14 replies to this topic

[DemiSheep]

Quick question: has any one ever heard of a dog eating a mouse which has died from eating poison from a mouse bait station and either getting sick and or worse?

We have a mouse issue in our house and are trying to avoid using poison bait stations as we don't want Attila to eat a mouse that dies and get sick or worse.

[hheldorfer]

My experience has been that dogs usually don't eat the rodents that they kill (or find, already dead). Now cats . . . that's another story. Nevertheless, I wouldn't want my dog having any contact with a varmint that has been poisoned. Better safe than sorry.

And Buffy says Attila should get off his duff and take care of those mice himself!

[Terrier lover]

I would in no way use any kind of poison around either a dog or a cat. http://www.dogsympto...on-symptoms.php

[Lynn in TN]

I won't use any kind of poison in or outside my house, not only the safety factor but there is nothing worse than having to smell a decaying mouse that you can't find. Even though they are little you smell it for weeks. It has happened to several people I know. One in which started tearing out their sheetrock trying to find it because the smell was so bad, in this persons case it turned out to be more than one and they did find them.

[cairnsby3]

I would go with good old fashioned traps. I have lived where bait was used (I didn't do it), my neighbor did and they came to my side of the ceiling to die, the stink was horrible. Also no matter how well you hid it, I would worry that it could get where your pup could get it.

[MegsMom]

Yes, cairns can and may eat/chew enough of, a dead-from-poison mouse; and yes, the poison could do damage "or worse" to the dog. Unfortunately, therein lies the problem, the rate at which the 'dosage' may affect the dog is unknown, so said dog can end up sick several days later and the cause be unknown; due to not knowing about the ingestion or owner forgetfulness. Many ER clinics do a quick blood check for anti-coagulant components when a sick dog is brought in, as a matter of course, since unknown ingestion happens frequently. Several baits are anti-coagulant based and cause internal bleeding in a dog, with effects showing up 2-5 days after the ingestion. It's wise to see a vet if you suspect poisoned-mouse ingestion and hopefully know which poison was used, as a preventive course of Vit K might be given to counter an anti-coagulant ingestion.

Your best bet is to use an old-fashioned snap trap to do the deed, with it well-hidden from 'dog access' or use one of the "clean" traps, where it's a box the mouse goes into, eats the bait, I believe, cannot leave, and you discard the entire box. Here, I use a rat trap on all, no fun disposal, but you gotta do what you gotta do and it's safe for the dogs, even if the little sucker gets 'handicapped' by the trap and one of the dogs catches him--it wasn't poison that handicapped him:)

[Tracy A.]

I have a few mouse traps that take batteries and electrocuit the mouse. It's has a light and blinks when it's got a dead one.
I just keep a few around since we've gotten mice a few times in the fall/winter over the years and this way I don't have to worry about one of the dogs getting hurt by a snapping the neck kind.
I got mine at walmart, you put bait in it and the mosue has to go all the way to the back to trip it, so a little Cairn terrroirst could not set it off with a nouse or paw

[lindasue]

A cat would also take care of this problem! God help any mice that get into our house - it's a race between Pegi and the two cats to see who kills the mouse first.

[sanford]

Some of us know how determined a curious cairn can be if it wants to get at at something hidden. In the case of a snap trap or glue trap, I would worry that my cairn would out-wit me and come into contact with it and get hurt.

I would try using one or two of those electronic plug-in gizmos that repel mice and insects but are harmless to dogs, cats. (Don't use if you have hamsters!). They are sold online, (Amazon) and at hardware stores for approx. $20.00

[Terrier lover]

A funny story involving our Scottish Terrier, Sandie, a few years back. We put out snap traps outside under slightly tilted flower pots. It worked well for a time , then we spotted Sandie outside carrying the trap proudly in her mouth. Attached to the trap was a mere bloody scrap of left over mouse. The mouse had died the usual way when exploring a baited trap, but Sandie wasnt about to pass up a fresh meal.

[sanford]

Terrier lover, on 17 January 2012 - 03:25 PM, said:

Attached to the trap was a mere bloody scrap of left over mouse. The mouse had died the usual way when exploring a baited trap, but Sandie wasnt about to pass up a fresh meal.

[cairnrescueleague]

Sammy used to kill mice and present them to Chelsea to eat. Cubby would also kill mice, but he didn't know what to do with them once he did. He'd look at me like - Mom, do something!

[pkcrossley]

no poisons. a cairn can find the poison before the mice do. and though cairns don't often eat the mice (or parts of the mice) they kill, they do once in a while. curiosity --which some cairns have a lot more of than sense --is the problem. no seasoned cairn will eat poison or mice. but there are always the dare-devils. try traps. or cats.

[jo_]

We had mice in our garage and although I didn't like the idea of them co-existing in our quarters I didn't like the idea of killing a living creature. My partner thought I was being ridiculous. So...he put out an old fashion trap and I bought one of the plug-in things that Sanford mentioned (supposedly they give off a noise that the mice don't like). Needless to say there was never a mouse in the trap or any more signs of them in garage so I assume my method worked. I couldn't detect the noise emitted - I'm not sure if a dog could? I'd suggest giving one a try.

[pkcrossley]

yes, i had a problem with rice playing in the rafters of my garage and chewing on wiring. i got one of those things, plugged it in, and haven't seen a mouse in the garage for years now. i've never seen the dogs give any evidence that they are affected.