I think your advice was solid - the person should call her veterinarian and also advise the animal control department for the area.

Squirrels rarely carry the rabies virus. The vet should be called but a vaccinated pet should be fine.

While Harry the Perfect and Sam the Not are always current on all their shots, we keep a vigil eye on suspicious animals.

A couple years ago they were attacked, through the chain-link back yard fence, by a very aggressive muskrat that had been raging through the neighborhood in an odd manner for a couple of days. He bit both dogs on their muzzles and drew blood. Of course, once we got the dogs settled down no one could locate the muskrat.

I called the vet. He said to bring them in for booster shots. He said a dog should always get a booster shoot, even though he's up to date with the rabies vaccinations, anytime he's bitten by a suspicious animal.

My guys, being hunters and ranging far from Wes when they're out, often a mile or more away, run into all sorts of adventures. The year of the Great Muskrat Attack, Harry tangled with two coons, three skunks, a feral cat, and outmaneuvered a rather irate coyote. After three boosters in one year, the vet said he was good for a while and even skipped the next annual shot.

Sam doesn't get into as much trouble as Harry did. Harry has had to slow down; he's an Old Great-Grandpa dog now (with the heart of a 2-month-old puppy!) He's good with a 15-minute walk around the edge of a field; will point a bird or trail a rabbit for a few steps, but then he's ready to come home, all tired and happy.

Well, if squirrels are rarely infected with rabies, she probably won't even need a booster for her dog, as he'd been recently vaccinated anyway. That sure was one feisty little devil squirrel who decided to harass her dog for no reason. She said it sprang out from the trunk of a tree, and seemed like it purposely aimed its leap, onto her dog's back, poor thing! (meaning the dog, lol)

I think rabies is spread more through the saliva than the bite?? If your pet's rabies vaccination is up-to-date... good. But I would definitely call vet to report event and take that advice. Squirrels are "tree rats" in my book to begin with, so one acting this way would be the makings of a mammal version of "The Birds"!?!

Good advice.

I'm always wary of my dogs interacting with wildlife!

Squirrel could have missed the target landing area or could have been a mama with babies.

Mamas famously ain't got no sense when their babies are in danger; they'll attack a steam roller!

I once heard squeaking in the area around a big tree limb that had blown down in a storm, went to investigate, & something just above my ear *barked* at me!

It was the mother squirrel, warning me away from her babies.

I put on a "glove" (plastic bag, so it wouldn't have the human scent that my gardening gloves would have had), put the babies in a plant saucer lined with leaves, brought the dogs inside, & left her alone.

Twenty minutes later, she had retrieved them & hidden them.

I would call the vet - and also be concerned about Lepto - it can be passed on by squirrels - without the squirrels being infected.

Our dog is vaccinated against Lepto. There was a huge outbreak in Toronto several years ago and I met the sole survivor - and he had to be closely monitored and eat a special diet.

Definitely call the vet to see if there is anything to worry about. He will know the hazards and the required protocol for such an incident. Public health is also their concern.

I think it would be hard (albeit not impossible!) to get lepto under the circumstances described. I wouldn't let that particular concern overwhelm you. But hopefully you've already called the vet and have set your mind at ease. :)