How to Kill Rats Without Harming Dogs

Having rat infestation in your house or home can be a nuisance and quickly become out of control. Rodents bring discomfort, property damage, and pose a health risk to you, your family, and your pets.

When considering ways of eliminating these rats, you need to ensure that the methods used have no adverse effects on your pets. For instance, some of the rodent control methods used to eradicate rats rely on toxic rat poisons as the basis of eradication. This can have an adverse impact on your pets and unfortunately, dogs are often the victim of secondary poisoning. 

Each year, there are almost 214,000 cases of pet poisoning in the U.S.  Rodenticides are one of the top 10 dog poisons.  Secondary poisoning can often be life threatening to your pet.  Immediate treatment is crucial if your dog has ingested rodenticides.  It is important to learn how to tell if your dog ate rat poison.

The severity of secondary poisoning in dogs depends on the type of rodenticide used and the amount of poison ingested.  However, even a small amount of poison can cause internal bleeding, labored breathing, and many other sever symptoms.  Your dog’s life depends on prompt care, and also requires after-treatment.  This usually involves vitamin K1 supplementation for up to 6 weeks to ensure blood clotting has returned back to normal.

So, how do you eliminate rats without exposing your dogs to dangerous poisons? To answer this question, consider the following: is there evidence of the method being harmful to dogs? What is your budget, and how big is your infestation? The following are ways in which you can eradicate rats and protect your dogs. 

Use Non-toxic Rat Traps

For some people, the sight of a rat makes them uncomfortable. To ensure that the pest is gone, their method of choice for pest control is eradication. If you fall under this category, an A24 Rat & Mouse Trap is one of the best options. It's a non-toxic rat trap designed with a small opening to attract rodents to the bait. The opening is wide enough to allow rodents in, but too small for dogs to reach the bait. When a rat or mouse enters the trap, it triggers a quick CO2-powered blow, which kills it instantly.  The trap is self-resetting, so you can "set it and forget it."  The A24 is an indoor/outdoor trap built to be durable and last in outdoor conditions of wild places. Unlike other traps, the A24 is meant to be the only trap you will need. 

Once killed, disposing of the dead rodent is easy.  When used outside, rats are often carried off by scavengers or can be easily disposed of.  When the trap is used with the trap stand, simply pick up the A24 Rat & Mouse Trap and tip it into a dumpster. Since the rats are killed instantly, there is no mess as there would be with methods such as snap traps or glue traps, and there is no unnecessary suffering as there often is with traditional methods.

Not only is the A24 safe around dogs, but it is also safe around other pets and non-targeted wildlife.  The A24 Trap also gives you peace of mind knowing your children will not accidentally come in contact with rat poison or unsafe trapping devices.  Due to the size of the trap opening, it is safe for families with kids. 

Use Electronic Rat Traps

There are many rat/mice zappers that kill rodents by electrocuting them. The rodent is killed inside the trap and leaves you with no mental images of the dead rodent. Built-in sensors detect an intruder and deliver an electric shock. A light on the trap casing notifies you after the rat is dead. Unfortunately, this is not a quick-kill method of rodent control, and the traps need to be monitored constantly so they can be emptied after each kill. 

Use Traditional Methods

Traditional methods include snap traps, glue traps, and cats that prey on rats. These methods are relatively cheap; however, they are not as effective as one would hope, especially when dealing with a large-scale infestation.  These methods require constant monitoring so new traps can be placed, and they often cause suffering for the rodent. Rats are often not killed immediately in snap traps and disposal is often quite gruesome.  Glue traps simply trap the rat with a sticky substance they are unable to escape from, causing a great deal of stress and suffering for the animal. These are some of the least quick-kill rodent-control methods.

Eliminating the Source of Attraction for the Rodents

The rodents in your home are often there due to an available source of food or water. If you identify and remove these sources, it goes without saying that the pests will also disappear. For instance, pet food left outside can attract rats. Unsecured cans and containers, when left unattended, can also attract these pests. When the sources of food and water are gone, they tend to move to other places to find the same. 

Conclusion.

When eliminating rodents from your home, it would be a great idea to consider the use of eco-friendly and humane methods. These methods should also protect and ensure that your dog is not in danger of rodenticide poisoning. The Goodnature A24 Trap is a non-toxic trap that offers the most humane pest control solution. The trap kit comes bundled with enough supplies for 48 kills.  This non-toxic and humane option makes it the best rodent-control solution for your family and your dog.