It is pretty common that your naughty playful dog might indulge in eating insects, including roaches. And why should the dog resist eating it?. After all, it’s a free protein snack. However, because roaches spread diseases and trigger allergies, it’s no less than a nightmare for the owner.
Nothing will happen to your dog if he eats a roach in most cases. This is because the dogs are carnivorous, and their stomachs contain strong acid capable of digesting cockroaches, killing bacteria, and disrupting the viruses. Moreover, there are no know species of roaches that are poisonous. However, some dogs might show an allergic reaction to roaches.
Cockroaches are naturally nonpoisonous and pose no threat to the life of individuals or other animals, including dogs. You will be surprised to know that people consider roaches a delicacy in certain parts of the world and love consuming them. However, it doesn’t mean that you should keep a blind eye on a dog eating roaches. I will be sharing details in the blog below.
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Nothing to Worry if a Dog eats a Roach
Cockroaches are not only associated with loathing and disgust but can also carry dangerous bacterias, including Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumonia (Source). Moreover, cockroaches can also trigger allergies and asthma episodes.
Despite these facts, you still don’t have to worry at all if a dog eats a roach. The reasons being,
- The pH inside the dog stomach can reach as low as 1, enough to kill bacterias and viruses.
- The intestine of dog secretes digestive enzymes that coagulate and digest any foriegn invaders.
- Till date, no cockroach has been identified to carry poision or venom.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should allow your dog to snack on roaches because rarely, if the cockroach bacterial load is heavy, they may evade digestive acid and enzymes.
Moreover, like humans, cockroaches are also known to trigger allergies in pets, including dogs (Source).
Why do Dogs eat a Roach?
I had a dog that used to kill mice but never ate them. I discussed that with my veterinary doctor. He told me not to worry because it’s pretty standard; dogs have a natural built-in system to attack prey. Similarly, dogs are attracted to moving roaches and sometimes eat them.
If a dog is eating cockroaches on a regular basis, it might indicate poor or unbalanced feeding. Your dog might be lacking a meal rich in vitamins and minerals. In such cases, you need to consult a veterinary doctor, if needed.
Do you know that your dog will most likely eat a small roach? They infest homes more than the palmetto bugs.
What to do if dogs eat a roach
Roaches are fast runners and have a high ability to sense danger. Therefore, It might be challenging to spot a dog eating a roach. However, if your house is heavily infested with roaches, it can be a common occurrence.
If your dog is skipping meals more often than usual, it might be indicating that your dog is feeding on insects, including roaches.
However, if you have seen a dog eating a roach, don’t take it for granted. Rarely, your dog might get sick. Follow these steps if you have seen your dog eating a roach,
- Do not panic, stay calm.
- Observe for danger signs including but not limited to, fever, vomiting, coughing, abnormal breathing pattern, diarrhea, loss of appetite and abnormal behviour.
- Consult a veternery doctor for consultation, if you feel your dog is sick.
- In case your dog has been ok for 2 days, it means you don’t need to worry.
- Try exterminating the roaches to prevent it from happening in future.
How to keep a dog from eating a roach
It’s pretty simple to keep a dog from eating a roach. All you have to do is keep roach infestation in check and give your dog a well-balanced diet.
Roaches love to live in a warm and humid environment. They love to feed on garbage and filth. If you have successfully removed the source of the infestation, your dog will automatically fail to find a roach to feed on.
The source of infestation might be,
- A leaking water or sanitory pipeline.
- An uncoverd sewrage hole or bathroom drains.
- Uncoverd ventilators.
- Cracks and crevices in the walls.
- Open garbage cans and bins.
- Lack of cleaniliness.
- Poor Lightning and ventilation.
To know How do exterminators get rid of roaches? Please read this article.
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