Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Snail and slug bait poisoning in dogs and cats risks and outcomes
By Studdert, V P·Published in Australian veterinary journal·1985·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Epidemiological features of snail and slug bait poisoning in dogs and cats.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey found that snail and slug baits are the leading cause of poisoning in dogs and cats, with 280 dogs and 12 cats affected over seven months. The most common ingredients in these baits were metaldehyde and methiocarb, which can be deadly; about 8% of dogs and 17% of cats that ingested them did not survive. Dogs of all ages, from puppies to seniors, were poisoned, and incidents peaked in October. It's important for pet owners to be cautious and keep these baits out of reach, as pets often find and eat them despite precautions.
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Abstract
Snail and slug baits were the most common cause of poisoning in dogs and cats in a survey of 34 veterinary practices. During a 7-month period, 280 dogs and 12 cats were poisoned by metaldehyde (57%) or methiocarb (43%) containing baits with case fatality rates of 8.1% and 9.1% in dogs and 16.7% and 50% in cats, respectively. The ages of poisoned dogs ranged from 2 months to 17 years and cats from 3 months to 5 years. There was no decrease in frequency of poisoning or case fatality rate demonstrated with increasing body size in dogs. Poisoning was most frequent in the month of October. Baits were eaten off the ground or obtained from storage areas, often despite a variety of preventive measures. It is suggested that these products should be reformulated to make them less attractive to domestic pets.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4062739/