While most of us love dogs, it also comes with a few disadvantages. You will have to take care of them properly to ensure that they will not develop bad habits and will be safe from health threats. However, there are also some drawbacks that not a lot of dog owners will be aware of. For instance, the possibility that their poop can be the source of a rat infestation.



Can Dog Poop Attracts Virginia Rats?
Some people claimed that dog poop is the primary food source of the Norfolk rats in the urban area. While this may contain bacteria and toxins that can cause illnesses especially among humans, this also contains minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Rats can also ingest them without any health risks. In case their nose caught a hint of it, it is highly possible that they will visit your property. Nonetheless, before eating the dog poop, they will first be attracted on the leftovers and food scraps in our trashcan.

How Far Can They Smell?
The olfactory sense of the Norfolk rat can be comparable to the dog’s sense of smell. The rat’s nose is too effective that they can identify if there is an edible item inside our garbage. In addition, they can also determine if there is a poison in the food. Therefore, your conventional poison will rarely work against them.

Most of the time, you won’t be able to encounter the rats. They are nocturnal species that will mostly be active during sunset. In addition, the rats prefer to stay in the more populated areas of the city since it gives them a quick access to food source. During rare cases, there will be an infestation that will happen on suburban communities. One reason is perhaps the increased number of pets in the area. This also means that the waste product of pets will dramatically increase that can capture the attention of the rats.

Why Having Rats in Your Property is Bad
Rats are not only considered as nuisance create but they are known as pests. They can reproduce at an astounding rate and the illnesses and parasites that they carry can be transmitted to humans and to our pets. In addition, their burrowing habit can also lead to structural damages. Some of the diseases that they may carry include typhus, salmonella, worms, leptospirosis, rabies, etc. When you are infected with the diseases the symptoms may range from a simple flu virus to a respiratory infection that can threaten your life.

Rats can be linked to different structural damages. They can chew a small hole and enlarge it to create an entry hole. Once they made it inside, they can destroy and contaminate our insulation that. They can chew the wires, plastic, and, wood materials that can weaken the foundation of our house. Our water and gas pipes will not be spared from their incessant chewing habit.

For those who have dogs, they want to make sure that the fecal matter of their pets will be properly disposed. The feces of the dog contain various minerals that can serve as a sustenance to different rodents such as rat.

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