Pesticide
Slug and Snail Bait (metaldehyde)
An emergency. Signs can develop within an hour and rapidly become severe.
Life-threateningDogsCatsWildlife
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 treatment
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.