Garden Pests Make A Dog Sick ?

[aus_k9gsd]

Can slugs or other pests make a dog sick.

I only ask as I have now had 2 different dogs after heavy rain get violently ill, first one we thought wa a bacterial infection but 4 months later after days of raining my other little dog came in last night vomiting, white gums, she felt cold to touch an her eyes were glassy. She stopped vomiting but then had bad diarrhea.

It's not toad poisoning so I am stumped at what's happening

Edited February 3, 2012 by aus_k9gsd

[persephone]

Are they drinking water which has pooled somewhere?

[aus_k9gsd]

No there isn't any water pooling around the yard or no containers etc with water in it

[Stitch]

If you are sure that it isn't toads, then have you considered little frogs??

Frogs can produce a reaction exactly as you described.

At the moment we have very tiny toads all over the place. Larger dogs don't worry about them but small dogs might as they are closer to the ground???

[Erny]

Rat Lung Worm contamination?

I'm not sure what tests are done to diagnose/rule this out, but I suspect a faecal sample would be required to be provided to the Vet. And/or blood tests. Either way, I'd be ringing a Vet asap to ask questions on this, and also to determine whether there have been cases of this health threat in your area before. This might at least determine the liklihood or not of it being a potential problem.

Rats are the host of this disease/condition but when a snail eats or has contact with the faeces of a rat infected with the lung worm, the snail becomes a carrier. Eating the snail and/or the snail 'gum' can transfer the disease to a mammal (in this case, dog).

I've read that animals such as lizards, frogs and other such reptiles who eat snails can also become infected and I suspect something eating them could in turn contract the disease. I believe Tawny Frogmouth Owls suffer from the disease because of the prey they eat.

I don't know much about it myself other than what snippets I've been able to read on the subject.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Erny

[Jumabaar]

Giardia is another possible cause of illness

[aus_k9gsd]

If you are sure that it isn't toads, then have you considered little frogs??

Frogs can produce a reaction exactly as you described.

At the moment we have very tiny toads all over the place. Larger dogs don't worry about them but small dogs might as they are closer to the ground???

that is possible as i have had to save big frogs many times from the dogs and relocate them out the front and with all this rain around plus we have a empty overgrown paddock behind us

Erny, i thought that as well as a friend had nearly an entire litter of malamutes get that from eating slugs but i spoke to a vet today and she doesnt think so given the symptoms, which is a relief, we discussed possibility of Giardia, coccidiosis etc but i would think she wouldnt of recovered so quick and without drugs which made me think of poisoning of some sort. Its got me wondering whats going on as we have lived here for years and no issues then in the last few months 2 dogs with same symptoms, looks like they will be locked inside at night and only allowed out with close supervision

[Stitch]

Mine go for toads and frogs, in fact anything that they can catch - they are great hunters.

I had one of mine get very sick by grabbing a green frog. She vomited about 5 times, frothed at the mouth, looked very seedy for several hours and generally suffered very badly for it however it didn't stop her from wanting to catch frogs and toads in the future.

I can't let mine out after dark without being on the lead and in this weather the little toads are around during the day so I have to supervise that as much as possible too.

All part of the joys of living in rural Queensland.