Does Metaldehyde Poison Dogs? Snail Bait TikTok Meaning And Treatments
Metaldehyde is a molluscicide that is used in a variety of vegetables and crops in the field, gardens, and greenhouses. It is available in liquid, granules, and powder forms.
The use of this cyclic tetramer of acetaldehyde as a pesticide against slugs, snails, and other gastropods is prohibited in the United Kingdom. What’s the reason? It’s because when metaldehyde is ingested or inhaled, it is found to be moderately toxic, and still slightly toxic when it comes into contact with skin.
Talking about its toxicity, it is not only for humans but also for other animals. The recently popular TikTok videos revolve around this similar issue as pet owners want to know if this compound is toxic to dogs or not. Continue reading to find out.
Does Metaaldehyde Poison Dogs?
Before answering this, how did the whole thing arise at this moment? Apparently, Nicole Susan known for her account “The Butterfly Garden TT” showed how successfully she used snail and slug bait to get rid of unwanted African black snails in a recent TikTok upload.
Susan appears to have used snail/slug bait from the Tropi-Gro line of Caribbean Chemicals, which is labeled “keep out of reach of children.” Now, the real question is, can it, however, harm dogs? Are there any warnings about using it in places where pets may come into contact with it?
Yes, these molluscicides or snail/slug baits harm dogs as it has metaldehyde as their major components. This very compound can have devastating and life-ending effects on cats and dogs if they eat them. We all know that snails and slugs can be a gardener’s worst nightmare and we, therefore, use bait as a solution to keep those nasty mollusks at bay.
Such baits used for removing snails and slugs mainly work in two ways; firstly, they contain attractants that attract snails and slugs. Secondly, they contain poison, so slugs and snails that eat the pellets die.
Generally, such molluscicides come in three different types. Still, we need to opt for natural alternatives such as wood pellets which won’t warm other animals if they accidentally ingest or come in touch with it.
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Is Snail Bait Poisonous? Snail Bite Meaning On TikTok And Treatments
Shortly, yes, snail baits are poisonous as they contain three different types of toxic components; Iron phosphate, metaldehyde, and methiocarb. In detail, the pellets containing methiocarb or metaldehyde or both can even be toxic to humans and has the potential to pollute groundwater.
When snails or slugs come into contact with these baits, it starts producing an excessive amount of slime to flush the toxin out of their system, and they eventually die as a result of dehydration.
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Now, when it is ingested by dogs or other pets, they will start vomiting as metaldehyde will cause irritation to the stomach, eventually, they will become anxious and have increased heart rate. After a while, they will lose muscle control, become hypersensitive, and even may experience convulsions or seizures.
Therefore, any pet that has come in contact with these baits or has eaten metaldehyde requires an immediate veterinary check-up. Now, even in the video that put out this whole thing, it can be seen that the active ingredient chosen in the snail bait from The Butterfly Garden TT’s TikTok video is metaldehyde.
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