Can a Toyota Venza cabin air filter deteriorate over time?

Our 2016 Venza was allowing a lot of dust into the cabin. When we took it to the dealership, they said a rodent made a hole in the filter, wanted $350 to repair. My husband was shown the filter with a hole right in the middle. He replaced the filter at home, and there was no evidence of a rodent causing the damage. Is it possible that the filter was never actually replaced on a previous visit and the so called damage is just normal deterioration?