our beagle got out down the back ally and ate a dead bird, he has now been coughing and making funny noises has he got bird flu? i didnt want to take him to the vet incase they say have him put down. what can i do? is bird flu curelable?

If you're in the UK (you don't say on your profile) bird flu hasn't been reported to have arrived in the country. Take him to the vet if you're worried. :)

I wasn't aware that there had been any cases of birdflu in USA? If you are worried, phone your vet.

i didnt want to let the vet know as i dont want him to die or have loads of tests he's a lovely dog and i dont want to loose him. is there nothing i can buy from the pharmacy for him?

You can't treat something when you do not know what you are treating. Does the USA have any cases of Bird Flu?

I used to feed B. A .R .F food but I have stopped because Im scared to give my dog chicken, this is something that worries me a lot, it has been in France and thats just a few miles from the UK

Yes, it's been in France but it hasn't crossed the channel.

its so scary though because all it takes is one bird that has it to fly across here and then the UK could have it too

Wait until it happens before you panic. Besides, aren't you in the USA anyway?

i dont know where bird flu is but theres signs all over the parks where there are ducks and geese about bird flu

No I am not in the USA, I dont think its a good idea to wait until it happens and then panic, I think it would be beter if the goverment was doing more to help prevent the spread and if people were more informed so that they could protect themsleves

Was the bird your dog ate a duck, swan, goose, chicken or turkey?

it was a roast chicken one of the neighbours had put it out i think it was in a tesco wrapper. he is still making weird noises and has mucus coming down his nose.

OMG you need to get him to the vet cooked chicken bones are very bad for dogs!

It's highly unlikely to be bird flu.  It is likely to be something completely unrelated to eating the dead bird and the coughing is just a coincidence.  Whatever the problem is though you should get your dog seen by the vet so the vet can treat him.  By not getting your dog seen you are more likely to be causing him unnecessary suffering and actually putting his health at far more risk.

Do they have Tesco's in the USA :rolleyes:

I am not in the USA why does everyone think I am?

You are not, the original poster is though. The location is relevant to the question in this case

Oh Ok I thought you were talking to me.

If the bird was cooked it won't have been infectious for bird flu but he should go to the vet as cooked bones are dangerous for dogs

I used to feed B. A .R .F food but I have stopped because Im scared to give my dog chicken, this is something that worries me a lot, it has been in France and thats just a few miles from the UK

Why would you have to BARF feeding your dog-there are other meats available other than poultry & todate there have been no cases of Bird flu in the UK in wild birds let alone domesticated fowl. I live on a migration route for birds & they are now arriving in the UK. There's about a 6 week slot the birds arrive in & if there are no cases in the UK around this slot then there is little likelyhood of the lethal strain of Avian flu reaching the UK this year

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/qanda/wildbirds.htm#1
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/ai-wildbirdsurveillance.pdf
http://www.rspb.org.uk/policy/avianinfluenza/spreadeurope.asp

Take him to the vet immediately. Not because of the infinitesimally small risk of him having eaten the first bird in the UK with bird flu (cooked chicken is safe anyway, because cooking destroys the virus), but because cooked chicken bones are very brittle and can pierce the throat or gut. Your dog is at serious risk - not from bird flu though!

i never said i was in the usa im going to call my father to give me a lift to the vet

Are you having a laugh?!

bird flu is a serious worry and not something to joke about It really worries me, because its airborn it could spread rapidly in the UK

it could spread if it was here but it isn't.  If and when it does arrive I'm sure we will hear about it but you know, I strongly suspect we'll hear that birds have it first.

Make sure you don't handle any dead poultry or waterfowl you find lying around and you'll be all right. :)

I must admit that I've stopped feeding my dogs raw chicken.  I'm still eating cooked chicken though.

Re. the posters about problems with their dogs after eating birds you really do need to get them to the vets, bird flu is very unlikely, but an obstruction the likeliest and could be most deadliest if you leave it