Risks Of Letting Dogs Eat Snails
It’s true that we can’t keep an eye on everything our pets do in the garden or the park, but we can pay attention to certain symptoms that can arise after a walk outdoors. Did you know that there are certain risks of letting dogs eat snails? In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the subject.
Is it bad to let dogs eat snails?
While this is not a very common habit, some dogs will eat all the insects or animals they find in the garden. This could be because they are hungry, because they caught your attention, or because they are playing and accidentally end up swallowing them.
The problem with snails is that these invertebrates can pass certain diseases to our pets. The parasites that can live inside the dog’s body not only ‘arrive’ through mosquitoes, flies and ticks, but also through these animals so common in gardens.
What diseases do snails transmit to dogs?
Although this does not mean that the dog will get sick from eating a snail, we must be careful that it does not get used to eating these animals. Some of them can be infected with parasites that automatically pass to the dog’s body, more specifically to the heart or lungs.
Basically, there are two worms that can be transmitted by snails and slugs to our pets: Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis. They can be quite harmful!
1. Angiostrongylus vasorum
It is responsible for the disease known as Angiostrongylosis. The ‘French heart worm’ also lowers the number of platelets in the blood, causes thrombosis, congestive heart failure, bruises, obstruction of the pulmonary arteries, weight loss and, if the disease is not treated, death.
This parasite is found on certain infected snails. Once the dog has eaten this mollusk, the larvae will move to the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary artery, where they will develop into adulthood.
The dog can also be infected by this parasite by ingesting frogs, mice or lizards, which are carriers and can become infested. The only way to detect it is by looking at your stool.
The veterinarian may order blood tests, ultrasounds and x-rays, but the worms cannot always be seen due to their small size.
2. Crenosoma vulpis
Another problem that arises when dogs eat snails is that they can become infected with the parasite responsible for pneumonia caused by worms, because it lodges in the lungs, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles.
What happens if a dog eats slug and snail poison?
Another problem that arises as a result of the presence of these invertebrates in the garden is the fact that the pet can ingest the bait or poison that is usually used to eliminate them.
These poisons contain a metaldehyde, very dangerous to the nervous system of dogs. Snail bait poisoning is more common than we realize and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, muscle tremors, seizures, hyperthermia, excessive wheezing, and increased breathing.
If you notice that your dog shows these typical signs of intoxication, you should immediately take him to the veterinarian so that the detox considered necessary can be applied and to avoid dehydration or any more serious consequences.
Tips to prevent your dog from eating snails
If you don’t want your pet to suffer the consequences of this habit, we recommend that you keep these tips in mind:
- Educate him so that he doesn’t eat anything while walking or when he’s in the garden.
- Control the snail population at home.
- Avoid putting poisons or baits for slugs or snails that contain chemical compounds harmful to dogs.
- Pay attention to your pet when he leaves the house or if he’s biting something you don’t know what it is.
This way, it will be more difficult for your puppy to eat snails and end up infected with parasites and certain diseases.
