spot Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm hoping someone else may have experienced this or heard about it and can give me some advice. This morning I had to rush three of my papillons to the vet, because they were vomiting, had gone off their back legs and were drooling and looking pretty sick, poor babies. This is the second time I've had to do this, the first time was about 3 months ago with one dog, doing the same thing. The first time we found little black ants in his vomit, and I found one in it again today, yes same dog. He has now recovered but two of my girls are still at the vet, and are on a drip so they don't become dehydrated. After the first incident I have been really careful not to leave any food out so that ants don't get on it, but there was a little bit of kibble in their vomit so, as this was before breakfast I assume they must have found a little bit that one of them has stashed/dropped. They three dogs are 8 month pups and a 16 month bitch. This is freaking me out as I don't want anything to happen to my babies, and it's scary because they are right as rain and then suddenly staggering and vomiting. Does anyone know of anything I can use to get rid of the ants that won't hurt my dogs. I have a play yard for them that has artificial turf, surrounded by pavers. The ants seem to come when it's hot or there's going to be rain, any time really and just march in little trails along the pavers to the fence. I hose them away several times a day but they keep coming back. Any advice would be helpful, I'm going spare. Spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doglady0419 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm hoping someone else may have experienced this or heard about it and can give me some advice. This morning I had to rush three of my papillons to the vet, because they were vomiting, had gone off their back legs and were drooling and looking pretty sick, poor babies. This is the second time I've had to do this, the first time was about 3 months ago with one dog, doing the same thing. The first time we found little black ants in his vomit, and I found one in it again today, yes same dog. He has now recovered but two of my girls are still at the vet, and are on a drip so they don't become dehydrated. After the first incident I have been really careful not to leave any food out so that ants don't get on it, but there was a little bit of kibble in their vomit so, as this was before breakfast I assume they must have found a little bit that one of them has stashed/dropped. They three dogs are 8 month pups and a 16 month bitch. This is freaking me out as I don't want anything to happen to my babies, and it's scary because they are right as rain and then suddenly staggering and vomiting. Does anyone know of anything I can use to get rid of the ants that won't hurt my dogs. I have a play yard for them that has artificial turf, surrounded by pavers. The ants seem to come when it's hot or there's going to be rain, any time really and just march in little trails along the pavers to the fence. I hose them away several times a day but they keep coming back. Any advice would be helpful, I'm going spare. Spot. Hi "spot" You may want to get the professionals in to rid the ants once and for all..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm hoping someone else may have experienced this or heard about it and can give me some advice. This morning I had to rush three of my papillons to the vet, because they were vomiting, had gone off their back legs and were drooling and looking pretty sick, poor babies. This is the second time I've had to do this, the first time was about 3 months ago with one dog, doing the same thing. The first time we found little black ants in his vomit, and I found one in it again today, yes same dog. He has now recovered but two of my girls are still at the vet, and are on a drip so they don't become dehydrated. After the first incident I have been really careful not to leave any food out so that ants don't get on it, but there was a little bit of kibble in their vomit so, as this was before breakfast I assume they must have found a little bit that one of them has stashed/dropped. They three dogs are 8 month pups and a 16 month bitch. This is freaking me out as I don't want anything to happen to my babies, and it's scary because they are right as rain and then suddenly staggering and vomiting. Does anyone know of anything I can use to get rid of the ants that won't hurt my dogs. I have a play yard for them that has artificial turf, surrounded by pavers. The ants seem to come when it's hot or there's going to be rain, any time really and just march in little trails along the pavers to the fence. I hose them away several times a day but they keep coming back. Any advice would be helpful, I'm going spare. Spot. Hi "spot" You may want to get the professionals in to rid the ants once and for all..... Thanks Canine Etiquette, I have been making some phone calls to that effect today. I was hesitant because I didn't want to make the problem worse, ie spraying something that might poison the dogs, but it seems I have no choice, I must get rid of these ants. Aaaaarrggh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patters Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I have never had this problem with my Papillons, but I do have an awful problem with these tiny black ants. I have to use special containers and take special precautions (like using a surface spray on the underside of their boxes) to feed the dogs from or ants are all through their food in seconds, But I have never had any reactions like that.They are breeding in the walls of my house and I can't get rid of them (I can't afford a professional Exterminator at the moment, but it will come to this). I have some level of success with Mortein Ant Sand outside, and in the kennel runs, on the pavers. I sprinkle it on and hose it into the spaces between the