Dog Ate Ladybugs or Asian Lady Beetles? Check the Mouth

Dog ate ladybugs? True ladybugs are rarely a problem, but Asian lady beetles can stick to the roof of the mouth and burn it. Look inside now.

Get your dog to a vet today, and to an emergency vet now if your dog has trouble breathing, a swollen face, hives, repeated vomiting, bloody diarrhea or seems weak, or if you can see beetles stuck to the roof of the mouth or open sores and your dog will not eat.

Finding out your dog snapped up a few beetles off the windowsill is unsettling. The most useful next step needs only a flashlight and a helper: a careful look at the roof of your dog's mouth.

Dog Ate Ladybugs: Which Bugs Matter

True ladybugs, the native North American kind, are not considered a risk to dogs, according to the experts quoted by PetMD. The trouble comes from a look-alike: the Asian lady beetle.

The American Kennel Club (AKC), citing the American Veterinary Medical Association, notes that the viral photo of a dog's mouth full of beetles actually showed "an invasive species called Asian lady beetles," not true ladybugs.

Asian lady beetles also come indoors, where your dog is. A University of Minnesota extension entomologist told PetMD that in the fall "they aggregate on and in homes and other buildings to find protected locations for spending winter." That puts them on sunny walls, windowsills and baseboards, at nose level for a curious dog.

The two are hard to tell apart, especially once a dog has crunched a few, so do the mouth check below whichever bug it was.

Emergency and Same-Day Signs

Start here before anything else.

Go to an emergency vet now if your dog has any of these:

Trouble breathing
A swollen face or muzzle, or hives (this guide to a dog's swollen face after a sting explains why face swelling needs prompt care)
Repeated vomiting
Bloody diarrhea
Weakness
Beetles stuck to the roof of the mouth, or open sores, in a dog that will not eat

See a vet in person today, even without those signs, if you notice:

Any beetles visibly stuck in the mouth, or sores or raw patches
Reluctance to eat, or not eating at all
Any vomiting or diarrhea after eating beetles
Drooling or foaming at the mouth that does not settle
A foul odor coming from the mouth

Citing a veterinarian it interviewed, PetMD writes: "Some signs of a dangerous encounter with beetles include excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth, reluctance to eat, and a foul odor coming from the mouth." The same veterinarian describes what can follow when a dog eats a lot of them: "Possible side effects after ingesting large quantities of beetles include reduced appetite, vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, and lethargy." If signs like these are present, PetMD says to "call your vet for an immediate evaluation."

The bold line at the top is the short version. In plain terms: a dog with a clear mouth and none of these signs can be watched at home, any sign on the second list means a vet today, and any emergency sign means an emergency vet now.

If you are not sure whether what you are seeing counts, this practical pet emergency checklist can help you decide quickly. When in doubt, go in.

Why Beetles Stick to the Roof of the Mouth

Shape is part of it. Beetles have hard wing covers, and an entomologist quoted by PetMD explains that in lady beetles they give the insects "a rounded, hemispherical shape, which would make them difficult for the dog’s tongue to remove." In one published case the AKC cites, the beetles "secreted a mucous that caused them to become lodged on the top of the dog’s mouth, causing corrosion similar to a chemical burn."

The other part is chemistry. When an Asian lady beetle is attacked, it releases its body fluid, called hemolymph. A veterinarian quoted by PetMD explains: "Hemolymph is corrosive, and can cause chemical burns to the mouth and/or gastrointestinal tract. It also has a strong repellent odor and foul taste."

Keep this in proportion. Mouth burns from lady beetles are uncommon and mostly reported case by case; PetMD notes that "a lone formal published paper exists on the subject." Rare is not impossible, though, and the problem sits where you cannot see it without opening the mouth.

Look in the Mouth Now, Safely

A veterinarian quoted by PetMD puts the first step simply: "If a pet owner notices that their pet is drooling or not wanting to eat, simply look in their mouth." Here is how to do it safely.

Get good light, such as a phone flashlight.
Ask a helper to gently steady your dog while it sits.
Place one hand over the top of the muzzle and lift the upper lip.
With your other hand, gently press the lower jaw down to open the mouth.
Look at the roof of the mouth behind the upper teeth, then at the gums and tongue. You are looking for small orange, red or black beetles, raw or discolored patches, or open sores.

If your dog resists, cries or tries to bite, stop. Do not force a sore mouth open. Take your dog to a vet instead.

If you see beetles stuck or sores: do not scrape, pick or pull at them. Removal is a job for a veterinarian at a clinic, and PetMD notes it may need to be done "under sedation." Get your dog to a vet in person today, and to an emergency vet now if your dog will not eat.

Water: leave fresh water where your dog can reach it. A veterinary entomologist quoted by PetMD says a dog "will quickly seek water to wash away the taste—which is a good thing." Do not force water or flush the mouth with a hose or syringe.

If the mouth looks clear and your dog is acting normally: you can watch at home. Keep watching for drooling, pawing at the mouth or not eating, and look again if any of those start. Any sign on the lists above means a vet today.

If you are not sure what you saw: a vet can talk you through the check on video, as described below.

What About Stink Bugs?

Brown marmorated stink bugs show up at the same time of year, and dogs snap at them too. The University of Maryland Extension is reassuring about the bug itself: "They are not harmful to people, houses, or pets. They do not bite, sting, suck blood, or spread disease."

