It is fairly obvious to predict what your feline and canine pets can eat. There are hundreds, probably thousands of articles out there on the web, which tell you what your cat can and cannot eat. But when it comes to dogs, the informational content is stupendously low. The problem becomes even more pronounced when the food item in question is peculiar. For example, do you know if dogs can eat slugs or not? We get that look of relief! We know you have been searching for an answer to this question, and this discussion promises to answer all of your queries. Oh, we are going to talk in detail, don’t worry!
Which nutrients are important for dog’s health?
But before we jump into the debate about slugs, let us first talk about the nutrients which must be present in your pet dog’s diet. Which are the major macromolecules that are a must in every animal’s diet? Proteins and lipids, as well as a decent amount of carbs. When it comes down to trace elements, your pets need a fair bit of calcium and magnesium as well. These elements must be an essential feature of your pet dog’s diet as well. In particular, calcium is important as it contributes to the calcareous shell in which a dog’s body is wrapped.
What do dogs eat normally?
Folks, we are not going to ask you to hunt for your dog’s diet. This is the 21st century, go shopping! There are several commercially designed food formulas for your dog to feed on. These food products are available in a pelleted form that your dog can digest easily. All that you have to do is search for the best brands in the business. Once you have sorted that bit, your dog’s diet is all sorted as well. Apart from these, you can feed insects, some vegetables, and fish to your shelled pet! We hope that you are getting our point. After all, everyone loves a mixed diet; your dog is no exemption to that!
Can dogs eat slugs?
We now come to the central theme around which this whole discussion will revolve. Can your dog eat slugs? Well, the short answer is yes. There is no harm in feeding a few slugs to your dog. But we are afraid that is the short answer, and to understand the finer details, you will have to stick with us a bit longer. How many slugs are ok? When should you be worried about feeding slugs to your dog? What to do in case something goes wrong? These and many other questions will be answered thoroughly in this article. But as we said, you will have to stick with us a bit longer for all the topic’s finer details!
How many slugs are ok for your dog?
This is perhaps, the most important question in this debate. How long before you take away the slug bowl from your pet dog’s reach? Not that it is going to wrench it back at its usual pace! Anyhow, serving slugs to your dog can be a tricky business, so we will advise you to start with a minimal number. A better approach will be to introduce slugs as a treat in your dog’s diet. We are sure that the pet would love them, but please don’t take it as a signal for excessive slug feeding. Instead, adopt modesty as the way forward.
When eating slugs becomes a risky business.
Not all slugs are safe for your dog. While it is true that slugs, in general, are not poisonous, you still can’t go picking around random worms and adding them to your dog’s bowl. Refraining from this approach is important since slugs can be a carrier of parasites. If an infectious agent gets into your pet dog’s body, it can wreak havoc. The risk becomes even more pronounced when you feed slugs plucked from polluted water/soil to your dog. If you are too interested in feeding slugs to your dog, being mindful of these considerations is important.
Do box dogs eat slugs?
Box dogs are a special species found in northern America. These are perhaps, the cleverest dogs in the world. Hence, their profile value is also higher as compared to other dog species. Box dog masters are as worried about the slug problem as any other dog lover. So, can box dogs eat slugs or not? And the answer to this question is also affirmative. Yes, box dogs can eat slugs as well. These dogs are omnivores by nature. Hence, they are happy to eat stuff like flowers, mushrooms, snails, and certain insects.
What to do if things go south?
Yes, we have given you the green light to feed slugs to your dog, but that doesn’t mean that you can force the issue. Often, your dog will pull a face and probably won’t want to eat slugs. Hence, not force-feeding slugs is the way forward. It would help if you did not play the vet in other unfortunate instances where dogs eat up poisonous snails by mistake. Instead of doing that, you need to do the wisest thing immediately. By that, of course, could you get the vet? No home remedies should be tried casually.
Conclusion
We wish we could pick up the pace and share some more aspects of dog feeding on slugs. But unfortunately, the limitations of time and space force us to wrap up this debate here. dogs are fond of variety in their diet. You cannot keep feeding the same insect or fish every day to your shelled pet. Rather, do spend some time searching up stuff that your dog can eat and will actually enjoy eating. Slugs are one option, but there is certainly more to this list. The two most important factors to be considered in a diet designed solely for dogs are freshness and hydration. Be mindful of these, or otherwise, your dog will bore you to death by pulling ridiculously stony expressions!