Dog Ate an Ant Trap (What to Do?)

If your dog ate ant traps, you’re worried about what happens next. You’re asking yourself ‘are ant traps poisonous?’ ‘Will I need a trip to the vet?’

If you’re feeling this, the first thing you need to do is stay calm. The next thing you’ll want to do is read this guide carefully. Ant traps may have been set to prevent the invasion of ants from coming inside your house.

Protecting your house from pests is a regular thing. But there may be times when an infestation can occur. In the case of the latter, you feel like setting up ant traps to get rid of them.

However, there is a chance that if your dog can eat anything on site, an ant trap may not be safe. In this guide, we’ll show you the steps you need to take if a dog eats ant traps and what you need to do next. We’ll also talk about whether or not ant poison inside a dog can kill.

We will also discuss other preventative measures that you’ll want to discuss to avoid these issues in the future whether you have one or multiple dogs. Let’s take a closer look at the guide below at what you need to do next.

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What Should I Do If My Dog Eats an Ant Trap?

If you notice any ant traps missing or if your dog eats one, the next thing you need to do is remove the ant trap (especially if your dog is still chewing on it). If you have set up multiple ant traps set up, you’ll want to remove them as soon as possible.

Next, you’ll want to contact your vet as soon as possible. You can also call the Pet Poison helpline for any assistance. If you opted for the latter, make sure you follow the advice provided.

One of the solutions is to induce vomiting. Do not do this unless you are instructed to do so by way of veterinary advice. If you do go to the vet, this can be due to the fact that they ate a large amount of traps (including the foreign objects included). They will start with preliminary tests that will decide what the best course of action will be.

Once there has been confirmation, you can trust the vet to make a decision. This can include surgery as well if there is an intestinal blockage. Otherwise, consider the following steps to take in helping your dog not panic and stay in good shape:

• Take them outdoors for some fresh air. While some of the ant poison can cause nausea, fresh air can reduce that risk of making them feel like they have to throw up.
• Give them a quick bath. They will be nice and clean. Plus, it may wash off any additional chemicals that may consume if it’s leftover in their paws or fur.
• You can bust out the essential oils if you have them. Peppermint is great for helping reduce nausea and vomiting occurrences in dogs.

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How Long Does It Take for a Dog to React to Ant Poison?

The question we ask ourselves is “if it kills ants, can it kill dogs?” The answer may surprise you. Any kind of chemical that kills insects will not always have the same effect on dogs. However, it is when a dog ingests a large enough amount to the point where things can get serious.

So they would need to eat an enormous amount. Otherwise, you really shouldn’t have to panic. That’s because most ant traps contain chemicals like boric acid, abamectin, and fipronil. The concentration of these chemicals are low that even one ant trap will harm a dog at all (or much less cause any side effects.)

However, you’ll want to pay attention to other traps you set in your household to fend off any other pests. For example, bait traps that contain snail or gopher poison will contain ingredients that will be fatal to dogs if they are ingested. The symptoms will mimic those of food poisoning.

The symptoms in dogs include but are not limited to diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach bloating. Food poisoning itself is not fatal to healthy dogs. But it needs to be taken seriously if they have ingested nonfood objects.

If your dog has ingested ant bait, chances are they may have consumed a small amount if they got ahold of one trap. If a dog chewed through one, there may be a small amount of ant poison in their system. Once again, it may be nothing to be alarmed about unless a vet instructs you to take action.

The sooner you call your vet, the better. You may not have to make a trip to your local veterinarian unless your dog has chewed through many ant traps. Depending on how many they have chewed through, it may good idea to monitor them for any symptoms.

If you notice any chew marks on the ant traps, survey the damage. Is the plastic housing chewed up good? Are there any pieces of the trap missing?

You don’t know for sure how much a dog consumes until you further inspect the trap itself. This will only take a couple of minutes before you take any further action.

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Are There Any Pet-friendly Ant Traps?

If you have an ant problem in your household and are concerned about your dog, there are pet-safe options that you can consider. For example, you can use a homemade remedy that includes nontoxic dish soap and water. You can create a solution by mixing the two in a spray bottle.

After it’s mixed, you can spray it along various entry points where the ants can access your home. You can also go outside and spray it in high-traffic areas where ants usually hang out (including ant hills in your yard). This solution may be enough to drive them away from your property.

There may be other ant traps that are pet friendly. To make sure of this, you want to read the label carefully. There are types of traps that will contain ingredients like diatomaceous earth that will not harm your dog.

Plus, if anything, there may be small amounts of ingredients that will only harm them if there is a very large amount of it consumed. Also, look for any food grade active ingredients that may be used in these ant traps since they are considered safe for dogs.

Can Ant Poison Kill Dogs?

The short answer: no. The long answer, it can cause serious complications if consumed in very large amounts. But the reality is that the low concentration of chemicals won’t be enough to kill them.

As mentioned before, other traps that you have set in your home for other pests can have chemicals that can be fatal to your dog if ingested. That’s why it is important to take preventative measures if you are concerned for your dog’s safety.

This includes monitoring your dog’s movements if they are close to an ant trap. Also, inspecting it on a regular basis for any damage will be a good idea in case they may have ingested a bit of the ingredient and feel a little unwell.

Final Thoughts

Our dogs eat things they shouldn’t. But with proper canine education that will help them learn what to eat and what not to eat, this can reduce problems. Many dogs chew through things that they shouldn’t like furniture, clothes, and yes, even ant traps.

If you are dealing with an ant problem, you’ll want to keep traps in entry points where ants gain access to your home. If this is an issue because of your dog, you can consider other alternatives like the ones we’ve listed above.

Make sure you monitor your dog closely if you suspect they have eaten ant traps. While they may not be highly poisonous, it’s the amount they have eaten that you need to keep track of. Also, if this persists, you may need to remove the remaining traps from your home.