Are Centipedes Poisonous To Dogs? 

In summer season, there are very favorable conditions. Due to the weather, these annoying insects walk through your garden or the nearest park and affect your dog. These insects represent a substantial threat because of their toxicity. But, they are not lethal if the problem is addressed promptly; otherwise, it causes irreparable damage.

So, are centipedes poisonous to dog? The answer is: it depends. Some are severely poisonous and some are not so poisonous. If your dog gets bitten by centipedes and is not treated on time then it can become fatal. So, if you see any bite mark on your dog and if your dog is in pain then immediately get your dog treated.

Useful Guidelines

Care for your dog is very basic and simple the only thing that you must be attentive is the environment where they dwell spend time because it does not have to worry so much. It is suggested to consider cleaned surfaces more often and use pesticides to keep your home free of pests. However, pay much attention to what he sniffs, searches, and licks.

With the spring, the bugs return. And unfortunately, we already know that many of them are dangerous for our dogs.

Today we will talk about how dangerous the centipedes can be for our dogs during this season.

What Are The Centipedes And How To Recognize Them?

First of all, it must be said that the centipedes – rather long-lived – is not dangerous for us, but the sting is painful and causes swelling. The centipedes are chilopods (those that are usually called “Centopiedi,” i.e., terrestrial arthropods with the distinct elongated body in the head and trunk). They have a healthy body and bright colors and have about twenty segments.

The most common is the Scolopendra cingulata, which can reach up to 17 centimeters in length and 15 millimeters in width, with 21 pairs of legs, all prehensile and with a sharp claw at the end. It has a color ranging from yellow to brown to olive. It feeds on adults and insect larvae and lives under stones and is not too dry soils. In Central America, there are up to 30 centimeters long centipedes.

All species have their bodies divided into segments, and each segment has a pair of legs. The head is small and flat. It has two very mobile antennas coated with a large number of sensitive hairs that give them a velvety appearance. The eyes are simple and four on each side.

A common feature of chilopods is the maxillopods or force spots. That is, the legs of the first pair evolved into strong, curved legs with lots of sharp points crossed by a canalicolo connected to the glands of the poison. And with these the scorpion-bite bites tightening them like pincers, but only bites if it is grasped with the fingers or if they are narrow.

How Poisonous Are Centipedes?

• There are well over 1000 species of centipedes. From desert areas to the rainforest, the small long insects can be found. Some species are poisonous; others are not.
• The strength of the poison also varies depending on the species. Some centipedes are capable of killing small animals with their poison, but humans can even die as a result of the poison.

Toxic Centipede Touches: Symptoms and Help

The poison of centipedes’ causes in humans and dogs are redness, blisters, and puffiness. Depending on the strength of the poison, it can also lead to an intense burning joke and unpleasant odor.

If your dog comes in contact with a poisonous species, wash his skin immediately with clean water. Afterward, cooling with ice is often sufficient. For highly toxic species, you should consult a doctor for safety.

The Danger Posed By Centipedes For Dogs

The centipedes infiltrate any wet and dark place, be it outside or inside. It is common to find them in the field and forests (under stones or dead wood) or at home, especially in the bathroom or in poorly used rooms.

Preventing our dogs from coming into contact with centipedes is difficult. Also, many dogs like to chase and eat them!

The best we can do is to know how to diagnose a centipede’s bitten and act quickly to prevent poisoning.

Symptoms And Diagnosis

If the centipedes bite the dog, the insect can cause oedemas and tissue necrosis in the area where it has been bitten. This wound can be fatal since the poison can reach the vital organs of our pet. Also, it can generate respiratory problems in the toilet.

Possible symptoms of a centipedes bite in a dog are the following:

• Swelling around the bite mark (two dots separated by a couple of millimeters). The most common areas are the snout, the belly, the legs, and the ears.
• Necrosis of the oral tissues (in case of ingestion of the centipedes) or the pads of the animal
• Fever, apathy, inability to breathe, or eating
• If you think that your dog has been bitten by a centipede or has eaten it, take it to the vet immediately.
• Centipedes bite in the snout.

How To Get Rid Of Centipedes At Home?

The centipedes live in nature, and it is impossible to avoid it. But you can take precautions not to find them at home or in the garden:

• Clean often: good hygiene reduces the presence of insects and arthropods in the home. It cleans deeply, especially in bathrooms, kitchen, and cabinets.
• Open the windows every day to let in light and avoid moisture.
• Do not leave piles of stone or dead wood in the garden.

Read 60 sure shot ways to keep centipedes away from house to know all the ways to keep them away from your house.

Different Species of Centipedes

There are mainly three species of centipedes. All are poisonous, but some more dangerous than others due to the size of their jaws and the intensity of the poison.

How To Eliminate It?

There are different ways to fight the centipedes. The mechanical destruction of the nests is often practiced. It is an operation that usually takes place in winter, using stairs and truncated branches. If the area of ​​intervention is more extensive, the microbiological fight is particularly indicated. A bacterium is used, which, when it strikes the centipedes, paralyzes the larva, damaging its nerve centers.

This bacterium affects only some lepidopterans and therefore is not dangerous for biodiversity. In some cases, the chemical fight is used, with pheromone traps, to avoid the encounter between males and females and fertilization. Consequently, in this way, a further generation of the Lepidoptera is not formed.

Effects Of The Centipedes On Animals

The centipedes are very dangerous in particular against horses and dogs, which, by grazing the grass or smelling the ground, may inadvertently ingest the stinging hairs that cover the body of the insect.

The symptoms that a dog presents are often severe. The first symptom is sudden and intense salivation. It is caused by the violent inflammatory process mainly in the mouth and a less severe form of the esophagus and the stomach. The phenomenon does not hint at all to diminish, indeed with the passing of the minutes, above all, the tongue, following the acute inflammation, undergoes a pathological enlargement, sometimes reaching appalling dimensions, such as to suffocate the animal.

The stinging hair of the centipedes’ moth comes into contact with the tongue. They destroy the cellular tissue: the damage can be so severe as to cause processes of necrosis with the consequent loss of portions of the tongue.

Other relevant symptoms are loss of liveliness of the animal, fever, refusal of food, vomiting, and diarrhea, and above all, the latter can also be hemorrhagic.

How To Take A Dog That Presents The Symptoms Of Contact With The Burner Of The Centipedes?

The first treatment to be applied to an unfortunate dog affected by centipedes is to remove the irritating substance from the oral cavity: for this purpose, it is necessary to wash the mouth abundantly with water!

It is therefore advisable to use a needle-free syringe with which to wash the washing solution repeatedly in the mouth.

After this first intervention, you should go to the vet as soon as possible.

Conclusion:

If there are pines in the park or the areas you frequent with your dog, you can ask the municipality or landowners if the pest control has been done. In the same way, if you see these animals lined up somewhere, even in places where you do not go with the dog, it is good to notify the competent authorities so that the area can be secured.

The centipedes are not only a risk for the man, the dog, and other animals. It is, in fact, a very voracious insect, which destroys entire woods and pine forests: if you see shabby pines, and with characteristic nests, the area is likely haunted.

Remember: If you suspect that your dog has been in contact with centipedes, take it as soon as possible to the veterinarian.

Anurag Ray

Welcome to my blog. I have been doing pest control for years since my house, garden and pets were always attacked by various kinds of pests and as a result I had to know proper pest control techniques that works. In this blog I share all the tips and tricks that I know and I hope you’ll find it helpful.