Very Concerned!!!
 

This just happened:
I let all the dogs out to go potty. I see my cat in the back yard fighting with something. It is on it's back legs biting at her. It looks like a rat but shorter. Anyway all the dogs run over to investigate and they make it there before I do. Tinkerbell gets attacked and runs back to the house crying. After getting all the dogs corralled in their pen and almost getting my eyes clawed out by the cat because she does not want to give up her prize, I finally get it out of her mouth and see that it is a hamster! Although it is a bit strange looking. I put it in a bag to show the vet in case something strange starts happening to Tinkerbell. She is only 13 weeks old. She has not yet completed her vaccinations or had a rabies shot. I have looked at her mouth and muzzle as well as I can. I do not see any blood and I cannot find the where she was bit, so I'm not sure if the hamster actually made contact with her or just scared her. Anyway like I said the hamster looks strange. What would it look like if it had rabies?

Did you take the hamster to the vet yet?

Where do you live?

Probably the hamster was someone's pet who escaped and is not rabid, but I would take it and Tinkerbell to the vet immediately to make sure.
Let us know!

I agree

take her to the vet. just to be on the safe side. are you sure the cat did not sratch her. as for the weird hampster are you sure thats what that is.

Are you sure it wasn't a mole?

Poor Tinkerbell!! Please let us know what happened at the vet's office.

Schatzie sends Tinkerbell puppy hugs today!!

OMG...poor babies...hope tinkerbell and your cat are okay!

Oh, I'm sorry this happened.

It very well may have been a mole. A mole looks a lot like a hampster only it is bigger. Did you see if it was the mole that scared Tinkerbell off, or was it the cat? I'd take her to the vet just to be safe.

Oh, let me add....my "outside" dog is a shepherd mix of some kind or another, and she has killed several mice and about 3 moles. She has never had a negative reaction. She doesn't eat them, just "plays" with them until they have a heart attack or something. I saw it one day, the mole kept trying to get away....Sandy had a goofy look and her tail was wagging like she had just found a new friend.

update...
 

OK I called the vet and the technician laughed out loud at me when I said hamster. She told me to call animal control if I was really concerned about rabies. So then I call my husband and he doesn't think it could be a hamster. So he made me go look at it and describe it to him. One of the reasons it looked funny to me is that it has a bald tail. My husband informed me hamsters do not have tails. So he thinks it must be a mole. I feel stupid, but it really looks like a hamster!! Anyway I call animal control and all the woman says to me is they do not test moles for rabies and hangs up.

I guess I'm not supposed to be concerned now... :(
Any thoughts?

Well, first off all of us on YT have a sense of humor and yeah for that. But also, we take our Yorkie babies health extreamly serious and when it comes to a "rodent" possibly harming them then it is to me not a laughing matter.

I cannot believe the vet's office laughed, I cannot believe animal control hung up on you either.

I would be concerned, just as you are...Keep a close eye on your little one.
We too have many moles in our yard, babies and adults. And if Schatzie came in contact with one Id do the same thing you did and make all those phone calls.

Please keep us posted on how Tinkerbell is doing...

I don't know what a mole looks like, but if it has a bald tail, could it be a rat. Rat's have bald tails. I don't know, just guessing. I hope your baby is okay.

http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/mole.jpg

mole pic....did it look like this?

Ummm....It looked pretty much like that but maybe it was a baby because it had black roots but orange tips. My husband came home and looked at it. He thinks it's a mole although he said it does look a little strange. Anyway I will be giving Tinkerbell a bath tonight and I will have my husband hold her while I look more carefully at her to see if she was really bit. I think it will be easier to see if her hair is wet and I need another person to hold her as she doesn't want me to look at her mouth.

I am put off by my vet and with the animal control. Even if they think I'm silly for calling, I should not have been treated in that manner. My dog was bit by something, I just want to make sure she's alright. Why is there anything wrong with that?

The vet I currently go to is a large vet hospital, that provides service to farm animals and domestic animals. They are always so busy and expensive. This has decided it for me, I'm going to start taking my dogs to a vet with a small practice we have nearby. I like the idea of having a vet with a hospital setting in case of emergencies but I think I would get more personal service switching to this other practice.

Ok I have been doing some research now. I don't think it was a mole, I think it was a Vole. Has anyone heard of this? The pictures look just like this thing.

:mad: I am shocked at the horrible treatment that you received from those vetenary "professionals" ! Your concern is quite legitimate as rabies is no laughing matter. I commend you on your quick thinking in getting your pets secured and also capturing the rodent. I would definitely go to a different vet & ask if they'd like you to bring the rodent to test. I hope your babies are all fine. You're a good "mommy"! :)

I'm sorry that the vet and animal control treated you badly. :confused: I don't know what people are thinking sometimes. Keep us posted. I hope she doesn't have a bite. :(

my hamster had a tail.... a bald tail at that :p here is a picture of what kind he was ..... he was called a syrian hamster

Poor little Tinkerbell! I am sure she will be okay but I would be upset with the way the vets office reacted too. I think you are right to switch. Especially if the new one is better with small dogs and cheaper.

Omg
 

I can't believe you were treated like that. IMO, I would call both places back and speak to the supervisor. I would be pissed. There's absolutely no reason to laugh at someone who's calling in concerned for their pets health.

We have tons of voles around here. My cats catch them like crazy only they will not eat them. They basically eat your bulbs and tunnel around under your yard killing roots. I would think it highly unlikely for it to be rabied but not impossible. If it were I, everyone would get loaded up; the dead varmit, the feline and the pup. We would drive straight to the vet and get some peace of mind. I really feel like you are alright but better safe than sorry. Best of luck!! lily's mom

I totally agree - that was absolutely uncalled for!

I really appreciate all of your responses. I really didn't have the energy to tell those people off after this happened. I felt very let down that they didn't validate my concerns. That's especially not how a vet's office should respond to someone who is upset. I will let them know I have switched vets and why after I take Tinkerbell to the new vet. She will be due for her next set of shots soon.

I forgot to tell why the vet told me to call animal control. They said they would not take an animal with suspected rabies in their clinic. It would be too much of a risk! And Animal Control deals with that. I just don't understand that.

I have given Tinkerbell a bath and searched her thoroughly. I do not see even a nick. I think it lunged for her and just scared her to death. As for the cat, she is up to date on her vaccines. So for now I will just be watching for anything unusual.

Everyone is so wonderful on this site! Thank you so much for your caring remarks.

I don't blame you for your concern. But I really don't think you should be concerned. Dogs dig up moles (or voles) all the time. I hate those things. They are tearing up my yard! I'm sorry you were treated so disrespectfully. Seems like common courtesy has kinda been lost by our society these days. Hope you can find a vet that will be more patient.

Hope Tinkerbell is OK. Keep us posted.

I have never even heard of a vole. Wow, learn something new everyday. They sure do look like hamsters with tails. I think Tinkerbell will be just fine. The cat probably freaked her out.