I know I spend a lot of time talking toxins. That’s because it’s something YOU can do something about. Pancreatitis, liver disease and cancer? Maybe not. But snail bait is one thing you can live without—for the sake of your pets.
One of my favorite clients (and an avid Dolittler reader, to boot) is a four-year convert to the charms of our beloved canines. Before that, she’d not known the immense pleasure of their company. So it stands to reason she’d not yet been initiated into the club of poisoned-pet survivors.
A little snail bait on her precious plants and now they’re not looking so worthy of chemical protection…now that Cody’s in hospital with toxic exposure to Metaldehyde.
Cody is a five year-old Rottie(?) mix with a sweet, solicitous disposition and a penchant for anything edible. Maybe he rooted in the garden soil, perhaps he drank some potted-plant water…who knows? But it’s pretty obvious he got into some of that snail bait we Floridians seem to use year-round to keep those slimies away from our horticulture.
How do we know for sure? Nothing smells of snail bait like tremors or seizures and a history of this chemical’s use. Last month I saw two cases—one died. So you can be sure I’d rather take snails over poison any day in my overgrown yard.
Still, most people don’t seem to know about this poison’s deadly effects. Small dogs are disproportionately affected, a result of their bigger relative dose. But big dogs like Cody are also susceptible to an astounding degree. Just a little bit of standing water and a lap or two later, you’ve got a pretty sick dog on your hands.
Fluids, activated charcoal, muscle relaxants for tremor-control—they’re all in our arsenal. Small dog survival? It’s often about 50-50. Big dogs fare better—but death is always an option.
Just get that stuff out of your yard at all costs. After ten big bills in the hospital and a good chance of lights out and you’ll be singing the same tune.
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Just go out after dusk once a week, pick up all the snails in a bag, and take them to your nearest zoo. They're pretty much guaranteed to have an inhabitant who would love a bag of guaranteed non-toxic snails. With us, it's the meerkats, and the ibises and the ducks and geese.
Have a locust problem, or scorpions, or crickets or flying ants? Same thing! Someone out there would love them for supper. My sister says us rehab people are awful - we view everything as a potential food source...!
jcat April 30th, 2007 12:22:00 PM
Is Sluggo, the tiny pellets of iron sulfate, safe to use in the yard around pets?
On the container, it says it's not harmful, and also the pellets are tiny, about
an eighth of an inch long, so they don't seem large enough to be attractive to
dogs and cats.
s j April 30th, 2007 04:15:00 PM
Put out a saucer of beer instead.
Georg April 30th, 2007 05:03:00 PM
Alcohol is also toxic to animals. So no beer, either!
I agree with Jcat...Just pluck them off by hand. It might take a little extra effort, but your pet (and your plants) are worth it.
Alanna April 30th, 2007 05:50:00 PM
After two long days in the hospital, Cody is home and recouperating. As discussed, I'm a newcomer to discovering the profound love of the dog. It's been four years now since my college student son left him for us to raise. We even got Cody a sister, Gracie, who has never been without her brother and who cried intermittently for 30 minutes when my husband and Cody left for the hospital. The intermittent part was her confusion and attempt to coerce me into taking her for a ride, too- to join them.
I am ever so vigilant and notice, spots, bumps, elbow irritation and excessive licking. I've been encouraged, lovingly and not so lovingly to relax. So, I feel like a grateful (definitely ignorant), fool. I have used snail bait for years without incident. My son said that Cody took one for the team - to inform the rest of our now dog loving family that snail bait is deadly.
Thank you to Lana, my friend and dog trainer for taking my call at 11:37pm (cell phones don't lie & I woke her)) and to Dr. Khuly for checking up on Cody and for always, always listening and taking me seriously (or as serious as anyone can ever take me).
I will now use beer (for both of us...) Somehow thinking about collecting the snails and bringing them to the zoo gives me the creeps. Maybe there will be a time when I will discover the love of the snail, but for now...It's beer.
Thank you, thank you!!!
Janet Mondshein April 30th, 2007 06:04:00 PM
If it can kill critters, it can often kill our pets too. I would recommend placing an empty soda can or bottle with some treat inside - bugs and snails can often get in, but can't find their way out. A week or two ago I read a bunch of information about Fipronil, and it appears to be a pesticide that's safe for mammals (so it won't kill mice), and is most effective on colony insects, though I'm not sure if it'll affect snails (which would be desirable) or worms or birds (which would not be).
zandperl May 1st, 2007 12:03:00 AM
Put the beer out over night and pick it up in the morning. But it attracts the snails and slugs.
Georg May 1st, 2007 12:23:00 AM
Georg:
I'd heard the beer thing, too, but I thought it was one of our "ancient Cubab secrets." Sounds good to me--but give them the cheap stuff--no "Flying Dog" ales for the slimies. (And picking it up in the morning sounds like a reasonable approach.)
Dr. Patty Khuly May 1st, 2007 08:38:00 AM
I'm way on the West (Wet!) Coast of Canada, in Vancouver, and while we also have snails, what we really suffer from are slugs. Giant, genormous slugs, intent on eating everything in our yards. The beer works, but you must empty it regularly (you can dump it in your compost) or it gets very gross.
We have one of these http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&...
but you can also just use empty yogurt containers - those you bury in with the rim being level with the soil.
hornblower May 1st, 2007 11:12:00 PM
On Sunday, my sweet little companion, Schatzie, went out in the yard to relieve herself and got a whiff of molasses in the air from the Verago Slug & Snail Bait that my new neighbor just put down around his palms. It looks just like crumbs, so she ate some thinking it was a treat. I had no clue, because I have never heard of this terrible poison before and didn't know he put it down. Within 30 minutes, she began to tremor and pant. Although I rushed her to the Animal ER, and they pumped her tummy, fed her charcoal, fluids and powerful muscle relaxants, it was clear she would not survive without permanant brain and liver damage. She went into respiratory arrest, so we had the vet euthanize her immediately. I miss my girl so much, my kids are heartbroken, too, and my neighbor is devastated. Another neighbor found a box of snail bait in her garage with the same type of poison in it. This stuff is just lethal, and should be illegal, in my opinion. Watch your babies! And make sure your neighbors are INFORMED. Mine have been, but after a terrible loss to me and my family, both emotionally and financially ($2400 vet bill). Get the word out BEFORE tragedy visits you.
Robin Stojanov November 28th, 2007 06:18:00 PM
Right now we have 3 dogs in the vet's office. Terrified is what we are. They went in at 6pm last night. It is 2pm now. The dogs weigh between 60 and 80 pounds and have made it 20 hours so far. 2 of them did have temperatures over 107, we were so careful! Obviously not careful enough. I forgot the shop door was open and I went to pick the kids up from school. I don't know what I will do if I lost them.
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