Do Shih Tzus Kill Mice? [Is It Safe To Let Them Eat Mice?]

Some Shih Tzu owners prefer to let their dog do the work of a pest exterminator to catch mice.

but they forget to take these critical facts below like poisoned rats or rats with serious and contagious diseases into account.

 

Avoiding these facts can actually hurt your Shih Tzu and You!.

 

Let’s go over why you should carefully consider whether to let your Shih Tzu kill mice.

 

Do Shih Tzus Kill Mice?

Shih Tzus can and will kill mice if they find them scurrying around. If that mouse has ingested anything bad, like poison or has a contagious disease, it could be very dangerous for your dog to eat and you might catch the disease via your pup!

 

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Should My Shih Tzu be allowed to kill mice?

Probably not, this of course varies from situation to situation though. If you live on a farm where you know no harmful chemicals are being used and the mice are small enough to not cause injury. Maybe allowing them to, would be okay for your specific circumstance.

However, If you are at all unsure about whether or not the mouse could harm your dog I would say definitely not.

Do Shih Tzus Hunt Mice?

Most breeds of dogs will hunt any fuzzy creatures smaller than them and Shih Tzus are no exception to this rule. If a Shih Tzu comes across a mouse outside or in your home, it will probably try to hunt it.

 

My Shih Tzu Killed A Mouse, Does It Need To Get Any Shots?

Veterinary technician Debi Matlack says that there are a lot of possible diseases mice can carry and transmit to your dogs, some of these include: Rat Bite Fever, Tularemia, Salmonella and in exceedingly rare cases Bubonic Plague and Rabies.

 

So it is recommended that you always stay up to date on your dog’s vaccinations. Whether or not you believe your Shih Tzu is coming into contact with mice at all, It is always best to stay on the safe side when it comes to your dog’s health.

Will My Shih Tzu Kill My Pet Mouse?

If your pet mouse is left unattended with your Shih Tzu, It will probably end up killing it, as dogs are instinctually hunting animals. They are not likely to be able to combat this urge when they are alone or even with you around, no matter how well trained they are.

 

You can keep your two pets in separate rooms though. If the mouse is in a cage in a room the mouse is not able to get out of and your dog can’t get into. You should be safe to keep both as a pet without any issues.

Can Dogs Sense Mice In The House? Even Inside The Walls?

Dogs have pretty incredible senses of hearing and smell that are much better than humans. If there is a prey animal in your house, your dog probably knows about it.

 

They are actually a great way for you to be able to tell if there are mice in your house. If you often find your dog scratching at the walls or chasing something seemingly invisible around, It is likely that you have a rodent in your house that you are not sensing!

Can Shih Tzus Eat Mice?

Like most dogs, Shih Tzus are capable of eating many small mammals including mice, small/baby rats and even small birds if they can catch them.

 

Rodents can however, sometimes contain a parasite known as Toxoplasmosis can cause a range of problems in your dog, all the way from diarrhea to nervous system issues.

 

Excluding parasites and disease, eating the small animals doesn’t pose much of a threat to your dog internally, as when the bones are uncooked, they usually pass through the digestive system with ease. When bones are cooked they become brittle and could splinter, but uncooked bones are safe in small animals.

My Shih Tzu Just Ate A Dead Mouse, What Should I Do Now?

You should call your vet or if you think the mouse was likely to have been poisoned, your closest pet poisoning specialist or hotline if you have one. If your dog needs any of it’s shots, now would also be a good time to inquire about them.

 

It’s important to stay calm. In this day and age and in the hands of professionals your pet is most likely going to be just fine.

Can A Puppy Get Sick From Eating A Mouse?

If the mouse was infected with one of the diseases below, there is a high likelihood!

1. Roundworm
2. Leptospirosis
3. Toxoplasmosis
4. Rat Bite Fever
5. Tularemia
6. Rabies
7. Plague

 

It could pass on those diseases to the pup and in turn you!. If your puppy is fully vaccinated and healthy, it should recover well though.

 

If however, the mouse in question has ingested poison of any kind, this could be very dangerous. If you feel like that is the case or could be the case please contact your vet immediately.

 

Frozen/Thawed Mice As Raw Dog Food (Raw Diet)?

This is a difficult question to answer as the topic itself has not been very well researched. My advice? If you know for a fact and are 100% sure that the frozen mice were healthy and poison free, (like you bread them yourself) it should be completely fine.

But like many things, If you aren’t sure, don’t chance it. There are much easier (and probably cheaper) alternatives that won’t have such a risk for negatively impacting your dog’s health.

 

Is It Cruel To Let Your Dog Catch Mice?

If you’re sensitive about animals dying this may seem like a horrific thing to think about but in reality, no.

 

Mice are prey animals, who are killed and eaten in the circle of life just like so many others. I can assure you that going naturally in this way would be much more humane than poisoning them or killing them in a trap.

 

My Shih Tzu Won’t Stop Killing Mice! What Should I Do?

Stopping an animal with such strong hunting instincts from killing small prey may seem like an impossible feat. There are ways you can combat this kind of behaviour though.

Some of these ways include, only walking your dog while attached to a secure leash, keeping them under close supervision while outside and making sure that your home is rodent free.

Do Other Dog Breeds Kill Mice?

Yes! There are actually a number of dog breeds that were bred to be small and agile, specifically so they would be adept at catching rodents and other small critters.

An example of some of the dogs bred for mice catching are: Yorkshire Terrier, Dachshund, Miniature Schnauzer, German Pinscher, Jack Russell Terrier, of course the Rat Terrier and many more.

Mice Vs Rats

Mice and rats are very similar, but also have a lot of differences. For one, mice are often a lot smaller than rats are. Adult mice tend to be around 12-20 centimeters in length, whereas rats are often as big as centimetres.

If you’re looking to differentiate between the two, one easy way is to look at their droppings. Mice dropping are smaller and tend to be scattered around, whereas rat droppings are larger and tend to be refined to one or two more condensed areas.

Another way you can tell is by the holes that they leave behind. Mice are small and tend to be able to fit through holes already strewn throughout the home. Rats on the other hand, will have to create holes themselves to accommodate their larger bodies.

Rats are also neophobic, which means they have a fear of any new or unfamiliar objects in their surroundings. This makes them much easier to trap than their smaller and more curious counterparts.

So, Do Shih Tzu Kill Mice?

All in all, Yes. As a matter of fact, any dog that is capable of catching the little rascals, will kill them. This unfortunately, is just a part of owning a carnivorous animal as a pet. While they may be sweet and cuddly to us, they are always going to participate in the circle of life.

References:

https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_dg_raw_bones_or_cooked_bones