Slugs remain one of the most prolific pests in the garden, and their damage can extend far beyond destroying your flowers and vegetables. These slimy pests can also carry the dreaded lungworm parasite that can cause serious health problems in dogs and can even be fatal if not diagnosed and treated.
Some dogs deliberately eat the parasites but they can also be ingested from foraging in undergrowth, eating grass, carrying around outside toys such as balls and rubber bones and when the parasites have attached themselves to outside water and food bowls. They can also simply stick to dogs’ coats.
In order to provide you dog with the safest of environments whilst in the garden, it is vital to try and remove the threat of the lungworm parasite, and one of the most effective ways of doing this is removing slugs from the garden.
Until now, most slug control methods have been identified as being potentially harmful to dogs and other household pets. The biological nematodes used in Nemaslug, on the other hand, seek out and destroy slugs, and only slugs, and can be used safe in the knowledge that they will cause no harm to anything else in your garden, including your dog. In fact, nematodes are so safe they can even be kept in your own fridge.
“Lungworm can be a devastating disease for dogs. We believe that by using nematodes to protect your garden against slugs, you are also protecting your dogs from lungworm at the same time.” says Gavin Wood from BASF. This biological pest control is fast and effective, and is simply watered on to plants and soil where slugs are present.
TV Vet Marc Abraham, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he is more commonly known, explains, “Lungworm relies greatly on slug and snail hosts in order to grow and develop, and it's from ingesting these (or even just licking their trails or infected water from bowls left outside) that disease transmission may occur.
“So the more contact our dogs have with infected slugs and snails, the more likely this often fatal disease is rapidly spread.”
Nemaslug is available exclusively online.
You can follow Nemasys on Twitter @BASF_Nemasys_UK and find them on Facebook by searching for @BASF.Nemasys.UK
Marc Abraham, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he is more commonly known, is a practicing veterinary surgeon, author, and animal welfare campaigner based in Brighton, England.
Awards
Daily Mirror/RSPCA Vet of the Year Award – 2015
CEVA Vet of the Year Award – 2014
CEVA Special Recognition Award for Animal Welfare 2013
Special Recognition Award – Petplan Vet Awards 2007
Overall winner – National Pet Month Awards 2006
2006 Responsible Business Award – Brighton and Hove Business Awards
