Ongoing Snail Illness Research

[natrat84]

Try what Anjie did with the Brixtons when she first got them. In a tub with NO substrate. Wash them and the tub daily for a week or 2, see how that works

[zirliz]

Yeah many animals don't give symptoms unless in the example of a snake only show signs of illness when near death as otherwise predators would home in on this. It's pity not much is known about snail illness as many say the snail just dies when this occurs in fish its normally bacteria related I wonder if similar things cause snail deaths.

[Sue]

I think it is excellent that people are getting together and identifying and exchanging ideas on these mites. I wonder if we could try the same approach with other snail ailments, for example fungal and bacterial diseases. The only difference is that these pathogens would require a microscope to identify them. It seems so sad when I read posts about snails that have died of unknown illnesses, often after months of ill health. I wish there was a way that we could find out what was going on so that we could target these problems with fungicides/antibiotics. Does anyone have access to facilities where microorganisms could be identified?

[Big Dave]

i noticed previously that eucalyptus has been mentioned as a possible host/food sauce for snails. i did wonder if that had any use as a medical treatment as it is pretty strong and seams to me it is along the lines of tee-tree oil. just a thought would hate anyone to try it with detrimental effects

[Rachel]

I think i've found the way to remove mites, put a couple of radishes in the tank, and no other food, wait till ur snails eat them and leave for 1 or 2 more days, then remove, do this for a couple of weeks, i no longer had mites! mite seem to like going on radishes for some reason, dunno why, also marigolds help to repel them. if u wanna give the snails other food take them out the tank for a while and give them it outside it. also bathe your snails at least 4 times a day.
and give the tank a thorough clean and wipe round three times a day.

[Rachel]

Two of my snails seem to have died of cancer, they died with a large orange lump on them, has anyone else had it?

[Arno]

Do you mean to give your snails only radishes for weeks?I wish I had the time to give my snails (at least) 4 baths a day.
Another way to get most mites off your snails is to simply blow them away,while holding your snail(firmly)out a window(the advantage of mites being so light).

[Rachel]

No, feed them other stuff outside the tank, i thught i'd put that, . oh well, u can do once a day if u want. and this gets rid of the mites in the tank as well. Also sprinke dried sage and lavander in the tank to repel mites and put some in ur snails bath water. ( Try boiling water, adding the herbs, allow to cool. )

[crossless]

Hei I'm new here so I like to let u know my story.

I'm girl from Finland I have had my two snails from 9th Noverber last year. I bought them from local pet store, I counted their age from love arrows first apperrence and in my care they only grown 5mm since I bought them. So the duo is born on 14th november in 2007.

So they r called Femi and Fulica, Femi is the "sickone". I think 2months ago was they time when her nother eye just have shrinked halfsize. After something like 2weeks or so the eye was gone. Her both horns responses every irratation, even the eyeless one. I'm having feeling that nother eye will do the same maybe. Eyeloss haven't done anything bad, she's as active as always. Her friend/sister, I'm not sure if my snails r related, is healthy no eyeloss.

Last month Femi even laid eggs, 91eggs totally.

I found on February from my terrarium Femi's and Fulica's babies I saved 3of them they r healhty lil active babies.

Sorry about my writing mistakes, my real language is Finnish. Here's some photos of Femi and her misterious eye. www.petsie.fi/pet.php?petid=71726&s=images

[Dusk]

Welcome It's good to know that the loss of an eye hasn't slowed her down!

[coyote]

Thanks for posting a link to the pics of your snails. That is strange about the eyestalk. I wonder what the cause of it is?

A few months ago someone else posted about their snail's eyestalk being always retracted. But it got better after a few weeks.

[crossless]

Only thing came to mind, eyeproblem is some kind of genetic problem. In my snail tank haven't ever been any mites or anything, first I tought it was 'cos mites, but then I looked horn closely, there wasn't any mites or anything inside of Femi's eye. So when I some day start to breed snails I won't sell Femi's or her childrens eggs, 'cos it could be genetic. Never know..

[Snail Lover.]

Its interesting,i wonder what cause it is then?. How longs the eye been this way?

[crossless]

The eye has been like that few months already.

[crossless]

Now Femi isn't active at all. She may go eating lil bit and don't move much.. Now foot is verydark brown almost black. Hope she cheer up when I maybe today bath her.. :S

[zakalwe]

Has anyone noticed their snails waving their eye stalks around like mad? I have one that looks like an epileptic with the amount they squirm.

[coyote]

A lot of my snails wiggle their eyestalks around a lot.

[cookilicious]

Can anyone help me please?!!! My snail Brian has a hole in his shell He's had quite a big one appear before but it healed over quite well but i think that's because it was quite close to the soft new part of his shell. The new hole that's appeared is right at the tip of his shell and i'm really worried it will make him ill! it looks like the tip is going to snap off. Can i do something?!!!! Also the older part of his shell appears brittle and pitted. He was a bit of a rescue i dont think he got enough cuttlebone as a wee snail. Help!!!!!

[muddydragon]

it depends how far 'forard' this big hole is, sails can loose the tips of their shells with no problems, the part that matters is the whorl they are currently living in which i believe is the first couple of whorls (but someone else may be able to correct me on that)
they will not replace the tip but will be fine. Here's my rescue snail glaedr as you can see very happy and healty without his shell tip and with some damage further forward which he repaired:


so i wouldn't worry too much.
do you have nay pics of what is going on?
also offering other calcium sources sometimes helps have you tried limestone flour?

[cookilicious]

Hey thanks for that i feel a lot better now i kept pestering poor Brian to check nothing is seeping out of the hole!!! I will get some pics up tonight he's asleep at the mo The hole is a lot smaller than Glaedyr's but i was worried he would bash it about or fall off the ceilng or something (he's a bit clumsy). When his other hole appeared he would keep sticking his head through it and making it bigger!!!! Would hav actually been quite funny if i wasn't crying and ringing the zoo lol x

by the way where can i get limestone flour? is it just to sprinkle on his food?

[muddydragon]

ebay or from dusk . and yes you just sprikle it on his food, it seems to go down well good luck with him

[cookilicious]

Here he is my beautiful boy/girl! He is such a sweet little guy Will try the limestone flour defo and iv started scraping cuttlebone on his food too hehe sneaky! Can anyone help me identify his breed also?! everytime i think iv guessed right there's another snail who looks the same but different breed?!!!

U can see in some of the pics the hole he repaired in one of his newer whorls and the hole right near the tip of his shell, its pretty small compared to Glaedyrs but i was worried he might get some kind of infection?!

Thanks for all the help

Attachments:

[cookilicious]

Yay i think iv figured how to get photos on here?!!! photobucket thingy?! gah anyhoo heres the link photobucket.com/snaillover hope it works!

[malti]

Sept 11, 2009 0:44:23 GMT cookilicious said:

Yay i think iv figured how to get photos on here?!!! photobucket thingy?! gah anyhoo heres the link photobucket.com/snaillover hope it works!

to get pics, look at the left side of the screen and there is a box with 4 choices, choose IMG CODE and copy and paste here

[coyote]

I don't know what species he is, but he's quite beautiful!