Spring has arrived and with it, the slugs and snails in your garden. They can be real pests and ruin your ground, eat your plants and even have been known to eat leftover dog food! It’s important to be careful when you decide what you use to control these slimy and slow slugs because many of the products on the market can be deadly to your dog.

Some of the snail ridding products that are lethal to your dog are as follows:

Metaldehyde is used the most often by gardeners in the quest to kill snails and slugs. It works great to rid your garden of these pests but is highly toxic to dogs. It smells and tastes similar to dog food and if ingested can kill your dog (or cat) very quickly. Also, if your dog survives the episode he will think nothing of going back for more. Do not use this product. Many dogs die every year from Metaldehyde poisoning.

Iron Phosphate may be a bit safer bit only a by a little. Dogs are not as attracted to it, but if it is ingested in large amounts the iron can build up to toxic levels very quickly. If you see your dog vomiting or with diarrhea get him to the vet immediately. Your dog may even seem to improve only to then get lethargic, go into shock, collapse and develop liver failure and/or heart failure, hemorrhage, seizures, coma and death. And if they should survive, subsequent intestinal strictures can result from the earlier bleeding and further complications can ensue. Use this product with caution.

Arsenic is also often used to combat snails and slugs. Arsenic poisoning is serious and there are no antidotes for it. It results in bloody vomit and bloody diarrhea as well as abdominal pain and can also cause neurological problems including spasms, seizures and coma. Avoid Arsenic.

So, how to battle the snails? Do your research and try some natural remedies like these:

Garlic Oils and products have been known to kill snails and slugs. Your dog may be attracted to it but they’d have to ingest a lot of it to get sick. But be careful because garlic can be toxic to dogs. You can also use salt which works, but again, keep an eye on your dog to make sure he’s not attracted to it. Many people simply pick the snails off their plants and throw them out. Non-alcoholic beer is also attracts snails and slugs. You put it into the ground and they come to it, go for a taste and fall in. However, it must be non-alcoholic as real beer can be very toxic to dogs. Carnivorous snails can also be purchased at garden centers. Let them do the work for you! There are a number of other methods to cut down on snails like trapping them on flower pots or melon rinds, use of copper which detracts them from approaching plants.

Be sure to thoroughly research and check with your vet about anything you use in your yard or garden to make sure it is safe for your pets to be around. Let’s keep the spring in their step during Springtime.