What happens if my dog ​​eats a snail?

Although it is not a common practice, as caretakers We can find ourselves in the situation where our dog ingests a snail or a slug, especially if we have an orchard or garden where these molluscs proliferate and, therefore, the animal has easy access to them, although it may seem like an unimportant mischief, in This Animals and Pets Online article will see what happens if a dog eats a snail , since these mollusks can transmit potentially fatal diseases.Avoid intake and a correct deworming schedule is essential.

Is it bad for dogs to eat snails?

Some parasites reach our dogs transmitted by other animals.The best known are ticks or mosquitoes but snails can also spread two nematodes to our dogs or round worms that go to parasitize the heart and lungs.They are the Angiostrongylus vasorum , also known as the French heartworm, and the Crenosoma vulpis .Thus, if it is bad for the buts eat snails or slugs.

Although infected dogs may remain asymptomatic, others develop respiratory and blood symptoms , such as coagulopathies, capable of ending the dog's life.In the following sections We will see what happens if a dog eats a snail or a slug and contracts any of these parasites.

Diseases that transmit snails to dogs: angiostrongilosis

The worm Angiostrongylus vasorum can cause coagulopathies in our dog , decrease in the number of platelets, pulmonary artery obstruction, thrombosis, lesions due to migration of larvae, congestive heart failure, cough, respiratory failure, exercise intolerance, anemia, bleeding, bruising, neurological signs, weight loss and even death.

This parasite is native to Europe but is in expansion and can already be found in other countries.What happens if a dog eats an infected snail with this worm is that it will ingest its L3 larvae that will travel to its heart, specifically to the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, where they will complete their development to the adult state.The mature females lay eggs that, through the bloodstream, reach pulmonary capillaries where they hatch to larvae L1 that move to the alveoli pu lungs.When the dog sneezes or coughs these larvae reach the mouth and are swallowed, which ends up in the digestive system and are expelled with feces.From them the larvae access different types of snails or slugs, where they go to develop up to L3, restarting the cycle if any dog ​​eats them.

Sometimes the dog is infected by ingesting frogs, lizards or even mice, because these animals can also be infested if they have ingested mollusks.we have seen, the symptoms of this parasitosis are quite nonspecific, so it should be the veterinarian who arrives at the diagnosis.Larvae can be seen in the stool , although this technique presents false negatives because its elimination is intermittent.Blood tests and x-rays or ultrasound can be done, although, due to their small size, these worms are not going to be seen.

Due to the serious consequences this parasitosis can have, it is essential to keep correct deworming guidelines in order to prevent them, following the recommendations of our veterinarian.In this regard, and despite the existence of multiple antiparasitic products, specialists recommend opting for monthly deworming, especially in those dogs with daily access to field areas, with snails, slugs, ticks and fleas.Likewise, to avoid administering more than one product to the animal, it should be noted that there is double deworming, through which we managed to protect the dogs from most common internal and external parasites, with a single tablet.Because we love them, we protect them, ask your veterinarian and deworm your pet.

Diseases that transmit snails to dogs: crenosomiasis

This disease, also known as verminous pneumonia, is caused by another round worm or nematode, the Crenosoma vulpis , which affects the lungs and it reaches our dogs if they eat infested mollusks.What happens if a dog eats a snail or a slug is similar to the cycle we have described for the Angiostrongylus vasorum , with the difference of that these parasites go to the bronchi, bronchioles and, in some cases, to the trachea , places where adult females lay the eggs that are going to develop to larvae L1.

In the same way as in the previous case, through coughs, sneezes or expectorations, these larvae end up in the digestive system and are expelled in the feces, from where they penetrate slugs or snails, continuing their development to larvae L3.If a dog ingests a contaminated snail or slug, the larvae will pass from the intestine to the s lungs through blood flow in three weeks , approximately.In the lungs they will complete their cycle.Adults can live up to 10 months.

Due to its location, the clinical signs that we are going to find in dogs will affect breathing, appearing cough and exercise intolerance , although many dogs remain asymptomatic.This disease is usually present in rural areas with bovines, since these are usually the main affected, and although it is not usually serious, it is necessary to prevent it with adequate deworming.It should be noted that humans are not infected.

General recommendations to prevent your dog from eating snails

Now that we know what happens if our dog eats a snail or, also, a slug, we will see how we can minimize the risks :

• Educate our dog so that he does not eat anything he finds outside the home.
• If you have frequent access to an area with an abundance of snails or slugs, we must check that they do not eat them.
• Living in places near fox populations also increases the risk, since these animals can act as reservoirs.
• Traces left by mollusks on the surfaces on which they are They can also be a source of infection.
• Given the difficulty of controlling worms in foxes or mollusks, it is essential to establish and follow the deworming guidelines recommended by our veterinarian.
• Finally, we must go to the veterinary clinic for any symptoms.

This article is purely informative, at ExpertAnimal.com we have no power to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any diagnosis.to take your pet to the veterinarian in the event that it presents any type of condition or discomfort.

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