Snail Bait Toxicity
Many of us are keen gardeners and hate snails. Most gardeners have used snail pellets at some stage to combat these slippery suckers. Snail and slug pellets vary, but the ones that tend to cause the most trouble contain Metaldehyde or Methiocarb, and are often coloured blue or green. These pellets are toxic if ingested in almost any quantity. Dogs are most commonly involved but occasionally cats can be affected. Baits advertised as having a “bittering agent” in them rarely deter dogs that eat quickly, as they don’t register the flavour until it’s too late. The pellets are often cereal-based to attract snails, but they unfortunately also attract dogs.
Snail Bait Toxicity
Depending on the amount of bait ingested and the size of the patient, the clinical signs range from:
Trembling and muscle twitches with drooling
Full loss of consciousness
Major seizures and over-heating – leading to major organ damage, internal bleeding and brain death.
Ultimately, if left untreated, your pet will die.
With early or mild exposure to snail bait, we will usually attempt to induce vomiting (emesis) to empty the stomach. An oral charcoal based liquid may be given. If a large volume of snail bait has been consumed, a pet is unable to walk or swallow, or if emesis is unsuccessful, we may perform a gastric lavage (pumping of the stomach) under an anaesthetic. The charcoal solution may be administered via a stomach tube to help bind the toxins that have moved into the small intestine. An enema may be used to empty the large bowel of toxin. These pets may be hospitalised and given intravenous fluid support to dilute the urine and support the kidneys. Serious complications can arise.
The prognosis for pets that have had the toxin eliminated from their body (via emesis or lavage) and recovered from the initial clinical signs, is usually very good.
Pets that have ingested snail bait should be protected from future access to bait, as the taste can be addictive! When it comes to snail pellets, the best prevention is not to use them.