Do Mice Bite Dogs? Are There Risks?
Do mice bite dogs? Do you need to be concerned for your furry friend if you have pet mice or wild mice coming into your home?
There’s always a small risk of diseases being transferred. But it’s a really small risk, there’s really nothing for you to worry about as I’ll explain;
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Are Mice Dangerous to Dogs?
Mice are not dangerous to dogs, no. Even if you have a very small dog, a mouse is still tiny and will always do their best to get as far away as possible for a dog.
Who can blame them!
We have a miniature sausage dog, they don’t come much smaller than that. Any sign of wildlife moving in the garden and she chases it down.
I’m pretty sure she has chased a couple of mice in her time, and thankfully they got away.
It doesn’t bother me though. They pose no real threat to my dog, I just hope they always get away safely and go back to what they’re doing.
Can a Dog Get Sick From a Mouse Bite?
It’s possible, I’m not going to say it can’t happen. I’ve never heard of a dog getting sick from coming into contact with a mouse personally, but I’ve read about it.
The bottom line is that mice can carry diseases that will make dogs sick. It’s more prevalent in certain countries than others, so this may or may not apply to you.
For example, last year rodents were thought to be the cause for a number of dogs becoming infected with a bacterial infection called leptospirosis in Sydney, Australia.
I think rats were more culprits than mice, but both are carriers. This disease can cause kidney failure, jaundice, inflammation, and worse.
What Diseases Can Mice Give to Dogs?
Some of the diseases mice are known to carry that they can potentially pass to dogs and other household pets include:
Leptospirosis – as mentioned above.
Hantavirus – known as HPS for short. There are a handful of cases a year and the symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, labored breathing, and more.
Tularemia – the symptoms include fever, skin ulcers, fatigue, chills, and more.
Rat-Bite Fever – the symptoms include fever, vomiting, headaches, skin rashes, aches and pains, and more.
These are just a few of the diseases. It’s not just through biting that they can be transferred to dogs too. If your pup touches a dead mouse or comes into contact with their droppings they can also contract a disease.
Are Mice Scared of Dogs?
You bet they are. Mice are timed animals and being stared down by a huge animal like a dog with large teeth and the urge to chase anything that moves is exactly what they don’t want to see.
Every dog is different, some will chase mice and some won’t, I’m sure. But there aren’t going to be many mice willing to find out.
Generally speaking, mice are scared of just about any household pet or us. They are smart enough to know they need to get around without being seen.
Hence why it’s so hard to catch them in the home.
Dogs, and cats for that matter, do provide an extra line of defense if you’re dealing with mice in your home or around your home.
Studies have shown that you’re much less likely to have a mice infestation if you have household pets like dogs.
We all know about cats, they love to chase mice. They are a more effective mice trap than dogs but don’t underestimate the effect of having a dog around the home has too.
In Summary
Mice can bite dogs, yes. It’s not very likely, but if they feel threatened and trapped, they will scratch and bite to defend themselves.
There is also a small risk that they will transfer a disease too, so that’s something to be aware of if your pooch gets bitten.
Overall, it’s unlikely. But you never know, with the combination of a curious dog and a feisty mouse, there could be a biting incident.
Resources
What is leptospirosis? – TheConversation.com
Image credits – Header image by sipa, dog image by congerdesign, and mouse by Capri23auto from Pixabay
About The Author
Phil
I have kept pet mice for a number of years and always had a fascination with these interesting, fun little creatures. I'm always looking for new and interesting mice related information and will always help other mice owners where possible.
Hi Phil!
Thank you for sharing your information on this topic! It was a good read!
I’ve came across your blog, because I am wishing to purchase a Hungarian Vizsla, which breed happens to be a hunting dog breed. However, that being said I am not wishing to keep my future dog and pet mice together in the same space, but it will be unavoidable for them to meet every so often.
My pet mice have already have met my partner’s toy poodle when they were little (my partner and his dog do not live with me in the same household) and it have been an interesting experience to say the least. The dog seemed really interested but also jealous of the mice at times, and showed this by sniffing and suddenly jumping and moving around. One of my mice, Butter was however, horrified by the event and now always hides when she can sense that the dog is around or avoids objects that smells like him. My other girl, Bread on the other hand did not have the same traumatic experience as Butter, therefore she is still interested in dogs, however she is also careful when approaching them through the cage.
My question is, can you recommend anyways to get my pet mice and future dog acquainted? No need to be best pals but I want them to be comfortable with each other.
Thank you for your reply in advance!