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Common gardening product poses lethal threat to dogs across Spain
Blue snail bait containing deadly poison has appeared in parks and green spaces throughout Spain
Taking your dog for a walk should be one of life's simple pleasures, but pet owners throughout Spain are discovering that parks and streets can hide deadly dangers. While we've all heard the horror stories in recent years about disturbed individuals deliberately placing nails and fish hooks in meat to kill dogs and cats, there's another threat that's equally dangerous but completely unintentional.
Blue snail bait, commonly known as Babosil, is showing up in scrub land and green spaces across Spain without any warning signs and it's putting countless dogs at serious risk during the busiest walking months of the year.
The blue granules contain metaldehyde, a chemical that's absolutely lethal to dogs. Even the smallest amount can trigger a cascade of terrifying symptoms. These include violent tremors, uncontrollable vomiting, seizures and in the worst cases, complete respiratory failure.
The scariest part is that your dog doesn't even need to eat a large amount. Just licking or nibbling these innocent-looking blue pellets can be enough to cause serious harm.
The timing makes this threat particularly cruel. Spring and summer are when most of us increase our walking routines, spending more time outdoors with our pets. Unfortunately, this is exactly when property owners and gardeners are most likely to spread snail bait around their green spaces.
From a puppy parent’s perspective, these blue granules might not look like much. But to a curious dog exploring the world through their nose and mouth, they're fascinating. The texture, the scent and the fact that they're scattered on the ground in exactly the spots where dogs love to sniff and investigate makes them almost irresistible.
Sadly, there are already reports of deaths and even more very near-misses up and down the country.
When Doguify, a popular dog-friendly app, posted a warning about blue snail poison, the response was overwhelming. The video went viral, racking up more than two million views and generating thousands of comments from worried pet parents sharing the information to protect other dogs.
Doguify has since developed something that could be a game-changer for pet safety. Their real-time alert map allows dog owners to report hazards the moment they spot them during walks. Whether it's snail poison, broken glass, suspicious food left on the ground or even deliberate traps like those horrific nail and fish hook incidents we've seen, users can flag dangerous spots in seconds.
Once someone reports a hazard, it appears on the map for the entire Doguify community to see. This means other dog owners can plan their routes accordingly, avoiding dangerous areas and keeping their pets safe.
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Image: Doguify