pavers (just cracks really) every 3 months. In the cat cage, which has a solid concrete floor, nothing I do seems to work. I have used surface spray under the raised floor, which doesn't touch any of the cage sides, and Ant Nest Kill sachets. In the house, in the kitchen everything is in glass jars but I still have ants marching all over the pantry and just a crumb dropped and there is an explosion of ants all over it with in minutes. A dead spider or moth....ditto. Last week I noticed an ant trail in the bathroom and opened the (unused) vanity cabinet to find millions and their eggs covering all the surfaces in the drawers and cupboards. WTF there is absolutely no food in there and the cupboard has hardly ever been used, so still "as new". I bought Mortein Proffessional and went up into the roof to spray, but I have fully insulated up there and could see no signs of where to spray (and the nozzle keeps clogging up every 5 sprays - grrr). I have used it all round the outside of the house and in the window tracks and they still come in. I have now bought a 3 Pack of the flea bombs and will buy another 3 pack this week. I am going to put 3 in the roof and 3 in the house and see if that works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doglady0419 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm hoping someone else may have experienced this or heard about it and can give me some advice. This morning I had to rush three of my papillons to the vet, because they were vomiting, had gone off their back legs and were drooling and looking pretty sick, poor babies. This is the second time I've had to do this, the first time was about 3 months ago with one dog, doing the same thing. The first time we found little black ants in his vomit, and I found one in it again today, yes same dog. He has now recovered but two of my girls are still at the vet, and are on a drip so they don't become dehydrated. After the first incident I have been really careful not to leave any food out so that ants don't get on it, but there was a little bit of kibble in their vomit so, as this was before breakfast I assume they must have found a little bit that one of them has stashed/dropped. They three dogs are 8 month pups and a 16 month bitch. This is freaking me out as I don't want anything to happen to my babies, and it's scary because they are right as rain and then suddenly staggering and vomiting. Does anyone know of anything I can use to get rid of the ants that won't hurt my dogs. I have a play yard for them that has artificial turf, surrounded by pavers. The ants seem to come when it's hot or there's going to be rain, any time really and just march in little trails along the pavers to the fence. I hose them away several times a day but they keep coming back. Any advice would be helpful, I'm going spare. Spot. Hi "spot" You may want to get the professionals in to rid the ants once and for all..... Thanks Canine Etiquette, I have been making some phone calls to that effect today. I was hesitant because I didn't want to make the problem worse, ie spraying something that might poison the dogs, but it seems I have no choice, I must get rid of these ants. Aaaaarrggh! I could have suggested a couple of other ideas but I think if I were in your shoes and I have been in the past but not to the point of having sick dogs.....I called in the professionals and they used chemicals that they would safely use around children.... Good luck with the extermination!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 Thanks guys. I've rung a few pest control people. Most seemed to think that what they would use would poison the dogs, and I'd need to keep them off the grass for at least a week, and clean down the area really well after they'd sprayed which makes me wonder if the spray would be effective anyway. One guy didn't want to spray at all in case he poisoned my dogs! I'm going to keep ringing and see if there is something a bit safer. In the meantime my boy has recovered, (the boy who was affected the first time), along with my pom, who was affected while I was at the vet with the other three! Hopefully my girls are ok, and while I'm ringing pest control places I've sent my husband out for Mortein Ant Sand (thanks Patters I'll see if it works). I'll let you know the outcome, hopefully it will help anyone else who may be in the same boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 You need to find the nest & destroy it. Follow the trails & see if you can find it & treat/destroy. Hosing several times a day will make them come more, for the water, especially in the heat. You often find many ants around garden taps especially if the hose is left connected, they go for the water in the pipe. I spray the pavers around my cat runs with Coopex. Keep the dogs in until its dry & then its fine, never poisoned them. Get it from Fodder stores, its used around farm buildings a lot. Don't leave any food or water outside at all. Hope your dogs are ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 You need to find the nest & destroy it. Follow the trails & see if you can find it & treat/destroy.Hosing several times a day will make them come more, for the water, especially in the heat. You often find many ants around garden taps especially if the hose is left connected, they go for the water in the pipe. I spray the pavers around my cat runs with Coopex. Keep the dogs in until its dry & then its fine, never poisoned them. Get it from Fodder stores, its used around farm buildings a lot. Don't leave any food or water outside at all. Hope your dogs are ok. I never thought of the water bringing them, but of course you are right Christina. Thanks for your suggestion, I'll get some Coopex and spray the pavers. I think the nests are in a large plant pot which is about waist height and the ants march up it, and next door, as I see them disappearing under the fence. My dogs do seem to be getting better, thanks to all who've