Dogs eat anything they can get their mouth on, from dog food to human food to your furniture and even toys and bugs.
They simply need something to chew on all the time to keep their stomachs happy. It’s not unusual for dogs to eat bugs and insects.
Don’t be alarmed if you find your dog nibbling on a bug if you’re a dog owner. For the most part, you can consider it a safe bite for your dog.
However, there is always some cause for concern with anything your dog eats. Even though it’s pretty unpleasant, it serves as a sort of hunt and reward activity for the dog.
As a result, I’ve compiled a list of which insects may be harmful to your dog’s health if consumed.
Contents
5 Risk of Dogs Eating Bugs
1: Stink bugs
The stink bug is also recognized as the brown marmorated stink bug. This bug family originated from China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries.
These insects prefer warmth and sunlight, so you will likely be home to stink bugs if you have both.
These are some of the bugs that your dog should avoid eating. There are several health concerns for your dog associated with this family of insects.
If consumed in large quantities, they have a negative impact on the digestive system. Stink bugs secrete odorous secretions that irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
The irritation will upset the dog’s stomach, causing vomiting and drooling.
2: Earthworms
Earthworms, along with snails and slugs, are another type of creature to be concerned about in addition to insects. Earthworms can be found everywhere there is soil and water on the planet.
If your dog enjoys playing in the mud or near the beach, he may be drawn to consuming one of the tube-like creatures. It is incredibly hazardous to your dog’s health.
Eating earthworms has been linked to roundworms in dogs, according to research. Worms infesting your dog’s gastrointestinal tract is obviously a frightening prospect.
For this reason, keep your dog away from earthworms. As a result, your dog’s gut will be healthier.
3: Cockroaches and fleas
Cockroaches should be avoided at all costs. If you have cockroaches in your home including a dog, get rid of the cockroaches right away.
These tiny, fast-moving creatures will pique your dog’s interest. And, in order to satisfy their curiosity, your dog will attack and eat them.
Fleas and cockroaches are harmful to the health of your dog. Fleas and other flying insects are thought to carry parasites with them.
If the dog eats a fly, he may have consumed a tapeworm as well. Eating fleas can cause parasites to be transmitted to your pet’s intestine.
If your dog becomes ill, it will disrupt the entire digestive system and the intestine. Diarrhea and vomiting are two of the most common symptoms.
4: Spider and bees
If you’re a dog owner, please keep an eye out for spider webs and beehives on the walls. Keep the walls clean, and if you have a home garden, keep an eye out for any growing hives.
Venomous insects include spiders and bees. Your dog, like any animal, may be fascinated by spiders hanging on the wall or bees buzzing around.
These creatures, however, are unique from others. They sting and spread the venom to other animals. Female black widow spiders (Latrodectus) are extremely toxic to dogs.
They are most commonly found in North America. Even if your dog ingests them, they will still bite when they are in his mouth.
The toxin will enter the dog’s bloodstream and can have serious health consequences.
5: Ladybugs
We all enjoy watching ladybugs move and fly. They are tiny little bugs with various base colors and black dots on top of them.
So how can we expect our rascals to be cautious around them? But these adorable ladybugs aren’t as cute as they seem.
They’re definitely not suitable for your dog to consume. Even a small number of ladybugs can make your dog sick.
Drooling, lethargy, and refusal to eat are just a few of the symptoms that the dog may experience.
The bug can also become embedded in the roof of your dog’s mouth, making him more aggressive and confused. This causes irritation in the mouth and tongue.
Some ladybugs expel toxic components that can cause mouth ulcers. Furthermore, it affects the gastrointestinal tract.
3 Things To Do if Your Dog Eats Bugs
1: Monitor the symptoms
There are two possibilities: your dog eats the bug for the first time, or your dog eats them regularly, and you just discovered it.
In either case, keep an eye on your dog’s symptoms, especially his behavior. Your dog may consume a variety of bugs and critters.
The majority of them are problematic, though not all of them are fatal. Some have no toxins or positions in their saliva or bodies. As a result, your dog will be fine.
However, we don’t always know what kind of creature the dog ate. Keep an eye on the dog for any changes in his behavior, such as aggression or lethargy.
Examine the color of his feces. Additionally, look for symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or drooling. Keep your dog under observation for the next two days.
2: Take to the vet
If your dog has recently eaten a bug and you are unsure what kind of bug it was, take him to the veterinarian right away for immediate support.
You can also consult a veterinarian if your dog has developed a habit of eating bugs.
First, the veterinarian will examine your dog’s overall health and determine whether the bug has caused any infection. Any food consumed directly enters the gastrointestinal tract.
That’s why it’s critical to have it properly evaluated. Worms can live in the intestines of a dog that eats bugs on a regular basis.
This will gradually wreak havoc on the canine’s overall health. Because of this, proper and consistent monitoring is required.
If the veterinarian discovers an infection or infestation, they will prescribe the appropriate medication.
3: Train him
We discussed how most bugs are harmless, but we have no control over the type of bug our dog encounters.
As a result, if the dog enjoys catching and eating bugs, it’s necessary to train them not to. After all, it’s a fun activity for dogs that gives them a sense of accomplishment.
You can either hire professional training or do it yourself to tame your dog.
There are numerous videos and books available online that will walk you through the process of changing your dog’s bad behavior step by step.
During his play activity, you can include other catch and reward games for him. When your dog eats a bug, you can also provide negative reinforcement.
Not only will training your dog make them more athletic, but it will also help them get to a healthy weight.
Takeaway
We used to enjoy capturing bugs as kids, and our dogs do as well. The difference is that humans release them, while dogs eat them as a treat.
Most bugs are not harmful to dogs, but I have listed bugs and other small critters that have proven toxic to dogs, including ladybugs, bees, spiders, worms, cockroaches, and stink bugs.
Their bodies secrete harmful chemicals, which can lead to the dog’s health deterioration. As a result, it’s recommended that you train your dog to avoid flying bugs.
If you speculate your dog has grown ill due to ingesting a bug, contact your veterinarian right away.
