Garden slugs and snails threaten dogs
Slugs and snails may be hazardous to your vegetable patch, as any gardener knows, but they’re also hazardous to dogs, which many dog owners won’t know. Moist and generally wet conditions in the UK have led to an increase in the slug and snail population in Yeovil and South Somerset, which means that dogs are at risk when they inadvertently eat the molluscs.
Modestas Tverskis, a veterinary surgeon with Wellpets Animal Hospital Ltd has warned dog owners to watch out for their dogs trying to eat slugs and snails. Dogs can pick up serious infections, including lungworm, which can lead to Angiostrongylosis.
This disease is difficult to spot, and can be fatal for dogs. It is spread by the lungworm virus which can be found in slugs and snails.
Dr Modestas Tverskis explains:
The symptoms of the condition are many and varied. You might notice coughing, reluctance to exercise, depression, weight loss, fits, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness and paralysis, or persistent bleeding from minor cuts. However, a small proportion of dogs are hidden carriers, which means they don’t show any symptoms.
If your dog exhibits any of these signs you are encouraged to seek the advice of a vet immediately.
