Animal experts?

[sleepyjeff]

Woke up this morning to what sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard(except louder, faster, and flavored with a sorta clicking sound underneath the screaching). The sound was coming from my back patio so I opened up the back door to see what was going on when my dog ran out around me. He raced to the side fence and started barking fiercely. I called him back and suprisingly he came when called(normally when he is barking at a cat or squirel or something it takes a few calls to retrieve him). When he got back inside I turned my attention back to the noise(which had now been going on for quite some time). It seemed to be coming from a large Maple tree although I could see nothing.

While I was watching for something my wife came in behind me with her ears covered and shouted to me "what is wrong with the dog?"....I turned around just in time to see my dog, stiff as a board keel over like a wooden statue in a puddle of his own urine. He stayed that way for another minute or so all the while the noise from outside continued un abated. My wife and I were frantic about the dog and while I went to get a wet towell she held him to her and tried to coax him out of his state. He did finally come around, although he is even now a little quiet......?

At no time while he was outside was he out of my sight and he came in contact with nothing that I could see. The tree in question was outside of the fenced patio. After several minutes of this torturous sound it ended and a HUGE animal(looked like a possum or racoon if it was, it was the largest of either of these that I have ever seen) crawled out of the tree and sauntered across the street into the neighbors back yard.

What was that sound?

What happened to my dog?

[wendybeth]

I don't know, Jeff, but I hope your dog is allright! ( I would recommend a trip to the vet, but since you are not online I assume that may be where you are at right now). It could have been a raccoon- they can get pretty huge, but I don't know about the noise thing. Let us know what you find out, or if you see any tracks, etc. (What a way to wake up, eh?)

[cirquelover]

I know racoons and squirrells can be loud but I wouldn't think it would be so loud you had to cover your ears. Maybe there was a Sasquatch in your tree! heehee

Your poor dog, maybe he was just frightened and did the dog version of fainting. That's the only thing I can think of. Of course I haven't owned a dog in years, my husband is a cat lover.
I hope your dog is ok.

Sorry I'm not much help!

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Yeah, I'm at a loss as well. I'm thinking racoon but I've never heard them make a noise like you describe. Have you considered calling animal control and reporting what happened? If it isn't a racoon or possum, they might want to check the area for something more...exotic? Sometimes people keep animals that they don't tell anyone about but let them loose when they get too large/dangerous. Might be better to be safe than sorry and at least make the report.

Hope the doggie is doing better. Poor guy.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Was the tree near your roof? Sounds like whatever the animal was may have been scratching at something metal up there.

And like wendybeth said, definitely a good idea to get your dog to a vet. Better safe than sorry.

[Not Afraid]

Yes, take your dog to the Vet, today if possible.

Does the dog smell ok? I'm thinking a scent of some sort may have made it pass out. Skunk perhaps (although you'd probably know that one). Maybe a large wild cat sprayed your dog? Do you have cougars, pumas, etc in your area? That would explain the size of the beast. How old is your dog? Maybe a small heart attack or stroke?

I'm just guessing here, a Vet could tell you more.

[Prudence]

I agree -- take the dog to the vet ASAP. Pets aren't the best patients and aren't good at saying what's wrong -- or that anything's wrong at all. My experience is if you actually see something weird, that means it was bad enough for you to actually SEE something weird. Might just have been paralyzed with fright, as it were, but better safe than sorry. He could have encountered a chemical of some sort.

[Sheila]

Living out in the SF Valley, where I get all sorts of wild critters, I doubt it was a possum.

My dogs have cornered several possums, and although possums look pretty nasty with those sharp pointy teeth, they generally really do just curl up and play dead when attacked.

SJ, I don't know where you live. Anywhere near a wildlife or mountainous area? If so, it might be a wildcat, which can be smaller in size.

In any case, you may want to also call Animal Control to report this. If they get enough calls which confirm yours, they'll come out to investigate. People don't like their small pets and kids getting "et" by the wildlife, ya know....

Good luck. And give your baby an extra dog biscuit -- he earned it guarding the house like that!!

[Grumpy4]

I'm with everyone else in taking your dog with a vet. Since a dog's hearing is way more sensitive than ours, that sound could have really messed with him. I hope he's doing better. I, too, would think of big cat or large racoon. When you saw the animal/beast, what did it look like? Any color? Long tail, short tail, no tail?

[Claire]

Hhhhmmmm, Jeff, I subbed in your neighborhood today and my voice can be a little screechy before I get enough coffee pumped into my veins....... Hhhhmmm

I don't know, man! Your poor pooch! Let us know how he's doing, okay?