"Cicada-geddon" is coming. Is your dog ready?

The cicadas are coming! Here’s what to know…

They’re coming.

Trillions of evolution's bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries.

Crawling out from underground every 13 or 17 years, with a collective song as loud as jet engines, the periodical cicadas are nature's kings of the calendar.

After a 17-year hibernation, in 2021, trillions of cicadas emerged in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Although the next brood isn’t scheduled to emerge until 2024, some have surfaced early.

Dogs may take an interest in cicadas but shouldn’t eat these insects.

Are they dangerous?

Cicadas don’t bite or sting, so no problem – right? Wrong. If you have a dog who likes to munch on whatever can be found on the ground, you need to prepare to stop them from devouring this plentiful treat.

“In most cases, your dog will be fine after eating a few cicadas,” says Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for the AKC. “However, dogs that gorge on the large, crunchy insects will find the exoskeleton difficult to digest and can suffer serious consequences.”

According to Dr. Klein, aftereffects can include severe stomach upset and abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Some dogs may require intravenous fluids, pain medications, gastroprotectants, or anti-nausea drugs.

Are there other risks involved with dogs ingesting cicadas?

There can be. Overindulging in cicadas may:

• Experience mild to serious GI upset

• Choke on the stiff wings or hard exoskeleton

• Suffer allergic reactions

• Consume unhealthy amounts of pesticides

How long will the threat last?

Cicadas live underground for most of their lives, where they drink from plant roots and develop into adults. They emerge from the ground to sing, mate, and lay eggs. The songs, sung mostly by males, can reach 100 decibels. Females lay fertilized eggs in the branches of plants, where they hatch and burrow underground. The adult cicadas die, and the world becomes a little bit quieter.

The cicada cycle will last about 6 weeks, so those emerging in mid-May should be gone by late June, depending on the weather. Then the babies or nymphs will dig into the ground to suck tree roots for another 17 years, although they are now emerging earlier than predicted in some locations.

Of course, those tasty exoskeletons that adult cicadas shed will still be all over the ground. So you’ll need to be vigilant with your dog for a while longer.

This guide dog fathered 300 puppies!

A guide dog, appropriately nicknamed the "Dogfather," is retiring after fathering more than 300 puppies.

Guide Dogs, a charity that helps pair dogs with people with vision impairment in the U.K., announced this week that their 9-year-old golden retriever Trigger won't be part of their breeding program any longer. 

"Trigger's legacy can be seen in the independence and confidence his progeny has brought to the lives of blind and partially sighted people all over Britain," Guide Dogs said in a news release. Trigger is the father of many guide dogs in U.K. cities, including London, Glasgow and Cardiff, and two of his litters were born abroad in France and the Netherlands. 

According to Guide Dogs, 294 puppies have been bred by the nonprofit and 29 other pups were bred via assistance dog charities and guide dog schools, making Trigger the father of 323 pups. He is a dad to 39 litters, including one in 2021 that saw 16 puppies, a record for Guide Dogs, the charity said. 

His last litter was made up of five daughters named Jenny, Rita, Hermione, Sandy, Indy, and, one son Billy. The 8-week-old puppies were the last of the "Triglets" –  a name affectionately given to Trigger's offspring. 

Bravo, Trigger. Way to pump ‘em out!

Thirsty? Of course you are… but you’ve been told by doctors your whole life to drink your recommended 15 cups a day, so if you’re parched, that’s on you.

Maxine launched her latest creation, the Lil Gulp, this week, so now there’s no excuse to not keep your pooch hydrated on the go this summer.

Her Kickstarter campaign will be running for the next 26 days, so learn why this water bottle is changing the pet industry firsthand from Bryan and the Little Chonk team.

Stay hydrated, friends.

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

•  🐶 A drug-sniffing dog was “too nice” for drug detection. Now, he’s an earthquake recovery hero.

• ⚔️ There’s a brewing canine culture war within the San Francisco dog training space. What side are you on?

• 🎮 Think you can beat this dog in video games? Fire up your Xbox and prepare to have your ego shattered.

• 💰 “Please enter your pin”: Philadelphia just added an ATM for dogs at a local bank.

• ✈️ An airline for dogs? Say less…

• 💩 …but could it be because dogs are pooping on commercial airlines? Read about the United flight gone wrong.

• 👩‍💻 Be sure to ask your next employer if they offer pet bereavement. Bereavement leave is gaining steam…

Today’s Last Laugh:

She has narcolepsy? Fine… just don’t tell Molly!

@narcdogmolly

Golden gang ⭐️🐾 socilizing with narcolepsy certainly makes things interesting but molly loves making new friends #narcolepsy #dogsoftiktok... See more