Slugs/Snails

Hi Guys

I need your help pretty please ..... Sox is now 5 months old & OMG I can't believe how much he has grown, generally he's a fantastic puppy & I have nothing to complain about, however there is one issue, I caught him trying to eat a slug/snail in the garden eariler this morning & he has just been sick - do I need to be worried? Do I need to take him to see the Vet? Any info regarding snails would be really really appreciated.
Hoping you can help
Wen

From a poisoning point of view, I doubt there's too much to worry about, but you should check which workers you use & make sure that they cover lungworm which is carried by snails/slugs.

Lungworm could be a possible risk, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been sick so quickly, so either way, I wouldn't imagine him being sick has anything to do with something serious. Probably didn't like the taste of the slug lol.

friendlywendy wrote:Hi Guys
Any info regarding snails would be really really appreciated.

Here's some honest advice, having lost a dog very recently to lungworm which was, in all likelihood, due to snails:

It is a horrible disease to watch progress, culminating in seizures, serious neurological pain, limb collapse and, ultimately, death if not treated.

The probability of contracting lungworm in the UK is low.
The probability of contracting lungworm in some specific parts of the UK is moderately high.

I'm wise after the event, and remove all snails and slugs from my garden on a daily basis now (I keep fosters only now - I can't go through the heartbreak of losing another four-legged lifelong pal again).

I also scrub their slime trails off the concrete flag stones as this is as likely to house the illness as the snail or slug itself.

Before I knew what lungworm was, I'd probably not have reacted much if my dog ate a snail or slug.

Now I've seen at first hand how aggressive an illness it is, I would be going to the vet ASAP to get treatment (dab-on gel placed on the skin near the neck area).

There is quite a long incubation time for this illness so please don't worry - nothing is going to happen your dog from a lungworm perspective overnight.

But the risk is just not worth it in my opinion - where snails and slugs are concerned, get treatment at the earliest possible time.

Funnily enough, I was talking to my vet very recently - he completely failed to recognise the symptoms in my boy until it was far too late and believed that lungworm didn't exist locally. Guess what - he's had another dog in with the exact same early symptoms as mine presented with in the early stages - and was very quick to get the correct treatment underway.

Working dog wrote:

friendlywendy wrote:Hi Guys
Any info regarding snails would be really really appreciated.

Here's some honest advice, having lost a dog very recently to lungworm which was, in all likelihood, due to snails:

It is a horrible disease to watch progress, culminating in seizures, serious neurological pain, limb collapse and, ultimately, death if not treated.

The probability of contracting lungworm in the UK is low.
The probability of contracting lungworm in some specific parts of the UK is moderately high.

I'm wise after the event, and remove all snails and slugs from my garden on a daily basis now (I keep fosters only now - I can't go through the heartbreak of losing another four-legged lifelong pal again).

I also scrub their slime trails off the concrete flag stones as this is as likely to house the illness as the snail or slug itself.

Before I knew what lungworm was, I'd probably not have reacted much if my dog ate a snail or slug.

Now I've seen at first hand how aggressive an illness it is, I would be going to the vet ASAP to get treatment (dab-on gel placed on the skin near the neck area).

There is quite a long incubation time for this illness so please don't worry - nothing is going to happen your dog from a lungworm perspective overnight.

But the risk is just not worth it in my opinion - where snails and slugs are concerned, get treatment at the earliest possible time.

Funnily enough, I was talking to my vet very recently - he completely failed to recognise the symptoms in my boy until it was far too late and believed that lungworm didn't exist locally. Guess what - he's had another dog in with the exact same early symptoms as mine presented with in the early stages - and was very quick to get the correct treatment underway.

It's awful that he missed the symptoms in your dog but it's good to hear that he's learned from the mistake and isn't likely to repeat it.

It's acknowledged as one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses from what I'm told as everything is so seemingly unconnected.

To think - the initial vet's diagnosis was elbow dysplasia.

Elbow dysplasia???

They can be mightily off the mark sometimes.

Hi All

Thank you so much for your comments & advice. Shontelle so sorry to hear your vet mis-diagnosed ... it must've be hard for you to shre that but I am so grateful that you did.
I took Sox to the vets & thankfully all is well but I have begun removing all snails & slugs from th garden & I think I'm a little paranoid when I take him to the park ... typically he sniffs at everything he finds & I'm like an over protective parent... best to be safe than sorry.

Once again thanks to you all, it's so reassuring to know help is a hand when it is needed. A huge thumbs up to the site.
A very Happy Wen

friendlywendy wrote:Hi All

Thank you so much for your comments & advice. Shontelle so sorry to hear your vet mis-diagnosed ... it must've be hard for you to shre that but I am so grateful that you did.
I took Sox to the vets & thankfully all is well but I have begun removing all snails & slugs from th garden & I think I'm a little paranoid when I take him to the park ... typically he sniffs at everything he finds & I'm like an over protective parent... best to be safe than sorry.

Once again thanks to you all, it's so reassuring to know help is a hand when it is needed. A huge thumbs up to the site.
A very Happy Wen

Always best to be aware of the dangers. We carry a squirt gun for Suki and give her a spray if she tries eating off the ground.