Pesticide
Slug and Snail Bait (metaldehyde)
An emergency. Signs can develop within an hour and rapidly become severe.
Life-threateningDogsCatsWildlife
AI-generated editorial illustration of the subject; not a photograph of a specific animal, product or case.
What to do right now
- 1.Go to an emergency vet immediately
- 2.Take the product packaging if available
- 3.Do not induce vomiting unless a vet instructs you to, as seizures can start quickly
Symptoms
- Uncontrollable muscle tremors
- Twitching and hyperthermia
- Rapid, jerky movements
- Seizures
- Rigid limbs
Details
- Category
- Pesticide
- Toxicity
- Life-threatening
- Species affected
- Dogs, Cats, Wildlife
- Routes of exposure
- Eating pellets scattered on flower beds or vegetable patches, often mistaken for food
- Urgency
- An emergency. Signs can develop within an hour and rapidly become severe.
Veterinary notes and prevention
Metaldehyde overstimulates the central nervous system, causing severe tremors and dangerously high body temperature. Treatment includes sedation, active cooling and decontamination once the animal is stable.
Prepare the information your vet needs
- For Slug and Snail Bait (metaldehyde), report the exposure route: Eating pellets scattered on flower beds or vegetable patches, often mistaken for food. Tell the clinic the time, possible amount and your pet's species and approximate weight.
- Photograph the packaging, ingredient list or plant if safe. Do not handle contaminated material without protection or delay the call to identify it perfectly.
- Keep other animals away from the source. An animal may appear normal before signs develop; do not wait for symptoms or calculate a home 'safe dose'.
- Follow the clinic's transport instructions. Do not give food, medicines or home remedies unless instructed, and take packaging with you if available.
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Guidance libraries and further reading
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