My Dog Ate an Ant Trap What Should I Do?
My Dog Ate an Ant Trap What Should I Do?
Why on earth would a dog eat an ant trap? There are many answers to this question depending on who you ask. It could be because they’re curious about the object. They may like to see if it’s edible or if it could be a toy. No matter the reason your fur baby has chosen to eat an ant trap, there are some things you’ll need to know.
My Dog Ate an Ant Trap—Is this a Medical Emergency?
Check Price on AmazonIn most cases, ant traps contain ingredients that are only slightly toxic to dogs. Even if a small dog eats the trap, it’s unlikely he’ll suffer any ill effects due to the poison.
If your precious pup was only sniffing at and nosing the trap, he should be OK. However, remember these traps are usually made with a plastic housing. If your canine companion happens to eat a portion of a trap, or the entire thing, you could be facing a possible medical emergency.
Eating the Entire Trap Could Lead to Intestinal Blockage
The reason is because the hard plastic can become lodged in a dog’s intestines, causing a blockage which is a medical emergency.
Even if your fur baby only swallows a small piece, that piece could be sharp, which could cause damage to the dog’s esophagus and other parts of the digestive system.
What to Do If Your Dog Eats an Ant Trap
If you know for sure that your dog has eaten a portion of the trap, then you can monitor his health to see if he suffers any ill effects. Watch for these symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Drooling excessively
- Nausea
These symptoms are signs your dog is having a reaction to the chemicals in the ant trap. Most of the time, these symptoms will only last a few hours to a day or so. After this, he should be OK.
Chances are if he swallowed only a small piece, this would eventually pass through your dog’s digestive tract in 2-3 days. To help the plastic piece pass, it’s OK to feed your fur baby some canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), mashed potatoes or even pieces of bread. These will entrap the plastic piece and help it to pass without causing damage to the digestive tract.
Check Price on AmazonOn the other hand, if you know for sure your dog ate the entire trap, this could cause a bowel obstruction, which can be life threatening. Signs your fur baby could have a blocked intestine include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Straining (to pass poo)
- Abdominal bloating and pain
- Bloody stools
- Looking anxious or panicked
If your dog is showing any of these symptoms, then it’s time to call the vet immediately. If the ant trap is blocking your canine companion’s intestines, then he will need treatment as soon as possible.
To sum it all up, in most cases, the poison in the ant trap isn’t highly toxic to dogs. Even small dogs should be OK if they swallow the entire bate. However, if your fur baby has swallowed any of the plastic housing of the trap, then you’ll need to monitor his health for any of the signs and symptoms above. If you suspect your dog has an intestinal blockage, then please call the vet immediately.
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I know my dog tampered with my ant trap but I’m not sure how much of it he swallowed. Maybe I’ll just go to the veterinary doctor for a check as I’m not sure where to begin, plus I’m already tempted to start panicking.
I’ll suggest you do immediately. My own dog has once swallowed ant trap and I didn’t know he swallowed everything until I noticed a day later that he’s straining to pass poo and had a bloated stomach. We were not late to help him, because the earlier the better.
I see my puppy sniffing at the ant trap and he just looks like he could try to eat it one day. I’ll have to be more watchful now because ant traps are a necessary evil around here.
This just brought to my notice that I need to keep my ant trap out of my dog’s sight and also keep an eye on him often. Thanks for this.