My sweet, dumb dog is addicted to eating cicadas. Every spring for the last five years, she’s scarfed down as many as she can find only to yak them up — both dead and alive — in our living room. Due to her proclivity, she isn’t permitted to go outside during cicada season without strict human supervision.
One year, after my dog had been puking up the bugs pretty regularly all summer long, my parents and I watched her dig up, chase down and practically inhale several cicadas in our backyard. We managed to slightly curb her cicada habit with some pretty extreme supervision and the puking stopped, until she got into even more cicadas.
So far this spring, we have yet to report any cicada snacking. There haven’t been too many cicadas coming up in the area yet, either. So, it’s yet to be seen what sort of damage she’ll do once their emergence really kicks off.
For the longest time, I thought this was simply a bizarre trait unique to my pup, but with a massive emergence of cicadas hitting 17 states this summer, I’ve learned that a penchant for snacking on cicadas is pretty common in dogs.
I know firsthand how scary it can be the first time your dog eats a cicada, and if your pet happens to have a taste for an emerging brood, you may be worried about what could happen if they consume too many. That’s why I spoke to two experts about everything to know about dogs eating cicadas. Read on to find out what you need to know about keeping your pet healthy this summer.
For more, here’s everything we know about Brood XIX and Brood XIII and 13 essentials for new dog owners.
2024’s double cicada emergence
2024 was one of the most massive emergence of cicadas that the US has seen in recent years. This is because two broods of cicadas will be emerged concurrently that spring. Brood XIX, also known as the Great Southern Brood, and Brood XIII, the Northern Illinois Brood will be emerged at the same time in May of 2024.
Now, you don’t need to worry about double emergencies becoming a regular occurrence. The last time a double emergence like this happened was back in 1803. The two broods that will be emerging this spring are Brood XIX, also known as the Great Southern Brood, and Brood XIII, the Northern Illinois Brood.
The Great Southern Brood emerges every 13 years and will began to emerge in May 2024 and last until mid-June. The Northern Illinois Brood that emerged is on a 17-year cycle and also began to emerge in May of 2024.
This means that from May to mid-June, cicadas were taking over a whopping 17 states. If you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin — you had a summer full of cicadas.
This year, USA Today reported 13 states that should expect to get a large number of cicadas this year including Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia.
So… are cicadas dangerous for dogs to eat?
No, cicadas are not venomous or poisonous, nor do they bite or sting. These seasonal pests are simply loud and annoying. There’s nothing you really need to worry about when it comes to you or your pets’ safety.
However, that doesn’t mean that you should let your dogs go wild eating cicadas each summer. According to American Kennel Club veterinarian Jerry Klein, you really need to fret only if your pet begins acting strange. “The shells can cause, potentially, some gastroenteritis” and, “in a worst-case scenario … could potentially be a blockage.”
Gregory Lawson, from NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, recommends considering a vet trip “if the dog seems depressed, like is unusually quiet, less responsive than normal” or if the dog is salivating at an extreme level.
In my experience, I have never had to take my dog to the vet, even after she’s eaten multiple cicadas. She has typically thrown up and had a bit of a sensitive stomach for a couple of days after she’s really gone to town on cicadas, but she has never exhibited any of the symptoms that Klein and Lawson mentioned.
Klein recommends observing your pet for any abnormal behavior, particularly if your pet is repeatedly vomiting and is unable to hold any water down, and recommends calling your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.
For more, here are the best dog toys (according to dogs) and our picks for the best robot vacuums.
Read the full article here
