Are Slugs Poisonous to Dogs What to Do if a
dog eats slugs

 Are Slugs Poisonous to Dogs

Are Slugs Poisonous to Dogs What to do if a
dog eats slugs It's slug season guys - my favorite time of year. Those slimy
fat snakes are gnawing their way through my vegetable slugs, hiding under every
blue bell leaf, even leaving silver marks through my living room at night. 

How
they're getting in, I'll never know, but it's not them here, I worry, it's my
dog, Neptune.

Neptune is a sniffer, and sniffing leads to
licking, and licking makes things messy. He may not pay any attention to them
outside, but my concern is that upon entering their home, he may eat them
because they are in his territory or think they are a special kind of slimy
snack.

 

Now, I know that slugs are considered a
delicacy in some parts of the world, but I also know that recently, a young man
in New Zealand ate it while intoxicated. After some time, he sadly passed away.
So, I've taken it upon myself to research and find out if I should save Neptune
from these intruders.

 

So, are slugs poisonous to dogs?

What to do if a dog eats slugs

Before I go into more detail about this
topic, I thought I would answer this question as directly and quickly as
possible. Yes, slugs can indeed kill our fluffy friends, but that's not because
they're poisonous.

 

You need to teach your pooch to avoid slugs
because they are often carriers of a parasite known as rat lungworm – two words
you never wanted to read in a row, huh? Just saying this makes me a little
restless, and knowing my Neptune is a risk I can't bear to think about.

 

As far as my research has shown over the
past month or so, the only slugs that are naturally toxic are sea slugs - or
some subtype of them anyway. So, be careful if you are going for a day at the
beach full of poochie paddling.

 

What is a lungworm dog?

As mentioned above, lungworm is a type of
parasite. It begins as a larva, penetrates the intestinal wall, then moves
through the bloodstream to the lungs or respiratory tract where it resides.

 

Once securely established within the
breathing anatomy of a vertebrate, the larva then develops into an adult
lungworm and reproduces from its own infected larvae.

 

The infection triggers severe inflammation
of the host's airways, gradually destroying respiratory health. Once the larvae
reach a certain point in their infancy, respiratory irritation causes the host
to cough, at which point the larvae are expelled from the airways and swallowed
in the digestive tract.

 

The life cycle of the lungworm begins after
exiting the host through fecal matter. This is annoying stuff. I would not wish
such an insidious and abhorrent fate on my worst enemy, my world's best friend.

 

Is it just slugs you should be worried
about?

Unfortunately, slugs aren't the only way
your dog can become infected with the lungworm parasite. As gross as you can
find them, it's important to note that although they do carry parasites, slugs
aren't technically to blame.

 

In this scenario, the slug is known to be
an intermediate host, meaning they reluctantly help spread the parasite. It's
not something they were born with. In a way, they are also victims of this
terrible creature.

 

I think something particularly important to
keep in mind is the term "intermediate host". They are not only
sending them directly to the animals but to different places. Sometimes the
larvae burrow into a puddle from the slug express, in some blades of grass,
even in their slime trail.

 

In light of this, we need to keep our dogs
away from anything! If you see them chewing on grass, stop them immediately,
never let them drink from puddles, and keep them away from residual slime
traces of slug activity on your property. In fact, I think it's best not to
give our woofer garden unsupervised time during slug season.

 

One final thing to be aware of is that
slugs are not the only intermediate hosts these larvae seek to reach from A to
B. They are also partial to roosting in frogs and toads, so if you have a pond
in your yard, take extra care.

 
Is lungworm contagious?

I am happy to report that lungworm cannot
be transmitted from dog to dog or dog to human. Of course, it's a tragedy if
you know a dog infected with lungworms, but we can take solace in the fact
that it won't trigger an epidemic.

 

That said, with each infected dog, the
chances of catching it increase with other dogs living in the same
environment. Remember when I mentioned that larvae use animal feces to get back
into the world? well, once they're free

they can infect another creature,
and the more of them in a certain area, the greater the chance of infection.

 

As a result, if there is a case of lungworm
on your property, you need to take extra precautions to prevent it from
happening again. It may also be worth cutting back garden time jumps
indefinitely.

 

How do you know if your dog has lungs?

When it comes to lungworm infections, there
is no shortage of symptoms, which can make it incredibly difficult to diagnose.
They can all be diagnosed with a different dog disease, confusing owners and
veterinarians until it's too late.

 
Let's go through them now, so you're
prepared for the worst...

