# I think my dog ate a leech?



## SSpiro (Oct 5, 2007)

I saw the leech on the porch, went back inside to wash my hands and to clean up a spill. Went back out about 3 minutes later and it was gone.

He's not the type to do something like that, an its possible he didn't, but i know that leech's kind of move around slowly and not too sure it crawled away on its own.

What should I do? Will he be OK??


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I imagine it was a slug, unless your porch is under water.

Probably tastes like escargot. I've never heard of them being toxic.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

That sucks.....


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## Lonewolfblue (Oct 28, 2007)

But one thing about slugs, they can cause numbing of the mouth, lol. A friend had fed one to his Oscar. since he loved snails. The Oscar took it in, then spit it back out and started acting weird. He later found out that the reason for the Oscar acting weird is that the defense mechanism of the slug numbs the mouth of it's prey. But it doesn't hurt them.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

NO you take that dog to the VET!


My sister is an entymologist and says there are several species of slug in north america that carry fairly HORRID parasites.

Please take the dog to the vet to be sure...


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I've been doing some reading since I posted and, in some parts of the world, slugs which have ingested the slug poison metaldehyde are a fairly common source of seriously poisoning in dogs. The dogs either eat the bait directly or eat a slug which has ingested it. Either is very serious.


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