My poor baby ate poison...and it's my fault.

I put some slug pellets in the garden last night - it said on the packet "animals and children need not be excluded from treated areas". I thought it would be okay.

I was sitting reading then saw Guinness actually eating a load of the pellets. I told him, "no".... Then I thought, what if they ARE dangerous? I called the emergency vets and they told me to bring him in straight away.

It was a boiling hot day so I just chucked some clothes on over my bikini, bundled Guin into his carrier and got a taxi to the emergency vets. By the time I got there I was nearly passing out with worry (and so was Guin)

Anyway, the vet looked at the slug pellets and examined Guin and said that even though the bottle says the poison is okay, more often than not they do affect the animals. He has been given charcoal tablets - I have to give him 3 tablets, 3 times daily.

Guin seems okay though, which is good. He was a little sick last night (which I am told is normal). He kept me awake most of last night - meeowing and whining at me. This morning he is bright eyed and bushy tailed and ate some food as well. Amazingly I managed to give him the 3 tablets with no problems.

I feel so guilty though

I am so glad he is alright!! I would have been freaking out!

Dont feel guilty, which i know is easier said then done, but it was an accident and he sounds as if he is back to normal!

You did the right thing by calling the vets so please try not to worry! Guin is going to be fine

Awww Gilly don't beat yourself up chick accidents happen You did the right thing by taking Guinness to the vet, and like you say he's bright eyed and bushy tailed again so he's fine!

You were lucky- they have a smell, much like roach bait that attracts animals to them. Next time, just lay out a line of salt, or bury small lids with beer in them to kill your slugs.

Also keep him hydrated. Pedialyte would be good for him right now.

Thanks guys

As soon as I got home from the vets, I dug up my petunias and threw them away along with all the slug bait. It's only really those plants in the garden that the slugs like so I will just make sure I put them in hanging baskets in future rather than low pots.

Hissy, the vet did say to me about that stuff being designed to attract animals. I can't believe that they make stuff that attracts cats as well. It should just attract the animal it is intended to kill. Thanks for the tip about the beer - never heard of that! There's gonna be a lot of drunken slugs about my garden.....Last night I found some snails on the garden path - I just trod on them

Guin has plenty of water left for him - 2 bowls and some kibbles. I am at work but called my neighbour who said that he is running about with BamBam atm (even though it's just been raining!) so my mind is at ease this afternoon.

Gilly i've heard the one about the beer, and mainly the salt as well

This is extremely interesting to me. I'd read only a few weeks ago an article in our local paper written by the area university Extension Service horticulture agent that some types of slug bait were poison to cats and some were not. So I specifically bought some of that which says safe around pets. Just recently I have been putting out a lot of it, since I have a very large yard and I've noticed the slugs seem to love many plants. In our moist, cool-summer area on the coast, it is slug heaven anyway, and after the mild winter last year, we have hundreds of them. So now I'm really concerned.

I've used the beer containers before and it works, but with as many plants as I have now, it would be impractical and would ruin the looks of my lovely landscaped beds to have dishes of beer everywhere. But SALT? Really? Wouldn't putting salt down repeatedly upset the soil for the plants?

I'm not sure if the salt would spoil the soil or the plants, but it sort of melts the slugs in minutes.

Twofatcats, you know what? I won't use that stuff again just in case. You just never know what's in it. I too searched for this one as it said "children & pets need not be excluded" and really thought that it would be safe. It was only until I spoke to the vet and he was saying you can never be sure.

Luckily, these were only tiny pellets so the size of them and taking Guin's weight into account he has got off lightly. If he was a kitten or even a year or so younger I think it might be a different story.....

Originally Posted by rosiemac

I'm not sure if the salt would spoil the soil or the plants, but it sort of melts the slugs in minutes.

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I think salt is okay for the plants. Is it just table salt, like what you use on your dinner?

egg shells work too and you can buy some organism called nematoads which eat away at the slugs bt are safe for other plants and animals.

coffe grounds work too.

Ooh, a question I can answer.

After working in a garden centre for a few years we had many people coming in asking for pet proof traps for slug and snails.
If you want to put down beer traps, put all your beer dregs and cigarette butts in a large sealable container and then get some small P.E.T bottles and bury them up to the neck in you garden. Periodically empty/fill the traps with this mix. Also an effective bug spray but your garden ends up smelling like the local pub.
We used to sell some snail bait that lasted a couple of weeks, it was blue. Apparently dogs and cats couldn't see this colour and the odor was a deterent, this was in NZ so don't know about other countries.
If you cut off the bottom of a P.E.T bottle and then cut in little entrances, you can push this down into the soil with the bait sheltered from pets and rain but the slugs and snails can still go to their doom

Good luck with your gardens

Thanks for the new tips Maverick_kitten

Originally Posted by Ginger's Mum

If you cut off the bottom of a P.E.T bottle and then cut in little entrances, you can push this down into the soil with the bait sheltered from pets and rain but the slugs and snails can still go to their doom

Good luck with your gardens

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Hey that's a good idea. I could just use a little water bottle or something and fill that with bait? I am going to have a good think.... but maybe the beer is going to be safest cos Guin is into EVERYTHING and so curious! lol He investigates ANYTHING....

If I don't post an update on Guin tonight, it will be tomorrow morning

we used to fill yoghurt pots with beer and bury them up to the rim in the soil. soapy water also helps.

the best way is to go ot at night when the slimy things r most active and sprinkle all the ones you see with salt.

after spending ages protecting my herb garden or new puppy came along and pooped on my thyme! i was soooo upset

Originally Posted by Gilly

I think salt is okay for the plants. Is it just table salt, like what you use on your dinner?

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Yes the same sort

There's always the Crunch Method...
... all's you need is a pair of Gumboots and a torch evil laugh!

Originally Posted by Ginger's Mum

There's always the Crunch Method...
... all's you need is a pair of Gumboots and a torch

evil laugh!

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ohh you are evil!

Originally Posted by Ginger's Mum

There's always the Crunch Method...
... all's you need is a pair of Gumboots and a torch

evil laugh!

Click to expand...

Actually, my neighbour was taking washing in the other night with barefeet... she trod on a snail!!!

I have murdered slugs before now... I tried to cut one in half and ... omg yuk! It just spirted out. Never again will I do that

Yeah, I was weeding a few days ago and didn't see one on a weed. Squish! Yuck, glad I was wearing disposable latex gloves. But I could still feel it through the gloves, I just didn't get it all over my fingers.