Vets Now, the Out Of Hours emergency vets with 32 clinics across the UK is today warning owners of the dangers of slug pellets in light of the warm, wet summer which has provided ideal breeding conditions for slugs.
The plant munching creatures, which are prolific breeders, are causing problems for gardeners all over the UK with the current climate providing the perfect moist conditions for breeding; however, Vets Now is cautioning owners on the use of slug pellets following a recent case in which a critically ill Border Terrier was admitted to the Vets Now Clinic in Bristol after ingesting a slug pellet.
Speaking about the recent case, Penny Courtney, Senior Veterinary Surgeon at Vets Now in Bristol, commented; "Although some brands of slug pellet are sold as being "pet friendly", the most common forms of slug pellets contain the substance meterhylderhyde which is toxic to animals. The pellets are usually bright in colour which unfortunately can make them attractive to pets, particularly dogs and also to children. The symptoms of meterhylderhyde poisoning are normally quick to appear and include anxiety, excitement, extreme sensitivity to sounds and touch, disorientation, lack of co-ordination, vomiting and diarrhea, heavy panting, a high temperature and uncontrollable fitting."
She added; "If left untreated, the poisoning can result in death. In the case we saw recently, the owners were quick to bring the dog to our clinic so we were able to induce vomiting early on which effectively saved the dog’s life so we would urge owners to be cautious if using slug pellets and seek urgent veterinary treatment if they suspect their pet has ingested a pellet."
If your plants are being destroyed by slugs then there are a number of safe ways you can deal with the problem whilst ensuring your pets are not at risk:
• Use a slug bait which contains a dog and cat deterrent
• Hand pick in the evening or early morning and encourage the creatures to concentrate in certain areas, for example, placing pieces of wood or metal in certain areas of the garden
• Beer traps are also known to be effective and are a good ecological alternative, available at garden centres.