was looking it up online and found that some people advise against it due to disease.

Tularemia (Rabbit Fever) in Dogs

That article makes me feel as though there's little to worry about, especially since we've never really had a flea or tick problem here in Reno. I've never, in my whole 23 years of living here, heard of a flea or tick problem with dogs.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

xxshaelxx said:


> hehehehehehehe
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That was the particular parasite/disease that I did a bit of reading up on, but there wasn't much info as far as it being a serious disease to worry about. As long as your dogs are healthy and they happen to catch it they should be fine if treated. It doesn't sound like a horrible disease. 

I wouldn't let this stop you from feeding whole live rabbits!!! I wouldn't :biggrin:


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Old thread but here is MY dilema. 

I just got a wild rabbit. Its been shot and I stuck it in the freezer whole. So when I actually feed it to the dogs, I have to fish out the slug  blah. But I noticed the darn thing was crawling with fleas! UGH! Will freezing it take care of any flea issues? I never thought about fleas. And fishing out a bullet. 

Anyone?


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I am getting ready to feed mine wild rabbit for the first time. They have been in the freezer two weeks and I'm going to feed them Monday morning. The person who shot them already skinned them and gutted them and all, but he did say to double check for pieces of the bullet he might have missed. Not sure what the best way to do this is? Will it be obvious for me to tell if there is any gunshot still in there?


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## funshine (Jan 21, 2010)

Not sure, but freezing combined to skinning should take care of most of the fleas.
If there is no exit wound and you can't "track" the bullet, I guess you have to gut it (?)... possibly try to salvage heart and liver...?
I'd say some rabbit is better than no rabbit :biggrin: (if your dogs eat it of course... mine weren't too exited about store bought cleaned one).


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## funshine (Jan 21, 2010)

shellbell said:


> Will it be obvious for me to tell if there is any gunshot still in there?


My husband says :biggrin:

Short answer is yes. Depending on what the rabbit was shot with will tell you what to look for. If it was a shotgun, you will want to look for multiple small pellets. This is easier than it sounds as each pellet will leave an obvious bruise, clot, or perforation in the meat. If it was a rifle/hand gun, just dispose of any meat within a .5 inch radius of the wound channel. Any place you see an anomaly, discard. Problem areas will not be subtle.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I got a snow shoe skinned and gutted in the freezer and now a whole rabbit. Will have to remove bullets when its time to defrost. It had fleas! Ick! Excited though.




Wild rabbit feeders UNITE!!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I would never feed a rabbit without skinning and gutting. The fur and the intestines are where parasites are harbored.


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## Jesse (Oct 23, 2010)

My boys love wild rabbit, my girly won't touch rabbit at all. I get them skinned and gutted though. The only part of the rabbit I feed with fur on is the ears. I dehydrate them and feed them as treats.


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## Payton Leeroy (Jan 8, 2012)

During our family's Thanksgiving Dad managed to run over a rabbit. Only got the head, and so we stopped to pick it up. Payton, who was in the car with us, was thrilled! He had to be there for the skinning, the gutting, the cutting up and the packaging.

And then at Christmas I finally pulled out some rabbit for him, since I figured a month was enough time to kill any nasties. Took him a while to be convinced that rabbit really is edible, but once I did it quickly became a favorite, and he's only got about half his rabbit left with no ill side effects! We'll certainly be repeating this process, and I'm looking into learning how to treat the hides. Might try to get some squirrels too if I can find some in a safe to hunt type of area.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I read somewhere that you should check the liver for yellow spots. If this is present, it has Tularemia. I froze the rabbit whole as I wanted to give them a furry food but I might just clean it after I unthaw it :/ Ugh. Its just so messy...


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

The rabbits I have are all skinned and gutted very well. They were actually processed with human consumption in mind....


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

I think it would depend on what it was shot with. Assuming its a 22 Rifle, you'll see where the bullet entered.the rabbits my family got were head shots, I be headed it and disposed of the head, so I didnt worry much about the bullet. After removing the head, cut off the feet, then the skin (along with fur) literally peels off. Then gut it. Try not to pop the intestines if you can keep from. I didnt keep any organs actually altho you probably can. Then I quartered the rabbit (took off each legs and the back) then I rinsed and searched for any worms or egg sacks. The egg sacks look like a gel pocket with tiny white dots inside. Then I put the back legs in one freezer baggy, front legs in one baggy, and back in one baggy. Then stuck it in the freezer. I cut the ears off the head too for the dogs to chew. As for now its still all in the freezer just to be sure any hidden parasites die. I suggest that you WEAR GLOVES! Lol! I didnt have any and ya, blood up to the arms, yuck. And thats about it, sorry for the lovely detailed graphic process explanation


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

Payton Leeroy said:


> During our family's Thanksgiving Dad managed to run over a rabbit. Only got the head, and so we stopped to pick it up. Payton, who was in the car with us, was thrilled! He had to be there for the skinning, the gutting, the cutting up and the packaging.
> 
> And then at Christmas I finally pulled out some rabbit for him, since I figured a month was enough time to kill any nasties. Took him a while to be convinced that rabbit really is edible, but once I did it quickly became a favorite, and he's only got about half his rabbit left with no ill side effects! We'll certainly be repeating this process, and I'm looking into learning how to treat the hides. Might try to get some squirrels too if I can find some in a safe to hunt type of area.


Tanning hide is fairly easy. Youtube has some videos.


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