In the last post I wrote, I talked about how cockroaches affect our pets, but after that, I decided to dig a bit further into the effects other insects may have and then, I decided to write further on other insects that may have an impact on our pets even if they are indoors.
Your pet could experience a meet and greet with an ant whether they are inside the house or when they go for a simple walk in the park. Remember dogs are very curious creatures who want to sniff everything, they may go further to try eating it too. These curious traits of theirs can be a very great trait that enriches their lives, but on the other hand, it may put them in danger too.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Black-ants.jpg
[Source]()
Speaking about pets, we need to first understand there are different types of ants. Let's begin with the carpenter ants, this species of ants is usually larger than the common type of ants we see around. This type of ant does not have a stinger, but with their powerful mandibles, they can deliver a very strong bite which could cause a mild pinch leading to minor irritation on the skin of the bitten dog. They also do not inject venom, so their bite may not be something to worry about, but they cause damage to wooden structures, as they evacuate wood to bud their nest. Even if their bite may not have a direct impact on pets, their impact on wood could have an indirect effect.
Fire ants are very aggressive ones that pose danger to not only the pets but even to owners too. A bite from a fire ant will require that it uses its mandibles to firmly grasp its target, giving room for stinging from a stable position. As it stings, it injects a toxic alkaloid called solenopsin in the form of venom, this creates a burning pain and irritation in the victim. It doesn't stop there, it keeps rotating its body to administer multiple stings in a circular pattern around the point of bite.
The bite could create serious symptoms on the dog like swelling, intense pain, and even hypersensitive reactions that may need instant veterinary attention.
Pavement ants are usually found in urban areas, they got this name because they usually pave their nest under the cracks in pavement. While walking, a pet may accidentally step on them, and as a reaction to disturbing their peace, they bite the pet, this would lead to a potentially irritating reaction from the pet.
Pharaoh ant is a type of ant that would most likely not bite, but they can spread very rapidly in homes and hospitals, with their presence causing potential health effects. They can contaminate food areas either for humans or pets. Once these ants establish a colony, they are small and difficult to eradicate once they invade an area.
800px-Black_carpenter_ant.jpg
[Source]()
Another type of ant is the common black ants we see at home, this type of ant is usually regarded as more of an annoying nuisance that is difficult to get rid of. This type of ant does not have a venom and their bite does not create any serious health conditions, they most likely would not even cause any form of irritation. Even when they bite out pets, they may not notice there has been a bite, as they are more interested in looking for food than causing harm to pets.
Harvester ants are usually found in dry and open areas, those points where seeds are collected, the ants are usually on their own until they get disturbed then they attack their victims which could be our dear pet injecting venom that could lead to pain and swelling at the site of bite, the reaction could get more severe causing a more urgent veterinarian attention.
Now, that we are aware of the different types of ants, we know the ones to be careful about and how serious it is for us to get them out of our homes and close to our pets whenever we smell them around.
We can tell the symptoms of a dog bite through any of these three ways, it could be a small, localized, swelling especially if the bite is from a fire ant. The area of the bite may become red and painful, dogs may also have signs of allergic reactions like difficulty breathing, agitation, and anaphylaxis this is a rare situation.
In a bid to get rid of ants from our pets, we can also be hurting them unknowingly and this calls for extra care when trying to eliminate these ants. We should make use of natural repellants and safe ant killers. Essential oils, cinnamon, and lemon juice work well too. It is even best to know to keep ants away in the first instance.
References