What they do have is a smell. UMD notes: "They emit a strong, unpleasant odor when threatened or crushed."

To be honest, there is little veterinary research on dogs eating stink bugs. Both bugs gather on the same sunny walls in the fall, so if you are not sure which one your dog ate, check the roof of the mouth anyway and use the same signs above. If drooling does not settle, see a vet today; this guide on why a dog suddenly drools a lot covers other causes.

Fall Bug Season in Virginia and New York Homes

As the weather cools, both bugs start looking for a place to spend the winter. UMD says stink bugs "congregate in late summer/early fall and actively seek safe overwintering sites- especially inside buildings." Asian lady beetles do much the same.

Keeping their numbers low indoors keeps them out of your dog's mouth. A Penn State extension educator quoted by PetMD says the way to do this is to caulk cracks around windows, doors, pipes and the attic where beetles get in, and to vacuum up beetles once they are inside.

Vacuuming works for stink bugs, too. Virginia's Office of Pesticide Services says stink bugs "can be vacuumed up." Empty the bag or canister somewhere your dog cannot get to it.

Skip the indoor sprays. UMD asks whether spraying "a harmless, nuisance pest" is worth the "exposure of people and pets to toxic chemicals."

If you live in Florida, the same mouth check and warning signs apply any time your dog snaps up a beetle.

Healing If the Mouth Is Sore

A sore mouth after eating beetles needs a vet, not a wait-and-see approach. PetMD warns: "If the chemical burns are not treated properly, an infection could develop and potentially become serious." Treatment starts with the vet removing any stuck beetles and then treating the damage to the mouth.

After that treatment, a Tufts emergency and critical care veterinarian quoted by PetMD says "the gums and tissues of the mouth heal very quickly—usually within seven days."

While your dog's mouth heals:

Offer soft food that needs little chewing.
Keep fresh water where your dog can reach it.
Follow the care plan your vet gave you, and ask before changing it.

If your dog starts vomiting, has diarrhea or stops eating while the mouth heals, call your vet today, or go to an emergency vet now for any emergency sign above. This guide to why a dog is vomiting gives background but does not replace that call.

What a RexVet Online Vet Can and Cannot Do

First, the rule that matters most: for any emergency sign above, skip the video visit and go to an emergency vet now. A dog with stuck beetles, sores, vomiting or no appetite needs a clinic in person today.

A video visit fits a dog that is still eating and has none of those signs, with only a little drooling or pawing that seems to be easing, or an owner who is not sure what the mouth check showed. RexVet's veterinarians are licensed in Florida, New York and Virginia. On a video call, a vet can:

Guide you to open your dog's mouth on camera and look at the palate, gums and tongue
Check drooling, face swelling and breathing
Help you decide between home care, a clinic visit today or the ER

A video visit cannot remove stuck beetles, sedate your dog or treat mouth burns.

If the veterinarian decides medication is appropriate, they can prescribe where state rules allow. In Florida, a veterinarian who has seen your pet only by video may prescribe only FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, for up to 14 days (1 month for flea-and-tick-only products), and cannot renew without an in-person exam.

If your dog is still eating but drooled a little or pawed at the mouth after a beetle snack, or you are not sure what you saw on the mouth check, book a RexVet video visit. A visit is $64.99, vets are available 24/7, and visits are for pet parents in Florida, New York and Virginia only.

When to Go In Person in Virginia, New York or Florida

Emergency signs mean an emergency vet now; the other signs on the lists above mean a clinic today. Stuck beetles have to be removed and burns treated in person, sometimes with sedation, and none of that can happen over video.

In Florida, state law requires a telehealth vet to give "the contact information for at least one physical veterinary clinic in the vicinity of the patient's location." You can read more about how video visits work in Virginia, New York and Florida.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are ladybugs poisonous to dogs?

Native ladybugs are not considered a risk to dogs, according to the experts quoted by PetMD. The concern is the look-alike Asian lady beetle, whose body fluid can burn the mouth. Because the two are hard to tell apart, check the roof of your dog's mouth whichever bug it was.

What happens if a dog eats Asian lady beetles?

The beetles can lodge on the roof of the mouth, and their body fluid can cause chemical burns to the mouth and gut, according to PetMD. A dog that eats a lot of them may also lose its appetite, vomit, have diarrhea that may be bloody, or seem lethargic. Use the lists near the top of this guide to decide where to go.

How do I get beetles off the roof of my dog's mouth?

You do not; a vet does. Do not scrape, pick or pull at them with fingers or tools, because removal can need sedation. Get your dog to a vet in person today, and to an emergency vet now if your dog will not eat.

My dog ate a stink bug and is drooling; is that normal?

There is little veterinary research on dogs eating stink bugs, so no source we found says what is normal. Check the mouth in case it was a lady beetle, and see a vet today if the drooling or foaming does not settle.

How can I keep lady beetles and stink bugs out of the house?

Seal the cracks around windows, doors, pipes and the attic where bugs get in, and vacuum up any that make it inside, as the extension experts above suggest. Skip indoor sprays: UMD questions whether spraying a harmless pest is worth exposing people and pets to toxic chemicals.

For any emergency sign above, go to an emergency vet first; stuck beetles, sores, vomiting or no appetite mean a clinic today. If your dog is still eating but drooled a little or pawed at the mouth after eating beetles and you want a vet's eyes on it, book a video visit now. A visit is $64.99, vets are available 24/7, and visits are for pet parents in Florida, New York and Virginia only.