Dog ate slugs today

gypsygirl

My friend and I walked our dogs together earlier today in a park, when my friend got his dog home he put him outside. About an hour later he went to bring him back inside and noticed vomit everywhere, one patch had about Ten slugs in it, the slugs were all about the same size, roughly 1 inch long and 1/4 inch thick. I know some slugs can carry lungworm although I've never heard of any actual cases of this. How worried should we be and how soon would he show any symptoms if the slugs were infected with lungworm?

star-pants

Well AFAIK, if a dog ingests the slugs there is the chance of them catching it if the slug has lungworm.
I'd also be wondering where he picked up the slugs and if there were any slug pellets around.

Panacur or Advocate I think help fight against these lungworms - but I'd be giving my vet a call to be sure. Are you in Dublin? You could try ringing the emergency vets in UCD to ask too.

Also some info here - now there's every chance your dog is fine btw! but I would definitely check with the vet for my own peace of mind.

Ado86

Lungworm would be a worry, especially with the dog eating so many, he possibly has a habit of it and this may not be the first time. Do you ever hear the dog coughing ? Is the dog on any prophylactic treatment for lungworm - Advocate spot-on ?
Also- if any slug bait has been put down? Metaldehyde which is part of slug bait is tasty to dogs but toxic. If the slugs were eaten in your own garden and you know there has been no slug bait laid down, then you should be ok. But keep a close eye on them...

gypsygirl

Thanks for that article StarPants, I read something similar a few months ago which is what had us worried. We think he accidentally ate them in the park today, he was playing with a manky leather football that he found in the bushes, we took the ball from him as soon as we saw him with it and threw it away, he got it again and again we took it from him, thats the only thing he had that my two dogs didn't so we're assuming thats where he picked up the slugs. He has never eaten a slug before so we're assuming they were accidentally ingested. The slugs in the vomit were neither chewed nor damaged by his stomach acid so they can't have been inside him long, he also had a lot of grass in the vomit and I know dogs deliberately eat grass in order to bring back up anything unsettling their tummies. My mate and I know what symptoms to watch for but don't know how quickly they manifest? Also although I know it can happen I've never known dogs its actually happened to. We don't know how worried we should be.

star-pants

Well it seems that some dogs don't always show any symptoms, some may not show symptoms for a long while until the worms have grown (again I'm not 100% on this, I'm reading different articles etc).
Best way is to bring a poop sample to the vet and they can run a test on it (from what most of the articles say). Is your vet open tomorrow ?

gypsygirl

Thanks, its my friends dog so I don't know if his vet is open, I imagine he would be. My friend just e-mailed me and told me the dog is quieter than usual but maybe thats because he got sick so many times and feels a bit crappy. He's going to stay with the dog tonight to keep an eye on him. I'll mail him and tell him to get a sample for the vet, but do you think the vets test would show anything this early?

star-pants

I honestly don't know gypsy, I'm sorry.
I've just been trying to research it here online to find out info, but I can't find if it says how soon it can be detected. I just think it's better to be safe than sorry.
Some places say that the likes of Panacur and Advocate (think I said in first post) can be used to treat it (again consult the vet first) so maybe they can be used even as precautions?
Sorry to ask again, but are you based in Dublin? Just I know the UCD emergency vets would be open (even to call them and ask advice maybe).

Best to keep an eye on the dog anyway, it is probably just that the dog got sick a good bit that has it feeling crap.

anniehoo

Hi OP...Advocate is the best wormer to give him now.Many dogs (actually the parasites themselves) are becoming immune to Drontal. Star-pants is correct with the possibility of Angiostrongylus vasorum infection. Slugs are the main host. The fact he's eaten and vomited up 10 of them i wouldnt be worried if he's being correctly wormed. No need for panic at all.

If he's being regularly wormed..and has been given Advocate today i wouldnt worry. It is the better wormer available at the minute imo. A vet wont do anymore to be honest. The only issues vets can deal with is the consequences of an unwormed dog with an infection.

So if you notice listlessness or inappetance in a few days/weeks time then id bring him to the vet.

gypsygirl

He's wormed regularly and is an exceptionally healthy 2 yr old, He vomited so much that he brought up his breakfast so my friend is pretty sure theres no more slugs in his stomach, in saying that we're aware that if the slugs were infected they could have already passed the larvae into his system. He quiet now and in bed for the night (hopefully), he's understandably feeling sorry for himself after being so ill. Poor little man. I'll let you all know how he is tomorrow. Thanks for all the advice, we'll get the vet to run tests on a sample to be on the safe side.

anniehoo

Good stuff Gypsygirl and you're being very responsible but you'll be wasting your money bringing him to a vet if this is the first time he's eaten snails unless he hasnt been wormed.

The only test they'll do is a baermann which most vets wont do themselves but is stupidly easy and charge you an arm and a leg for.Its a simple test that isnt necessary as the larvae wont show up yet, unless theres a previous history of slug eating and the dog is genuinely unwell right now.

gypsygirl

We're sure this is the first time he's ever eaten slugs/snails and he's always up to date with worming, etc, so we're trying not to panic, and also the chances of the slugs being infected are small. Theres a chemist close to me that stocks all sorts of treatments for animals, usually horses but I just remembered that it stocks treatments for worms and I think I remember seeing something in the shop for lungworm although I can't remember if it was info or a treatment. I'll head up there first thing tomorrow and explain everything to the Chemist and see what She advises, She seem to be very knowledgeable as I've seen farmers talking to her and asking advice on what to use for their animals. Oh Thanks guys, I'm feeling much more confident now.

anniehoo

gypsygirl wrote: »

the Chemist and see what She advises, She seem to be very knowledgeable.

A human chemist (pharmacist)? Im in awe if so..:p

gypsygirl

Lol. Sorry, Pharmacist, I knew the word, just couldn't spell it, (I can only spell Chemist)

spurscormac

anniehoo wrote: »

A human chemist (pharmacist)? Im in awe if so..:p

Happens all the time down the country, chemist/pharmacists stock more than just human medicine.

gypsygirl

spurscormac wrote: »

Happens all the time down the country, chemist/pharmacists stock more than just human medicine.

Yeah, I'm on the outskirts of Dublin, about 14 Chemists in a 2 mile radius now, but this Chemist has been there for years, long before the area became built up, before that it was all farmland so I reckon it probably treated more animals than humans in the past. Still quite a few farms in the surrounding area's so they still stock animal remedies. (Is my spelling of remedies wrong? It doesn't look right!!) I'm gonna head up there in a bit and see what they recommend. (as soon as I shake off this hangover)