These dangerous guests can visit your pet’s bowl at night

If you have thought that your dog is the only one munching on their bowl, we introduce you to the small but troublesome freeloaders who love to pounce on the dog food.

The problem affects dogs that are outside or have a feeding bowl in the garden. Snails and slugs are very likely to climb into them to eat. Experience shows that they are attracted to dry food. A friend of mine complained that her dog’s bowl is always full of the pests , and in our house the cats’ bowls are invaded at night. But snails are dangerous to dogs, even their mucus!

What’s the problem?

Gardeners will certainly be scratching their heads, as the slugs can wreak havoc in the vegetable garden. They are very difficult to eradicate so anything that attracts the invaders is undesirable. But a much bigger problem for the dog is that slugs and snails can infect them with a dangerous worm.

Slugs can even spread Angiostrongylus vasorum, commonly known as the French lungworm, through their mucus. The snail ingests these parasites, or more precisely their larvae, by eating animal faeces. From the snail, or its mucus, these larvae enter your pet’s body where they migrate through the blood vessels from the intestines to the heart, reaching the lungs. When fully grown, the 1-2 centimetre long worms chew their way through tissue causing severe damage and then colonise the air sacs. The adult lungworms lay eggs, which are coughed up and swallowed by the dog (or other infected animal) and end up in the intestines. The worm larvae that develop in the intestines are then passed to the outside world in the faeces, where the snails consume the animal’s end product and the cycle is complete.

Symptoms of lungworm disease:

• coughing;
• difficult or rapid breathing;
• vomiting and diarrhoea;
• internal bleeding;
• weight loss;
• reduced appetite;
• lethargy;
• loss of consciousness.

The intensity of the symptoms depends on how many worms are living in the dog’s body.
As the infection is potentially life-threatening, it is essential to consult a vet if you suspect a possible infection and have the necessary tests carried out.

Fortunately, lungworm disease can be treated, but there are also preparations for prevention. Ask your doctor about these too!

If you protect your dog from a snail attack, your dog will be safe

The easiest and only sure way to keep slugs out is to leave no food scraps outside. After feeding, pour out any leftover food and don’t leave the dish outside, especially overnight.