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Bulger Veterinary Hospital
  • Our Services
    • Acupuncture
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Surgery
    • Primary Pet Care
      • Kitten Kit
      • Puppy Pack
      • Elder Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Curbside Emergency Care
    • Emergencies + Appointments
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    • Online Store
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  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Referral Forms and Portal
    • At a Glance
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  • About Us
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  • 24-HR ER: 978-725-5544
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Our Blogs

Opossums: Both Beneficial and Harmless

November 20, 2018
rescued oppossum baby

Could this baby opossum that was dropped off at our hospital be any cuter? No, we thought not. We love it when we get to look after wildlife at our hospital – with opossums being a fan favorite for sure!

Opossum’s are rather fascinating little critters. Being North America’s only marsupial, they are nearly immune to rabies since their core body temperature is normally too low to harbor the virus.

They are natures’ very own garbage disposal as well. With an omnivorous diet, opossums will essentially eat anything from slugs that wreak havoc to your garden, to mushrooms in your backyard that may be harmful to your pets.

Opossums are also fastidious groomers. According to the National Wildlife Federation, as a result it’s estimated that a single opossum could be responsible for eating up to 5,000 (potential disease spreading) ticks in a single season!

Heard that expression “an elephant never forgets?” Well it turns out that opossums don’t either. Their memories are said to be sharper than dogs, cats and even pigs.

Scared of snakes? Well opossums aren’t, they eat them for dinner…even the poisonous ones. The venom found in vipers and rear fanged snakes isn’t harmful to opossums because they’ve built up an immunity to that as well. So many amazing adaptations.

Even though opossums appear to be scary or ‘rabid’ if they are cornered or threatened, they really are quite harmless. Being the slow-moving creatures that they are, their real only defense is to pretend.

So, the next time you see these shy, woodland creatures in your backyard, be grateful. These beneficial (albeit misunderstood) animals truly pose little to no threat to you or your family!

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Bulger Veterinary Hospital
978-725-5544 | 141 Winthrop Ave. Lawrence, MA 01843
  • 24-HR ER: 978-725-5544
  • Our Services
    • Acupuncture
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Surgery
    • Primary Pet Care
      • Kitten Kit
      • Puppy Pack
      • Elder Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Curbside Emergency Care
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • Client Portal
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • Online Store
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Referral Forms and Portal
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Giving Back
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
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