As soon as the weather is warm and rainy, slugs emerge en masse. While we find it annoying to encounter these critters in our gardens and on paths, unfortunately they can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. In this article, we explain why slugs are dangerous, what symptoms may indicate that your dog or cat has been in contact with slugs and what you can do best to prevent health problems.
The slug itself is basically not dangerous, but the worm species that can occur in the mucus of the slug are. The two species that are most common are the lungworm and French heartworm. When a dog or cat eats a slug or touches the mucus, these worms can enter the body. The adult worms live in the heart and major pulmonary arteries, while the larvae can crawl from the intestine through the blood vessels to the lungs and cause damage there.
Dogs or cats that have eaten a slug or been in contact with the mucus may show the following symptoms:
Is your dog or cat showing one or more symptoms? If so, contact your vet immediately. The vet can determine whether treatment is needed and the best course of action. The earlier the treatment takes place, the more likely your pet will make a full recovery.
While walking your dog, take great care that he or she does not eat a slug, step on a slug or come into contact with the mucus. Especially young dogs and dogs that eat things they shouldn't eat more often are more likely to eat a slug.
Cats are very unlikely to eat a slug, although they may come into contact with the mucus. With cats that go outside, it is especially important to watch out for the above symptoms.
To prevent worm infections, it is important to deworm your dog or cat regularly. Make sure the deworming medicine also works against lung and heart worms, as this is not the case with every medicine.
