Post by holdon1015 on Jul 12, 2010 8:38:40 GMT
I know this is a snail forum, but maybe someone can help me figure some things out about my pet slug, Steve. I found him in my backyard about 6 or 7 months ago, and I've been taking care of him and learning everything I could about slugs ever since. Sadly, he died this week of what I think may have been a collapsed mantle.
I was on vacation and brought him along. He was acting fine for 4 days and nights until one morning when I woke up and went to spray him. His head was dark purple and swollen. His mantle almost looked like it was peeling away from his head. It looked like he was shedding or something. About half of his body was hard, had less mucus, and the mucus was stickier than usual. His back half was also stiff while his head area remained mobile. I tried to find out what it was and I think it might've been a collapsed mantle. So I cleaned his tank and placed him on his food (he ate a lot of it too). I sprayed him a couple times an hour until he started looking a little better. But then I went to spray him and he was getting extremely stiff and his eyes were barely moving (although his pneumostome was still contracting normally). Later that night, he went completely stiff and his eyes went black and he died.
My question is whether or not that is something other than a collapsed mantle? If so, what might've caused it? I want to get another pet slug or snail and I really want to know if I did something wrong to prevent a problem like this again.
Thanks for your help! =]
I was on vacation and brought him along. He was acting fine for 4 days and nights until one morning when I woke up and went to spray him. His head was dark purple and swollen. His mantle almost looked like it was peeling away from his head. It looked like he was shedding or something. About half of his body was hard, had less mucus, and the mucus was stickier than usual. His back half was also stiff while his head area remained mobile. I tried to find out what it was and I think it might've been a collapsed mantle. So I cleaned his tank and placed him on his food (he ate a lot of it too). I sprayed him a couple times an hour until he started looking a little better. But then I went to spray him and he was getting extremely stiff and his eyes were barely moving (although his pneumostome was still contracting normally). Later that night, he went completely stiff and his eyes went black and he died.
My question is whether or not that is something other than a collapsed mantle? If so, what might've caused it? I want to get another pet slug or snail and I really want to know if I did something wrong to prevent a problem like this again.
Thanks for your help! =]
