What is nutria? Also, is it dangerous for pets?

(Kanzan) — a mysterious animal was recently discovered Swim in Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. The State Parks and Wildlife Service later identified it as a nutria, but what exactly is it?

As US Department of Agriculture Nutria are a common species of invasive semi-aquatic rodents. The beaver, often compared to the beaver, is native to South America and was brought to the United States by the fur trade in the 1880s. When demand for nutria fur died out, the animals were released into the wild, according to the USDA.

On the other hand, rodents are similar to South America. Capybara — Eating weeds and other invasive plants can benefit certain environments, but can also cause significant habitat damage.

about that web page “Texas’ Most Unwanted Flora and Fauna” The Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) says nutria eat aquatic plants and burrows, which “can lead to erosion and road damage.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nutria are now found in at least 20 states, but most are in the Gulf Coast states. Nutria have a high reproduction rate and are difficult to control, the agency said.

avoid nutria

Nutria can be territorial and can be aggressive, according to Dr. Brianna Armstrong of the Firehouse Animal Health Center in Austin.

Armstrong said we don’t hear much about nutria attacks on pets, but they can occur if people or dogs are in rodent territory.

“Sometimes they can react and attack and become aggressive if you are in their feeding grounds, if they have offspring with them, or if you hunt them down.” “So these are the sort of scenarios where you want to pay a little more attention and try to keep your pets as far away as possible.”

Armstrong says that nutria are often startled, so they often run away in fear of loud noises when they’re near them.

Armstrong also recommends keeping dogs on a leash to avoid disturbing nutria in their natural habitat.

Nutria Risks, Diseases

Nutria can transmit a disease called rabies Leptospirosis, which is a bacterium that causes liver and kidney dysfunction in dogs. It’s spread through urine, but Armstrong said bodies of water are places where it’s highly contagious.

Leptospirosis is also a zoonotic disease and can be transmitted from dogs to humans.

Not all veterinary clinics consider leptospirosis vaccines to be part of a dog’s primary vaccination program, so Armstrong recommends checking your records.

Dogs should also be kept up to date with their rabies vaccine.

attack handling

Armstrong said nutria have very long and sharp teeth, so if a dog (or a person) is bitten, the victim can stab or lacerate, requiring stitches. and should be treated immediately to avoid infection.