# Puppy eating slugs and anything else she comes across!



## Guest (Sep 6, 2011)

Our gorgeous puppy Gem is 13 weeks old and lovely in every way...except the fact that she eats everything she comes across including slugs and snails 
She is forever bringing things in from the garden,bits of plants,slate chippings,leaves,twigs,anything at all,she will chew and eat what she can and just play with the rest.
Besides my house being a mess from all the garden debris,i'm worried that she might hurt herself in some way.
Does anyone have any suggestions how i can stop her doing this?
It's not great when she has just eaten a huge slug and then jumps onto you lap for kisses,lol so any help would be welcome


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## 912142 (Mar 28, 2011)

wiley80 said:


> Our gorgeous puppy Gem is 13 weeks old and lovely in every way...except the fact that she eats everything she comes across including slugs and snails
> She is forever bringing things in from the garden,bits of plants,slate chippings,leaves,twigs,anything at all,she will chew and eat what she can and just play with the rest.
> Besides my house being a mess from all the garden debris,i'm worried that she might hurt herself in some way.
> Does anyone have any suggestions how i can stop her doing this?
> It's not great when she has just eaten a huge slug and then jumps onto you lap for kisses,lol so any help would be welcome


At all cost you should try to ensure that your pup does not eat slugs or snails as this can be fatal - when you get a moment look up lungworm on the internet and you will understand why it is important to keep your pup away from them.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Its perfectly normal puppy behaviour but keep an eye on her because eating slugs and snails is not a good idea.

Does she have toys outside - maybe a few stuffed Kongs in the garden, an old slipper, anything really to keep her amused.


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## Helbo (Sep 15, 2010)

I know it's a lot of effort - but when Charlie was young and wanted to pick everything up, he only went outside on a lead, even in the garden, so I had better control over him. Coupled with the 'leave' command it didn't take long before I could trust him to go outside. But even now, if he goes out in a playful mood I go with him with toys. 


DO NOT let your dog eat slugs or snails. Similarly, lungworm can be contracted from anything that has had a slug on it - so don't let them eat leaves, twigs, grass, and don't leave toys outside to become infected also. 


lungworm can be treated if caught early enough. But if left, it can be fatal. I'd get your dog to the vet asap and let them know your pup has eaten a few slugs so they can test/treat for lungworm.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks guys,
I've booked Gem in at the vets for tomorrow evening,they are gonna test her for lungworm...i must admit,i'm quite worried now as i've googled it and it appears to be a serious condition 
If dogs are at risk simply by chewing a toy that a snail or slug has crawled across,then Gem is at huge risk as she has actually eaten many :crying:


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2011)

Helbo said:


> I know it's a lot of effort - but when Charlie was young and wanted to pick everything up, he only went outside on a lead, even in the garden, so I had better control over him. Coupled with the 'leave' command it didn't take long before I could trust him to go outside. But even now, if he goes out in a playful mood I go with him with toys.
> 
> DO NOT let your dog eat slugs or snails. Similarly, lungworm can be contracted from anything that has had a slug on it - so don't let them eat leaves, twigs, grass, and don't leave toys outside to become infected also.
> 
> lungworm can be treated if caught early enough. But if left, it can be fatal. I'd get your dog to the vet asap and let them know your pup has eaten a few slugs so they can test/treat for lungworm.


If i could stop her from eating them then i would,but i never know until its too late.
My husband and children walk her and say she just looks like shes sniffing around and before they know it shes eating a slug.


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## Jazmine (Feb 1, 2009)

We are having this problem with Mira at the moment. At 8 weeks old it's impossible to stop her picking stuff up in the garden. After the wet weather our garden is packed with slugs, hubby has been out burying beer traps today, and I even picked some of them up with pooh bags just to get rid of them, yuck!


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2011)

Jazmine said:


> We are having this problem with Mira at the moment. At 8 weeks old it's impossible to stop her picking stuff up in the garden. After the wet weather our garden is packed with slugs, hubby has been out burying beer traps today, and I even picked some of them up with pooh bags just to get rid of them, yuck!


It's a tough one hey....i just don't see how we can stop them,it's certainly easier said than done


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Don't get paranoid about it. Puppies do pick up everything going in the garden and there must be thousands that eat the odd snail or slug and are fine. As you say its almost impossible to stop them doing it.

Lungworm is a serious condition none the less


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## terencesmum (Jul 30, 2011)

Terence is a fiend for them, as well.
I spoke to our vet and she said that some worming treatments get rid off lungworm, so it might be a good idea to ask for something like that (maybe also as a precaution).


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## Starfish (Jul 26, 2011)

Your doing the right thing by popping her along to the vets.

It certainly is a bad condition for your pup to have but provided you catch it early, if she does have it, then hopefully it can be sorted out.

My lad is a pain for eating everything too, as all puppies, but there are some good wormers that are also good for protecting against lungworm.

I think the panacur granules are quite good as that's what I've been using with Jenson and he has the all clear.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-worming-cat-worming-panacur-fenbendazole-wormers-c-17_43


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## Hiafa123 (May 30, 2011)

Rocco our mini dach was a pain for eating spiders etc.He chewed up a slug and about 20 mins later collapsed on our garden, when I picked him up his breathing was rapid.I rang my vets who said to bring him in - he was taken in and kept in over night. Thankfully he was fine - a vets bill of £75, and finished coming away with us for the week end in our caravan to Blackpool 

another time he got into my handbag and chewed a packet of paracetamol - another after hours trip to the vet, who made him sick and a £35 vets bill

If there was a doggie version of a non accidental injury list then we would prob be on it.


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## foxyrockmeister (May 30, 2011)

Lily and Branston eat everything too, although they are getting slightly better now.

The vet recommended we use Advocate on them as this protects against lungworm as they will eat slugs and snails if given the chance. Although we obviously try to stop them, it's not possible to watch them 24/7.


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## Tarnus (Apr 5, 2011)

We also use advocate on Izzy. It treats lungworm, fleas, roundworm and a load of other stuff I can't remember. I think the only thing it doesn't treat is tapeworm but you can get a droncit tablet for that. We have loads of slugs here, luckily izzy doesn't show much interest in them but we use advocate to be safe. The in-laws dog used to pick up snails while out on a walk and carry them round in her mouth then deposit them on the door step when she got home, she never got lungworm


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2011)

Tarnus said:


> We also use advocate on Izzy. It treats lungworm, fleas, roundworm and a load of other stuff I can't remember. I think the only thing it doesn't treat is tapeworm but you can get a droncit tablet for that. We have loads of slugs here, luckily izzy doesn't show much interest in them but we use advocate to be safe. The in-laws dog used to pick up snails while out on a walk and carry them round in her mouth then deposit them on the door step when she got home, she never got lungworm


Ok now i feel better...Gem is already on advocate!
So as advocate treats lungworm i take it its not necessary to take her to the vets now???
I didn't realise advocate treat lungworm aswell 
So my little girl is safe?


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## Tarnus (Apr 5, 2011)

wiley80 said:


> Ok now i feel better...Gem is already on advocate!
> So as advocate treats lungworm i take it its not necessary to take her to the vets now???
> I didn't realise advocate treat lungworm aswell
> So my little girl is safe?


It's probably worth ringing your vet to double check that Gem is covered for lungworm in her flea/worming treatments as I'm not a vet (neither is my OH who made my previous post!)!

It seems strange that if you rang your vet to say you were concerned she's eaten a slug and worried about lungworm they didn't look at her record, see she's on Advocate and say she'll be fine, unless they are just after your $! As I said, worth a quick call, point out she's on Advocate and see what they say.


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