Usually roaches won’t hurt your cat or dog.
Generally, cockroaches are not a big threat to dogs and cats, for a couple reasons. First, roaches avoid them in most circumstances just like they avoid humans and other larger animals. Cockroaches view cats and dogs as threats that are better off avoided. So roaches usually hide for protection when they detect the movement of a cat or dog.
Second, dogs and cats are well protected from roaches by their fur which covers almost the entire body. Therefore, if a cockroach does happen to come in contact with a dog or cat, it is very difficult for the roach to bite or otherwise hurt the animal. One of the reason dogs and cats are covered in fur is to protect them from roaches and other insects that might bite them. Fleas are one notable exception that have overcome this defense.
My dog likes to corner and catch cockroaches. She flips them up in the air with her mouth and then rolls around on her back on top of the cockroach. It seems to be a form of play. I worried at first that the roach might pose a danger to my dog, but nothing bad ever happened from this behavior.
The only time cockroaches might be a danger to your pet cat or dog is in an extreme circumstance where there is a large cockroach infestation. This would be if there are many cockroaches but not enough food or water to sustain them. Cockroaches become desperate then and get more daring in their search for sustenance. They are most likely to approach a sleeping cat or dog in order to consume food or water either near or on the animal.
Do cockroaches bite dogs and cats?
Cockroach bites on dogs and cats are unusual, but not unheard of. You usually don’t need to worry about this unless you have many cockroaches. When food is scarce and the population is large, a cockroach may risk approaching a dog or cat in order to eat food remnants off of the skin of the animal. This sometimes results in cockroach bites on a cat or dog’s face, paws, or any other area on its body that is not covered by heavy fur.
A cockroach bite looks a little bit like a mosquito bite but usually a little larger. In addition to being itchy, cockroach bites become infected quite easily if they are not properly cleaned, so they do pose a risk to the animal. Usually, a cat or dog will bite and scratch at a cockroach bite until the skin is broken, which leads to infection. Keep cockroach bites cleaned and covered so your pet cannot get at them.
Bacteria spread by cockroaches could possibly pose a threat to your dog or cat
In addition to the risk of bites, cockroaches also carry bacteria and germs from one location to another. So roaches can easily contaminate a pet’s food or water dish if they are also using it as a source of food. Don’t leave cat or dog food laying around after your pet is finished eating. Put the unfinished food back in the container so as not to attract roaches.
If your home has a cockroach infestation and you also own a cat or dog, I recommend that you use a boric acid powder as a pesticide to eliminate the cockroaches. Boric acid is not harmful to dogs and cats in small quantities, and pets are usually avoidant of the powder.
Please be aware though that there have been cases where a cat or dog has ingested a large amount of boric acid which is led to serious kidney issues. So be careful to spread the powder in places where your pet cannot reach, such as inside the kitchen cabinets, under the refrigerator, etc.
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Brinda
Hi! Actually my shiatzu has had puppies and those puppies have consumed roaches. so what should I do now?
Linda TAYLOR
Can my dog get sick if he eats a roach that has been poisoned?
Ryan McCaffery
I wouldn’t worry. The amount of poison it takes to kill a roach is miniscule compared to a dog. So it is highly unlikely that eating a poisoned roach will hurt your dog. Now if your dog was fond of eating entire roach traps, that would be another matter.
Jackie
Hi my name Jackie. My little shih tzu puppy just ate a cockroach in my cousins house and my cousin said that they never sprayed insect killing spray, so the cockroach was not toxic. But I don’t know if it may have larva inside of it which could pass to my dog and give my dog parasites? I would really like to know if eating a cockroach does any harm to a dog. Thank you.
HealthClover
Hi Jackie, good question and I have good news. Even if the cockroach your puppy ate did have larvae/nymphs inside it, they would be destroyed by your dogs stomach acids and digestive system. So no worries. My dog occasionally eats roaches too and has never had any problems.
Jacqueline K. Murray
Hi, my name is Kim, and I am the proud owner of a very dear little friend named Sunshine. A feline domestic cat. We have had a very pesky issue with cockroaches over the past few months now that I cannot seem to get rid of. In fact, my aunt says they are very hard to get rid of. I have put Boric Acid behind my sink where most of them are, as well as behind and beside my stove. I do not want to use anymore because in spite of what the internet says about it being “safe” for pets, the actual container says it is dangerous for them. I also use a regular liquid pesticide. Nothing I have done has worked, and they crawl my walls, floors and in small instances, other rooms in my house. My main concern is my pet, who has had a history or not only infections but also chronic kidney disease, which fortunately, thank God is under control for the MOST part. She is on a once per month prescription of Revolution for heartworm and fleas which I just applied today. It is topical. Will this keep her safe? And is she safe overall with this infestation of roaches because I notice her scratching herself quite a bit lately which she usually does not do. Thanks, and I hope you all can shed some light on this for me. J. Kim Murray.
HealthClover
Hi, thanks for taking the time to comment. You can check your cats skin for symptoms of cockroach bites to see if that is the source of the itching. Usually the animals fur helps prevent them from getting roach bites. Roach droppings are linked with many allergies, which may also be a source of itching. Sounds like you have tried many roach poisons and nothing has worked, so it might be time to call in the big guns– a professional exterminator.