# Feeding Dogs Wild Rabbit?



## FourIsCompany (Jan 29, 2008)

Is it safe to feed dogs raw wild rabbit if I freeze it first? How long should I freeze it?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I wouldn't, rabbits can pass certain worms to your dogs. Not sure if freezing would kill them completely. I am interested what others think.


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## FourIsCompany (Jan 29, 2008)

I'm having a hard time getting a definitive answer to this question, so I think I'll just play it safe and not do it.









Thanks for your response.


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## OkieAmazon (Jun 14, 2005)

I think it depends a lot on your location. Here in Oklahoma, they say not to eat rabbit during the summer months. I think the saying is you only eat rabbits in months with an "r" in them. I'll see if I can find out more.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: FourIsCompanyIs it safe to feed dogs raw wild rabbit if I freeze it first? How long should I freeze it?


My guys catch, kill and eat the wild rabbits that come into our field.

So far the only things the dogs have gotten from them is fleas and tapeworms.

Tularemia is one thing that wild rabbits can carry:

http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/factsheets/PDFfactsheets/Tularemia42100_0504.pdf

Do a Google search using Tularemia and the state you live in to see if it's a risk.


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## FourIsCompany (Jan 29, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The Gang
> Do a Google search using Tularemia and the state you live in to see if it's a risk.


Thank you so much for the information! Just in case anyone is interested, I live in New Mexico and my google search produced this: 



> Quote:
> Source
> 
> During 2004 and 2005, 33 companion animals (28
> ...


I don't live in any of the counties listed. 

My dogs also catch rabbits and if I don't get to them, they eat them, too. Fortunately, they've not caught anything from the rabbits (maybe fleas), but it looks like I would want to avoid rabbits during tick season. It could be a winter option, though. 

Thanks again!


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## summer (Jan 19, 2009)

So, is frozen rabbit from natures variety okay to eat??


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## FourIsCompany (Jan 29, 2008)

If they are rabbits raised in captivity, I'm sure they're fine. I think Nature's Variety is a reputable place, so I'm sure they're selling farm-grown rabbits, which are safe.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Quote:So, is frozen rabbit from natures variety okay to eat??


Frozen rabbits from Nature's Variety are fine, they're farm raised. Of course, they do source their rabbit from China ... who knows what is in the rabbit meat!


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Under no circumstances would I feed anything from China. If Nature's Variety is truly getting their rabbits from China, I would not feed it.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

I blogged about Nature's Variety and their rabbit sourcing a while back when they asked me to review their food and provide some feedback, and the source of the rabbit was one of my main concerns with their foods. 

Copy/paste from the post below. The full post can be found at this link - http://abbyk9.blogspot.com/2008/08/nutrition-done-right.html



> Quote:One concern that I do have with Nature's Variety is their use of rabbit sourced in China. While their protein sources primarily come from the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, the rabbit is sourced from Europe and China - and with so many recalls on Chinese-produced foods, that had me a bit worried.
> 
> I was equally worried by the fact that the representative at the store assured me (loudly) that none of their ingredients came from China, while the representative I've been talking to via email provided me with an exact break-down of the sourcing. I'm assuming the store representative was simply uninformed about the sourcing, so I'm going to pass on the email I got from the company below, for those of you interested in what is sourced where and how safe it is.
> 
> ...


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