can my dog eat a mouse

You might have a dog who loves exploring and picking things around the street and bring them to you. It might also have gotten a knack for hunting mice and rodents. They might also be even eating them. Now you might be concerned if rats are a safe thing for your dog to eat.

Traditionally, we have seen that cats, not dogs, are the ones who go after rats and mice and eat them. Should this behavior be of concern to you if your dog has gotten the taste for rat meat now and should you be worried if this can kill them? Let us find out if your dog can eat a mouse.

what normally happens when a dog eats mice?

The short answer to the question about what would happen if your dog eats a mouse is nothing would happen to it. Mice are nothing but a raw meat source for your dog. Theoretically, there is nothing to be worried about if your dog snacks on the mouse. It should be entirely safe for them. However, there are a few circumstances that it might get dangerous for them. 

The first circumstance where the rodent might become a danger for your dog is if it was poisoned. This might happen if it ate an anti-mouse pellet and then became a snack for your dog. This is very dangerous to your dog as many anti-mouse pellets do not have an antidote available in the market for them. If you feel something has happened or you have anti-mouse pellets around the house, go to the vet as soon as you can as there is no time to waste as your dog might succumb to the poison very quickly.

However, there might be one other such circumstance where there might not be any poison to threaten your pooches life but still be very deadly to it. This may occur when the mouse is bigger. Giant mice can become a danger to your dog after they have been eaten by becoming obstructions inside the stomach. This gastrointestinal obstruction can be hazardous for any pet with no regard to its age or size. Circumstances like these may also warrant a visit to your vet to check if your dog has any discomfort like vomiting or abdominal pain. This visit will determine whether or not your puppy needs immediate surgery or not. If not, then you. Do not have much to worry about as they will be able to pass it with not many problems.

what to do if the mouse your dog ate was poisoned?

Mice are simple prey in the eyes of your dogs. They have been hunted by dogs for millennia and used as a raw source of meat. However, this might not be the case sometimes as your dog might have found the mouse already dead and thought it would become a nice snack before its usual time for dog food comes around. 

Now, if you do not have poison around your property and have seen the mouse be chased and killed by the dog right in front of you, then your puppy is in the clear. If the mouse was not swallowed whole, then you can just get back to whatever you were doing beforehand and let the dog enjoy its game. However, if you are not sure about any of these things and you have rat poison around your property, it is time to take this situation as an emergency.

Rat poison is not only good at killing rats but can kill your dog as well. If you do not know when and how the rat that is being shredded by your dog’s teeth was killed, the very first step you need to take is to go to your vet as soon as possible. There are no antidotes or remedies for the rat poison which can be whipped right up at home, so do make haste to save your pups life.

Your dog might also have had some rat droppings while it was at it. This is also very dangerous as the dropping itself might contain poison. These droppings might also contain certain microorganisms that can do a number on your dog’s stomach. If you suspect or are sure that your dog has eaten some rat droppings then call the Pet poison hotline. Going directly to their nearest clinic to identify the poison can also help. 

Do remember to take your dog’s medical history with you along with the suspected rat poison if you had laid some around the house.

One thing which you should never do is panic in these cases. Your dog will, in a short time pick up the fact that you are panicking and go into distress as well. So you should keep yourself in check as well. These things happen from time to time, and if you keep yourself calm, you will save your dog’s life. 

symptoms your dog was poisoned:

Now that we have understood what needs to be done, we should move forward and learn what the indicators that ensure that your dog was poisoned are. There also might be circumstances where you might have no idea if your dog has eaten as a mouse. The only way to make sure is to observe the symptoms which will show over time.

If your dog has swallowed and eaten a poisoned rat, you should be looking for clear signs and symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, and heart issues.

There might also be some breathing issues that can occur with the ingestion of poison.

Rat poison, however, has a good variety to it and there are several rat poisons available in the market. Each one of these poisons has varying levels of toxicity which can lead to any of the above symptoms. If any of these symptoms appear in your dog, call the pet poison hotline or book an appointment with your vet at the earliest so that the poison can be taken care of and your dog be saved.

most common rat poisons:

Whenever your dog is poisoned, the situation is mostly out of your hands as the best you can do in that situation is to call the pet poison hotline or your vet. However, educating you about what type of poisons are most commonly ingested by dogs around the world can help you identify the problem and try looking for a solution. Some of these poisons are given below.

zinc and aluminum phosphides:

One of the most dangerous poisons, which is based on zinc and aluminum phosphide is not only hazardous to your canine but you as well. Do not try anything if you detect this and go straight to your vet to treat it. Symptoms may include fainting, vomiting, stomach bloating, abdominal pain, and liver damage.

long active anticoagulants:

Long active anticoagulants will stop any blood clots in your dog, which will lead to internal bleeding. This is dangerous, and it will be a while before any symptoms present themselves in front of you. Symptoms for this may include lethargy and bleeding from the nose and gums. 

A simple administration of vitamin K1 can treat it; however, the vet must be contacted so that it can do further procedures to eliminate this poison from the system.

Varying age will also vary the results of the effects of the poison. If the dog is old with liver issues, then this can be deadly for it. However, if not, then there might be higher chances of survival and recovery.

bromethalin:

Bromethalin can trigger a very deadly condition in your furry friend where space around your dog’s head is filled with fluid, ultimately blocking the blood flow to its brain. The effects of this poison are lethal and can cause the death of your puppy. 

Symptoms may include vomiting, seizures, paralysis, and vision loss.

You will have to keep your dog at the vet for the prescribed treatment to get rid of this.

vitamin d3:

This type of rat poison can lead to increasing the level of calcium and phosphorus inside your dog’s system, which can ultimately lead to a condition like a kidney failure. Detection of this can be possible by symptoms which may include thirst, lethargy, lack of appetite. People might even ignore these symptoms at times; however, one should not as this might lead to permanent damage and a very high treatment cost.

how to stop your dog from eating rats:

You might now be a little scared; however, you can very quickly stop this from ever happening. First and foremost, keep rat poison away from your homestead and never keep it inside your house. However, if there is a need for it, keep it in a place where your dog will not be able to find it very quickly. 

Another thing you can do is keep your dog in front of you at all times and never let it be alone. This will not only keep it safe but also stop it from eating unwanted things.

conclusion:

In conclusion, we need to reiterate that always keep your dog in your sight. Never let it wander alone and eat things that were not meant to be a part of its diet.

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