Whether you’re out on a walk with your canine companion or just curious, you may have wondered: can dogs eat squirrels? It’s a common question for dog owners, especially those who live in areas with large squirrel populations.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: dogs can eat squirrels, but it’s not recommended. Squirrels can carry diseases and parasites that may make your dog sick. There are also other risks involved with letting your dog hunt and consume wild squirrels.

Nutritional Value of Squirrels for Dogs

Meat and Protein

Squirrels can make an excellent source of protein for dogs. Their meat contains essential amino acids that support muscle growth and maintenance. In fact, the protein levels in squirrels are comparable to common meats like chicken or beef.

An average adult squirrel provides about 130 grams of meat, containing over 50 grams of protein.

This high-quality protein is easily digested and utilized by most dogs. Additionally, the meat and organs of squirrels provide iron, zinc, vitamins B12 and B6, all of which promote overall health and wellness in canines when consumed in moderation.

Fat Content

Though lean, squirrel meat does contain considerable amounts of fat and calories. A squirrel carcass with skin and bone intact can have 15-20% fat content. The subcutaneous, visceral and intramuscular fat provides a concentrated source of energy for dogs.

However, too much dietary fat may lead to pancreatitis or other issues in some dogs. It’s best to remove excess fat and skin before feeding squirrel meat to pets. The lean cuts of meat still offer substantial protein with less risk of gastrointestinal upset.

Other Nutrients

In addition to protein and fat, squirrels contain a variety of micronutrients that are healthy for dogs:

  • Phosphorus and calcium – These minerals support bone health.
  • Potassium – Important for fluid balance and nerve transmission.
  • Sodium – Needed for muscle and nerve function.
  • Magnesium – Helps regulate blood sugar and circulation.
  • Iron – Transports oxygen in the blood to tissues.
  • Zinc – Boosts immune function and wound healing.
  • B Vitamins – Aid metabolism and cell growth.

When feeding squirrels, it’s important to remove gastrointestinal contents and brains, which may harbor pathogens. Overall, squirrels make a nutrient-dense, single-ingredient protein source that many dogs relish. They can be fed raw or cooked while following basic food safety guidelines.

Health Risks of Feeding Squirrels to Dogs

Diseases and Parasites

Squirrels can carry a variety of dangerous infectious diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to dogs when ingested, including tularemia, leptospirosis, ringworm, rabies, plague, and mites that spread mange.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tularemia is found naturally in squirrels and can be spread to dogs that eat infected squirrel meat, causing fever, ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes. Dogs with weakened immune systems can develop fatal pneumonia from tularemia.

The bacterial disease leptospirosis infects the kidneys and liver of dogs that eat or come into contact with squirrels carrying the Leptospira bacteria. It can lead to life-threatening organ and system failure in dogs if left untreated.

Injuries from Hunting

Allowing dogs to hunt and kill squirrels poses a risk of the dog being scratched, bitten, or injured in the process, especially by big tree squirrels that are larger and more aggressive. Squirrel bites can become infected or cause tissue damage.

Injuries may also occur from dogs falling out of trees while chasing squirrels at height. According to a study published in Veterinary Surgery, falls accounted for 13.5% of hunting-related injuries in dogs.

Digestive Issues

Eating squirrels whole, bones and all, can lead to dental damage or obstructions in a dog’s mouth, throat, stomach or intestines. Squirrel bones are small, brittle, and prone to splintering, which can puncture or block the digestive tract.

Consuming squirrel brains specifically should be avoided due to the hypothetical risk of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like chronic wasting disease, similar to mad cow disease in cattle.

Toxicity Risks

Squirrels living in urban environments may accumulate and transmit toxic substances like heavy metals, rodenticides, and other chemicals to dogs that eat them. Rodenticides designed to kill squirrels and rats can be fatal to dogs as well.

Additionally, squirrels often carry ticks and fleas that can spread deadly toxins like Lyme disease to dogs. A study in Veterinary Medicine found a seroprevalence of Lyme disease between 5-20% in pet dogs exposed to tick-infested squirrels and other wildlife.

