Is this Mantle Collapse?

[jacqui]

Can anyone out there tell me if my snail, Henry, has had a mantle collapse? I'm not entirely sure what one is, but having read some of the posts on here, I think he might of had one.
Basically, when checking the tank this morning we noticed Henry laying on his side. His shell looked completely empty, and he was surrounded by eggs. I took him out, and his body was at the far end of his shell, but the membrane bit that usually joins body to shell and has the air hole, has completely disappeared. Must admit we thought he had died, but I gave him a shower as that normally wakes him up. He did start to move a bit, but didn't really come out of the shell. I tickled him a bit, but his body (the bit i could reach) was really dry, so we sat him in a shallow dish of water for a while and offered him lettuce. He did, after a long while, manage to come a short way out the shell, but looked totally miserable and it seemed as though the edge of his shell was pressing hard on his body. He didn't eat anything, but kind of sniffed at it, before going right back into his shell. He has stayed hidden for about 6 hours now.
I really want to know, is it a mantle collapse? What can I do to help Henry? Is it something he will recover from? Is he in pain, and should I really be trying to keep him alive?(I don't want him to die but hate the thought of him suffering).
If it's not a mantle collapse, then does anyone know what it is?
Many thnaks for any advice/help

Jacqui

p.s I have taken photo, but don't know how to attach it to this post... will try to work out how to do tht.

[jacqui]

I really don't know how to attach the photo, but it basically shows the inside of his shell, with no membrane and just a tiny part of his body in view. Sorry!

[coyote]

Hi Jacqui! I don't think there's a way to attach a pic here directly from your computer. You can link to a pic if you have an account with Photobucket, Flickr, Imageshack, PBase, Shutterfly, Smugmug or other photo-hosting site. Alternatively, you could do a one-time upload using tinypic.com, and use their URL for your pic to link to here.

There is information about mantle collapse here (including care suggestions):
www.petsnails.co.uk/problems/mantle_collapse.html#start

I'm so sorry about your snail. Good luck to you, and let us know how he's doing.

Sending some magickal healing rays to Henry ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[jacqui]

Hi
Thanks for your message.
I did read the information on the petsnails website, and am now certain it was indeed a mantle collapse. Henry is seeming much brighter today. We put him into a tank by himself, and i kept spraying him on a regular basis as he was getting very dry. But last night Henry started to climb up the side of his tank, so must be feeling a bit better! He did struggle to support his shell, so I guess the muscle must be quite weak and will take a while to strengthen. He seems to move around the coir quite well, but still hasn't eaten, even though I keep sitting him infront of the cucumber and lettuce. How long can snails survive without eating?
Thanks
Jacqui

[coyote]

A snail that is otherwise healthy and does not estivate can probably survive a few days of not eating with few ill effects. An estivating snail can go a lot longer, of course.

Keeping him well-misted is good. Do you have a container short enough that he cannot actually climb up? That will prevent any further strain on him, as least until he gets stronger.

Good luck with him, and let us know how he's doing.

[jacqui]

Hi
Henry still hasn't eaten anything. Have tried him with all sorts. Thats been a whole week now without food, and it is starting to concern me. He is spending more and more time in his plant pot, not moving. I got him out yesterday and he eventually woke up on my hand. Had a little sniff about and slimed around my finger! I tried to encourage him to eat, and he did seem interested, rubbing his mouth across the lettuce. I watched him closely and it is almost as if he can't eat, rather than refusing to eat. Is it possible he suffered some sort of trauma to his mouth when he had his mantle collapse? He has spent the last 24 hours in his plant pot again. I'm worried that this may be a bad sign, that he may not have the strength to recover due to lack of food? Should I be blending his food into a paste for him to eat? I am going to go and try to wake him up again...
I never knew a snail could have me so worried!

[Snail Lover.]

OMG! Gary is acting the excact way! He did have a giant apetite but recently has been really unactive, and not eating atall!
He's in his shell quite alot and wherever i put him on the soil he stays and doesnt move, i really hope he gets better im in bits about it!
Gary kind of sniffs his food too its so weird to find your snail doing the same thing.
He wont eat anything, i thought it could be a broken radula or something, but have no idea he has gone rather dark on the skin and his been like this for about 2 weeks, i went away for a week about 3 weeks ago in the time i was gone he suffered a fall from the lid i didnt know if this affected him but since ive been back hes been terrible really unwell.
I dont know what to do! Im scared he wont make it.

[coyote]

Do any of these snails have a reddened mouth? There could be some kind of problem, infection or injury in that area that makes it uncomfortable or painful for them to eat.

I think the idea of blending his food into something of a mushy consistency is worth trying. In theory that should make it easier to eat.

Good luck!

[Snail Lover.]

I just tryed gary on ready break, he the tiniest drop.
I smudged a bit over his mouth so maybe he'll eat it.
His mantle appears to be at the very back of the shell, im scared of him dying!
Im sure hes in pain in the mouth area tho, he looks like he really wants the food but just cant put himself through pain when he eats it.
Odd behaviour really.
Garys mouth seems, looks fine.

[lee2211]

petsnails.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pests&action=display&thread=9543
For more information on mantle collapse read above thread ^. Thank you.