Dogs eat everything, right? I knew someone whose Shiba Inu literally ate a hole two feet in diameter in their kitchen floor. Only because.
Is having a dog that eats cicadas a big deal? With the 17 year old Brood X cicadas popping up in different parts of New Jersey, there is something you should know about. They can harm dogs, and there are literally billions of these things out there. Backyards can look like a huge, twisting cicada blanket that completely covers the grass. And their sound can attract a dog’s attention and their crispy shell can attract a dog’s sensory curiosity.
If people are known to eat cicadas because they’re filled with protein, that should be like healthy food for a dog, right? Not so. A couple of cicadas like five or six won’t do anything bad, according to an article on nj.com. But more than that and your pooch could get into trouble.
In large quantities, these crispy clams can irritate a dog’s stomach lining. If they eat more than a few and are prone to it, it can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Some dogs eat so much that they become blocked in the intestinal tract and may need emergency medical care. Worse, although very rare, there are dogs that have been known to be allergic to eating cicadas and go into anaphylaxis.
If all of these make you question a dog first and you think a cat would have been easier, you know that this can happen in cats too. Cats generally don’t eat that many, but when they do, they can have problems too.
If it happens, don’t panic. Cicadas are not poisonous, they do not bite, and they are not poisonous. Your pet can get really sick for a while. If you catch your dog eating, let him finish chewing and then bring him back to your house to cut the buffet off.
The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. All opinions expressed are from Jeff Deminski.