Ethical Concerns Around Dogs Eating Squirrels

Animal Welfare

There are several animal welfare issues to consider regarding dogs catching and eating squirrels. Squirrels likely experience fear and pain when chased and attacked by dogs, which raises ethical concerns. However, the natural predator-prey dynamic exists in ecosystems, making this a complex issue.

Ultimately, pet owners should try to prevent their dogs from causing undue suffering to wildlife like squirrels.

Environmental Impact

Dogs hunting squirrels to excessive degrees can negatively impact local squirrel populations and ecosystem balance. Squirrels play an important ecological role, dispersing seeds and fungi spores. They also provide a food source to native predator species like hawks and foxes.

If unrestrained dogs depleted squirrel numbers, it could disturb the natural food chain. There are no current statistics on dogs’ specific impact on squirrel mortality rates.

Legal and Safety Issues

There are legal considerations if a dog injures or kills a squirrel, especially if the squirrel enters a private property like a backyard. Squirrels are generally not protected under state or federal law.

However, animal cruelty charges are possible if a dog deliberately inflicts suffering on a squirrel for a prolonged time before killing it. There are also health safety issues to consider.

  • Disease transmission risk from squirrel to dog, if the squirrel was infected with parasites or viruses
  • Injury risk to dogs during the hunting/killing process like bite wounds
  • Nutritional issues if dogs frequently eat squirrels, as the meat may not provide complete nutrition
  • Ultimately pet owners should discourage dogs from eating squirrels, for the ethical issues around animal welfare and responsible wildlife stewardship. Allowing it also sparks health concerns for the dog. Fencing, leashing rules, and training can prevent undesirable pursuit of squirrels.

    Safer Alternatives to Feeding Squirrels

    Commercial Dog Food

    The best and safest alternative to feeding dogs squirrels is high-quality commercial dog food formulated to meet all of a dog’s nutritional needs. Reputable brands like Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Purina Pro Plan utilize extensive research to produce balanced diets optimal for a dog’s health and wellbeing.

    Commercial pet foods contain protein sources like chicken, lamb, or fish that are safer than wild squirrels which may carry parasites or diseases. They also undergo stringent quality control testing for contamination and nutritional adequacy.

    Owners can choose from various formulations suited for their dog’s life stage, size, and activity level.

    Other Meat Sources

    In place of squirrels, owners can feed dogs different sustainable animal protein sources like beef, pork, turkey, duck, rabbit, venison or bison. These meats can be given raw or cooked as part of a nutritionally complete diet.

    When sourced from reputable suppliers, they pose less risk of infection compared to wild game.

    Other alternatives include organ meats like liver or kidneys which are nutrient-dense. Bones from beef or lamb can satisfy a dog’s urge to chew while providing calcium. Supervised chewing of raw bones is generally safe, unlike cooked bones which become brittle and prone to splintering.

    Foraging Toys

    Interactive puzzle feeders and chew toys provide mental enrichment by tapping into a dog’s natural foraging instincts. Food dispensing toys like Kongs can be filled with kibble, peanut butter, or treats for dogs to manipulate and eat as “prey”.

    Chew toys made of nylon or rubber last longer than bones and are a safer squirrel substitute for chewing and biting.

    Rotating different foraging toys prevents boredom so they remain appealing. Supervising dogs during play allows removal of toys if they become damaged and pose a choking hazard. While not nutritionally equivalent to squirrels, interactive feeders provide dogs an outlet for their hunting drives without the risks of catching wild game.

    Conclusion

    While dogs are capable of hunting, catching, and eating squirrels, it’s generally not recommended. The potential risks to your dog’s health and safety outweigh any minimal nutritional benefits. Instead, stick to high-quality commercial dog food or other safer meat sources.

    Supervise your dog around wildlife and use alternatives like foraging toys to satisfy their prey drive in safer ways.

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