Yes. Some dogs enjoy playing catch with flies, which are also perfectly safe to eat. On the other hand, stinging insects can “bite back” if bitten, resulting in itchiness and swelling—or worse if a dog is allergic—or But flies pose no threat to your pet.
Are Some Bugs Dangerous For Dogs To Eat?
Not every bug that dogs can catch and eat is safe.
Mosquitoes are known for carrying heartworm larvae. Although your dog can get heartworm without eating a mosquito, it usually happens when the dog is bitten.
Fleas, if ingested, can infect your dog with tapeworms.
Additionally, beetles, crickets, and cockroaches can carry worm eggs or larvae.
Whether your dog consumes bugs or not, you should always keep an eye out for parasites.
I decide to do this with Interceptor tablets that I get from my veterinarian every month.
Although many products, including Interceptor, carry a small but discernible risk of serious side effects like seizures and brain damage, I prefer to use natural remedies whenever possible because I believe that the risk of contracting a parasite outweighs that of side effects.
Consult your veterinarian to determine the best parasite prevention for your dog.
A fecal test to check for parasites is usually part of the yearly wellness exams your dog should receive.
What Kind Of Bacteria Do Flies Carry?
Regular house flies, or as they’re also known, “sky raisins,” can transmit over 65 diseases to humans, including typhoid fever, cholera, leprosy and tuberculosis.
However, any bacteria that a fly might carry are quickly destroyed by your dog’s short, acidic digestive tract.
Additionally, it’s unlikely that a fly or two that land on your food will carry enough bacteria to make you sick. However, if your food is being swarmed, your best option is to discard it.
A fly or two in your dog’s water bowl won’t hurt them, but I wouldn’t feed dog food that has been contaminated by pests just to be safe.
It’s extremely unlikely that your dog will become ill if she consumes almost any type of household fly, including fruit flies, drain flies, or gnats.
Although a large quantity of lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, can temporarily upset your dog’s stomach, they are generally harmless.
A dog can easily capture a large number of them in a single night because they fly slowly and at low altitudes, and their blinking is a dead giveaway.
Fly attraction to both pleasant and unpleasant smells may go without saying, but Always keep your yard tidy, contain trash, and reduce fly attractions. Maintain screened windows and doors, and make sure your dog is taking all necessary medications for parasite prevention.
Dogs eat strange things; that is just a fact of life. They help themselves to a variety of dubious items, many of which are not edible (such as socks or coins).
At Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital, we are available to you at all times if you have any additional inquiries about canine behavior.
Your dog may be able to distinguish between different types of flying insects. But when a dog consumes flies, a potentially hazardous precedent is set. What would prevent a dog that eats flies from attempting to eat wasps or other stinging, poisonous insects?
Working breeds or canines with a high prey drive may have a stronger propensity to chase insects. It may be more difficult to control this behavior in the future if it spirals out of control or becomes an obsession. Through additional opportunities for mental and physical exercise, it is typically possible to wean your dog off compulsive behaviors.
FAQ
Can eating flies make dog sick?
In most cases, it is probably nothing to worry about if your pet eats a fly. Despite the fact that flies can transmit a wide range of diseases to humans as well as bacteria and parasites, most bacteria are killed by the stomach’s acid.
Why does my dog try to eat flies?
Dogs eat bugs and a variety of other strange things naturally and on a regular basis. They enjoy eating grasshoppers, crickets, flies, and even the occasional spider.
Can dogs get maggots from eating flies?
On the dog’s body, flies had laid eggs, and the hole appeared as a result of the maggots munching their way inside. One of the more frequent issues dogs encounter is myiasis, or an infestation of the animal’s body with flies and their larvae or maggots.
What diseases can dogs get from flies?
A protozoan (single-celled) parasite that affects dogs, cats, and some rodents is the cause of the disease leishmaniasis, which is most prevalent in rural areas of the world. The parasite is transmitted by small biting sand flies.