396 First Street

Los Altos, California 94022

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Consumer Product Warnings

Snail Bait

The most common cause of poisoning in dogs in this area is from snail and slug bait containing Metaldehyde as the active ingredient. This poison acts on the nervous system and can quickly cause uncontrollable twitching that progresses to seizures, then death. The signs can occur immediately or up to three hours after ingestion. Snail bait comes in pellets that are flavored to attract animals (wildlife, too), or a liquid or powder that can stick to feet and be ingested when the pet grooms.

Signs of Possible Snail Bait Ingestion:

• Anxious twitching and/or salivation
• The twitching progresses to seizures
• The twitching and seizures raise the body temperature to dangerous levels - brain and organ damage and coagulation problems can result.  Complications from the seizures and hyperthermia can affect any organ system and take several days to occur.
• Pets may also experience vomiting, diarrhea and elevated heart rates.

Treatment for Metaldehyde Toxicity:

There is no specific antidote metaldehyde.  Treatments are aimed at controlling the tremors and seizures with IV fluids, muscle relaxants and sedatives until the seizures subside.  This can take several days.

Alternatives:

Yes! There are SAFE EFFECTIVE alternatives to snail bait containing metaldehyde.  Look for products containing Iron Phosphate as the active ingredient.  Some examples are Sluggo and Escar-Go.  Ask your neighbors if they put snail bait in their yards.  Owners are often baffled as to how their dog could have had access to snail bait since they don't put it down, but often the dog sniffs in the neighbor's flowers or gets out and runs in their yard, where they WILL find any poisoned baits (rat bait, too).  It may be worth it for you to buy your neighbor the first package of safe snail bait to prove to them it is effective and get them to switch.

Daily hand picking of snails and slugs is effective over time.

Copper barriers react with the snail's slime and create an electrical current which repels them.

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