 

behavior change

difficulty breathing

cough

coughing up blood

not hungry

bleeding nose

Diarrhea

red eyes

recovery

lethargy

weight loss

Vomiting

anemia

The good about these symptoms... not
good... but the helpful thing is that each one requires a trip to the vet,
which means you have the best chances of helping your fluffy baby as quickly as
possible. Is.

 

Does breed play a role in sensitivity?

No one really understands why, but Spaniels
are known to have a higher risk of lung infections than other breeds. Some
believe it is down to genetics, some may chalk it up to statistical
coincidence and others may believe that Spaniels are more curious than other
breeds.

 

Puppies and young dogs have a higher risk
of infection for the same reason. They are just such dangerously curious. They
want to smell it all; They want to roll it all; They are mostly trying to
develop an understanding of the world around them through taste and smell.
Sadly, in this instance, curiosity can kill not only the cat but the dog as
well.

 

I think this is more than enough doom and
gloom for now. Moving on to some positives, let's look at what can be done to
address this parasitic problem.

How can we treat lungworms?

Good news friends. Lungworms can be treated
effectively! As long as you catch it early, there is a high chance that your
hound will survive the infection and live a long and happy life by your side.

 

Another great news is that lungworm
treatment doesn't even require surgery. This is fought using a course of
medications that kill the parasite from within, making your pooch fit to fight.

 

lung prevention

Prevention is always better than cure, so
let's discuss some ways you can keep this dangerous parasite from circulating
completely.

 

No interactions with slugs or slimes -
let's start with the obvious. Under no circumstances allow your dog to go
anywhere near a slug or its trail.

Supervised Garden Time - Do not allow your
dog to chew grass or drink from puddles. Prevent them from sniffing the leaves
and picking up the sticks. If you have recently been aware of the presence of
slugs, it may be best to avoid the garden altogether.

Slug Traps - If slugs in your kitchen and
living room are making themselves at home like they are in my house, invest in
some preventative methods. Want a pro tip? Slugs love beer. They find yeast
irresistible, so putting something in a tray near their entry point is like a
mermaid to sailors. One caveat, however, this is not a humane method. Slugs
Will Die in Beer - But What a Way.

Avoidance - Not sure where their entry
point is or is Beer Trap just not working? Make sure you keep your dog in a
separate room overnight.

Stay up to date about worm treatments -
it's essential anyway.

Clean Up the Dog Mess - Larvae end up in the dog mess, so take this out of the picture.

Slug Pellets - Your first thought may be to
rid your yard of this slimy problem with a generous scattering of slug pellets;
However, most have a high metaldehyde content. Metaldehyde is extremely toxic
to dogs, so you'll only be solving one problem by solving the other.

Fellow Slime Warriors, don't worry; Why not
try one of these safer alternatives?

Seashells and Eggshells

to change

copper tape

nematode

diatomaceous earth

recycled wool paste pellets

corn or wheat bran

slug repellant plants

I personally think the best option is to
buy specialized dog-friendly slug pellets. This bag from Ortho Bug-Guetta Snail
& Slug Killer is one of the best pet-safe options available on the market.

 

geography of slugs

I believe one of the biggest proponents of
lung infections are that people don't understand when or where they are at risk,
so I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the threat geographically in
English-speaking countries.

 

This way you can assess the local danger
level for your puppy and prepare yourself accordingly.

 

The United States and Canada

As it stands, there are no known venomous
slugs in the United States or Canada, but common garden slugs are

 

c still carries lungworm larvae, so there
is a higher risk of infection in early spring when the weather is mild and wet?

 

Remember when I mentioned that some sea
slugs are poisonous to dogs? Well some of them are on the U.S. beach, so keep
your sense of yourself when going for a day at the beach.

 

Canada is a mostly cold region, with
temperatures rising in only a few densely populated areas, so the risk of
infection is never as high as it is in the States. Slugs do not particularly
enjoy the cold, especially when it is snowy. That said, slugs will not necessarily
be killed by frost, as they can be hardy critters.

 

UK and Sco

Toland

Wildlife in the UK and Scotland is
decidedly mild in contrast to some places in Australia and the US, such that no
venomous slugs are present, but they can still carry lung parasites.

 

Infamous for its dry season, our friends at
the pond is at high risk of infection, beginning in late April, or early May when
temperatures begin to rise before summer.

 

Canine lungworm infection is still a fairly
rare diagnosis in these parts of the world, but veterinarians in the south of
Wales and also in Scotland have seen a significant increase in cases. This is
mostly because excessive rainfall causes more slugs.