replied and offered advice, I have a few options now, and I'm about to wage war on those ants, and then hopefully get my girls back from the vet. The other two are sleeping it off and have had a small meal earlier, so I think they'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 You need to find the nest & destroy it. Follow the trails & see if you can find it & treat/destroy.Hosing several times a day will make them come more, for the water, especially in the heat. You often find many ants around garden taps especially if the hose is left connected, they go for the water in the pipe. I spray the pavers around my cat runs with Coopex. Keep the dogs in until its dry & then its fine, never poisoned them. Get it from Fodder stores, its used around farm buildings a lot. Don't leave any food or water outside at all. Hope your dogs are ok. I never thought of the water bringing them, but of course you are right Christina. Thanks for your suggestion, I'll get some Coopex and spray the pavers. I think the nests are in a large plant pot which is about waist height and the ants march up it, and next door, as I see them disappearing under the fence. My dogs do seem to be getting better, thanks to all who've replied and offered advice, I have a few options now, and I'm about to wage war on those ants, and then hopefully get my girls back from the vet. The other two are sleeping it off and have had a small meal earlier, so I think they'll be fine. Further update, just picked my girls up from the vet , they're fine, barking the place down and very pleased to see us! Have just treated the two large pots with ant sand and ant baits, and am off to get some Coopex tomorrow. Now will bath the dogs to get drool etc off them, I didn't want to do it before, they needed rest. All are well and happy now, thanks everyone for your suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Spot, glad to hear your littlies are OK. I had a huge ant problem here, mainly outside, if you stand still your legs turn black. I had been using a sheep fly treatment but was unable to get it this summer. I heard/read that ordinary talc powder would work. I had a container of cheap and nasty so used that on the ant trails and around areas where I didn't need the little devils - amazing - it works and my yard smells so sweet lol. Could be worth a circle around your dog runs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Does anyone know of anything I can use to get rid of the ants that won't hurt my dogs. I have a play yard for them that has artificial turf, surrounded by pavers. The ants seem to come when it's hot or there's going to be rain, any time really and just march in little trails along the pavers to the fence. I hose them away several times a day but they keep coming back. Any advice would be helpful, I'm going spare. Spot. There are a couple hundred species of ant in Australia. You're not going to be able to get rid of all ants on your property, and to target the problem species, presuming the ants are the source of the problem, it would help to know something about where it nests and what it feeds on. With the right information you may be able to find a highly specific poison, eg, something that the adult ants will take back to their nests and poison their young. The modern, highly targeted poisons of this sort work well with social insects and can be used in ways that aren't dangerous to dogs. But they require some information on the target species. Most ants hate water. If you just want to keep the ants out of the dogfood, I'd suggest setting the food in dishes set inside a larger dish of water. I do this sometimes in the cattery when the ants start eating the canned food. Alternatively, just leave the food down for 15 minutes and then take it away. The dogs will learn to eat fast. If you have ant trails forming, sprinkling talcum powder over the trail sometimes disrupts the ants food search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jibba Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 id put the food bowls in water as sandgrubber suggested and could you possibly put baits down outside the dog runs, like ant rid or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Thanks everyone for the advice. I've now used antsand and antrid, and will try the talcum powder now. Another friend suggested flea powder as well, perhaps its the powder base the ants don't like. All the dogs are fully recovered, thanks to all for your concern, it was a scary time! But hopefully I will be able to get rid of most of the ants. I was watching the dogs and now I can see how they would have got the ants, they were in the grass that grows under the fence from the neighbour's and they like nibbling on the grass. I have removed any visible grass and roots growing under, and will have to keep doing it. My little boy who was affected twice, is the worst culprit for chewing grass, so no wonder he got the worst reaction. Anyway, will keep working at the problem, and will let you know if the solutions work, it may help someone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 If they like grass- grow some in tubs for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Just thought I'd let you know, we hopefully have solved the ant problem with ant rid sand and baits. There's still a few but nowhere near as many as before. I'm getting rid of the grass growing under the fence every time it appears and have a tub of grass seeds growing for my guys, which they can use when it is established. Also I think the pups are getting immune. Remy, the original boy who had the reaction got a little offcolour one day and seemed to have a mild version of the previous symptoms, but brightened up in a few hours. No problems since. Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 That's good Hope they stay healthy and happy and ant-free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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