Ants are fascinating little creatures. They work together in huge colonies in favour of a common goal. They build extensive networks of underground tunnels. They incorporate teamwork, diligence, strength … but not so much when you find them in your home!
Ants- Oh no!
These undesirable guests are ugly and unhygienic, especially when found in the kitchen. A common method of stealth elimination is to place traps that kill ants in contact or delay death within 2 days after consuming a lethal poison. The latter method encourages ants to bring the seemingly safe substance back to the colony to share with coworkers and queen. Modern ant warfare is undeniably brutal; traps are placed in imperceptible areas and use a sweet or flavourful ingredient to attract insects.
Ant attraction.
Unfortunately, a curious puppy or dog looking for a snack can also be attracted by the interesting aroma of bait. Now you have a dog that ate an ant! What should you do? Most ant traps do not contain enough insecticide to cause serious damage to your dog, but with the variety of ant traps on the market, it is better to be prepared for a possible adverse health reaction.
What do I do if my dog eats an ant?
Check out our step-by-step guide to guide you through our veterinarian’s suggestions on what to do when you discover that your dog has eaten an ant.
1. Make sure your dog is alert and bright-looking.
Immediately after ingesting a complete trap for ants or the substance found inside, make sure your dog has bright and responsive eyes. Tail flap and cheerful behaviour are signs that your dog does not need immediate medical attention. Most importantly, take note of any sudden changes in behaviour. If you notice a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, vomiting or weakness, call your veterinarian for an emergency consultation.
2. Pay special attention to your dog’s mouth.
After evaluating the damage, determine exactly what parts of the trap your dog chewed or swallowed. Many ant traps are housed in a rigid plastic or metal casing that have the potential to cut your dog’s mouth, break teeth or lodge in the throat. If you notice that your dog is salivating excessively or coughing nonstop, an emergency trip to the veterinary office is necessary. A veterinarian may sedate a dog in danger to safely remove the housed item. Never try to remove a foreign object from a dog’s throat alone!
3. Contact the local helpline on animal poisoning.
The helpline teams for pet poisoning are made up of veterinary professionals and toxicologists who will be able to determine if your pet needs treatment after ingestion of a harmful substance. Before calling, make sure you have collected as much information as possible about what and how much was ingested. In your situation, the helpline team will need to know the active ingredient used in the ant or discover the brand. This will usually be listed somewhere in the trap itself or packaging. A common brand is Raid, which usually contains an active ingredient called spinosad. Other traps for ants may contain insecticides called indoxacarb or avermectin. Even homemade traps made with Borax can be harmful and should be reported.
4. Have your dog’s information at hand.
The other information you should have on hand is your dog’s latest body weight. This is used to determine whether the dose of the active ingredient consumed is beyond the toxic limit. You will probably also be asked about your dog’s breed. Some breeds, such as Collies, are particularly sensitive to certain poisons. With all this information, the helpline team can make their final decision about the urgency of the situation and instruct if your veterinarian should get involved. Be sure to follow all the additional instructions they provide.
5. Keep monitoring your dog.
Most ant traps come in a plastic or metal shell. Even if no emergency trip to the veterinarian is necessary, if your dog has swallowed pieces of the trap, you should monitor your mischievous dog for signs of intestinal obstruction or perforation. Any evidence of vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or sudden changes in appetite may indicate any of these fatal conditions. The period of greatest risk is up to 48 hours after the incident. After this time, you can give a sigh of relief; it is likely that your dog does not need to see the veterinarian!
6. Remove all ant traps from your dog’s reach at home.
So, your dog is safe, healthy and you managed to avoid visits to the vet – but we haven’t finished with our list yet! The most important thing now is to ensure that, in the future, the ant traps in your home are not accessible to your dog. Ant traps can be placed inside closets and pantries or other places that require opening a door for access. Rooms and spaces with traps for ants on the ground should become official prohibited zones for your dog or at least spaces in which he is closely watched and attentively.
7. Choose safe methods for dogs to keep your home free of ants.
It may not be possible to always restrict where your dog spends time in the house. After all, he’s a family member! You can provide alternative methods to keep your home free of ants. Ensuring that food preparation areas do not have crumbs, swept and wiped out will discourage small intruders from invading your space. In addition, it is better to keep all items in the pantry in properly closed containers. Fortunately, they will give a pass to your home when you are looking for a food source. You can also take a look at some safe pet options to rid the house of ants, including essential oil repellent sprays, diatomaceous earth powder and ultrasonic anti-repellent devices.
Are ant traps poisonous to dogs?
You may be wondering if the ingredients of ant traps are poisonous to dogs, but this is a difficult question to answer. Ant trap marks have different ingredients in different concentrations. Spinozad is a common ingredient in ant traps – in fact, this medicine is used as a flea treatment, so it is safe for dogs in some doses. The same applies to avermectin, although this may be a problem for certain breeds. Indoxacarb, the active ingredient of Hot Shot baits, has been shown to cause symptoms in dogs. In other words, the ingredients of ant traps are toxic to ants and can cause symptoms in dogs, in quantities high enough. But the best thing to do is to eliminate assumptions and ask helpline professionals for advice on pet poisoning.
Conclusion
With this list, you will know what to do the next time you discover that an ant has been used as a biting toy. But it’s much easier to prevent your dog from trapping ant traps. Keep them out of reach and preferably locked.