 

Australia and New Zealand

Despite the incredibly dry climate,
Australia and New Zealand host a variety of strange and wonderful-looking
slugs, yet as far as I can tell, none of these garden varieties is slimmer
toxic. But do they carry the lungworm parasite?

 

Unfortunately, yes, they do. Endemic to the
warm tropical regions of Australia, particularly in urban areas such as Sydney
and Brisbane, many city-dwelling dogs are at risk.

 

There isn't as much information about
lungworm hotspots throughout New Zealand, but given that the poor young man who
dared to eat the slug lived in NZ, I'm willing to bet it's pretty prevalent
there too. Since their climate is very similar to Australia's, albeit slightly
cooler, I would not be surprised if dogs are most at risk in warm urban areas.

 

We've all heard horror stories about
Australian wildlife, from spiders to big jellyfish in our heads. For the most
part, New Zealand's grizzly populations are not as deadly, but both countries
have a group of those poisonous sea slugs I mentioned earlier. In fact, they
have three different incredibly venomous species of sea slugs lurking in their
reefs and rock pools.

 

nudibranch

These things are far different from the
serious garden variety slugs we have become accustomed to. If I'm honest, they
are downright beautiful. Often multicolored and with fairy-like appendages,
they can tempt humans and dogs alike, but trust me; Stay away from them.

 

Typically inhabiting coral reefs, rock
pools, deep water, or land near the ocean, many nudibranchs exude a toxic
compound as a natural defense mechanism against predators.

 

Others are not actually venomous, yet they
will use their brightly colored bodies to indicate that they may be around
while keeping predators at bay. That said, it is best to avoid them completely
because these non-venomous sea slugs can also pick up toxins from surrounding
marine life such as sponges.

 

Alicia

Like their cousin the nudibranch, Alicia
sea slugs consume some marine life to fill themselves with toxicity. Naturally,
they are almost completely harmless. It is only because of their algae diet
that they can ward off predators.

 

This example of triple teamwork between sea
slugs, algae, and venomous bacteria are some of nature's first recorded three-way
symbiosis.

 

The level of toxicity that Alicia can
use against slug prey is not known, so it is uncertain whether they could be
fatal if ingested by a dog, but it is best not to take any chances. If your dog
has become enamored of green slugs nearby or in water, move him as far away
from him as you can.

 

pleural maculata

Commonly known as the gray side-gilded sea
slug, Pleurobranchia maculate slug sightings have become increasingly common
along the coast of New Zealand, particularly Auckland. Several dogs succumbed
to its poisoning in a single summer.

 

It is thought that these unfortunate cases
increase in the summer months as warm weather brings them to the shallows at
depth, then the warm water loosens their grip on the substrate. Finally, they
wash to the side where dogs can smell them and in some cases consume them.

 

The toxin they carry is tetrodotoxin (TTX),
which is incredibly deadly. If you feel like you've heard that term somewhere
before, that's because it's the exact same substance found in pufferfish. This
substance is not only harmful, but it is also 1200 times more potent than cyanide.

 

One pufferfish is enough to kill 30 humans.
Lethal cracking for a healthy adult human to 1 -2mg

It is believed to be a pest, so a single
slug is more than enough to kill a dog.

 

The gray side-grilled sea slug is roughly
the size of a rat and is easily recognized by its gills. If you have reason to
believe that your dog has been poisoned by one of these slugs, you need to take
them to the vet as soon as possible. TTX is so toxic, it can even cause
paralysis, so if your dog is having trouble walking or breathing, you need to
act fast.

 
My dog ​​has eaten a slug. What should I
do?

I know this can be a stressful situation,
but if your dog has eaten any kind of slug, you must remain calm. It can be hard to keep a cold head when you're worried about your furry
family member but remember, poisoning or infection from eating slugs is rare.

 

Take for example this study conducted at
the University of Glasgow in Scotland. It states that o

 

A large number of slugs and snails were
tested throughout the Glasgow area, with only 6.7% of them testing positive for
lung infections. This figure will vary from place to place, but it is still
comforting to hear it.

 

Your first port of call should be to book
an emergency appointment with your vet. Don't wait for symptoms to develop
because you may not see physical evidence of lungworm infection for months.

 

final thoughts

Slugs themselves may not be toxic, but the
fact that they are an intermediate host for lungworms makes them a threat to
your pet's well-being, so you should do everything possible to keep all members
of your family away from them. try.

 

The information in this article was
acquired through my own research, but I am not a vet, just a concerned dog
parent. If you would like confirmation of these details or additional
information on the subject, I highly recommend you visit your vet.

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