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Post by helptoall on Feb 27, 2018 21:54:29 GMT
Hi, yesterday ive found 2 snails with shell injury and took them,they are together in a small tank with alot of leaves as temporarly substrate ,lettuce, cuttlebone,sweet pepper and apple. one of them is a young one, about half size ,and the other one is full sized. The bigger one has 2 holes in his shell,the red marked in the picture and the samller one has a large brake in the part of the shell that faces the ground normally near the opening,marked in yellow. Im a bit worried from the large one,he is very inactive.. he didnt moved since ive put him the tank,besides climbing a bit on the tank wall. theyre both show no interst in food so far but the smaller one has pooped. Any ideas? suggestion in order to treat them better? any signs that can help me diagnos wether something wrong with the bigger one?
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Post by etana on Feb 28, 2018 21:10:38 GMT
The pooping is a good sign.
Many healthy snails don't instantly start eating when brought in from the wild, they may take a day or two. I hope that the inactivity is not serious though. Does the bigger snail appear swollen or that his slime is very different to the other snail's slime?
I wish you could use coir as substrate, that'd be good and safe. I wonder if it would work out for me to send you some in the mail.
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Post by helptoall on Feb 28, 2018 23:29:45 GMT
Thank you, i ran out of coir.. The small snail started to eat yesterday and he's hell is regenrating. the bigger one still isnt eating.i didnt see swollen or weired slime, but about the swollen im not so sure, how its supposed to look like? what problem can it indicate?
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Post by jolovessnailies on Mar 1, 2018 10:22:25 GMT
Oh dear, I am sure they will be alright in time hunni. They just need time to settle. I do find mine eat in spurts though, sometimes eating far more than others.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by helptoall on Mar 1, 2018 21:22:59 GMT
The bigger one has pooped a watery poo today.. also his shell is covered with a powdery white layer. when im washing it it tures to the normal color of the shell ,but when it drys it returns to the white color.. do you know what is that ? is the diherrea giving us any clues for his condition?
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Post by etana on Mar 1, 2018 22:28:58 GMT
I'm glad the smaller snail is eating and also regenerating his shell! Swelling would look like the snail's mantle is too big for his shell. There are harmless and harmful reasons for it (such as, if snails swell up after mating, it's not harmful) but I'm generally trying to gauge how stressed he sounds. Snail slime also turns different with stress. The watery poop is hopefully his gut function starting again after the shock of the injury. Let us know if he eats. Old snails can have wear and tear in the shell that looks white and seems to disappear when wet, it can be perfectly harmless but just a slight cosmetic issue. Sometimes living in an acidic environment also does that kind of superficial damage to the shell.
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Post by helptoall on Mar 1, 2018 23:35:14 GMT
he did somthing weired with a piece of pepper ive offered him.. it looked like he was interested, and like rubbed his face on it and the raise his head abit and opened his mouth..but he didnt eat..umm can you describe more how it looks like when the mantle is too big for the shell? is it similar to what young snail look like whe theyr growing and you see theyre mentle pops out near the lip?
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Post by etana on Mar 2, 2018 4:42:33 GMT
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Post by helptoall on Mar 2, 2018 11:09:08 GMT
it looks a bit like the pic.. but i think i saw this in healthy snails a few times.. its not always look like this, sometimes its inside the shell..
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Post by etana on Mar 2, 2018 12:04:37 GMT
Yeah snails can look something like that without nothing being terribly wrong. I think by your description, that it comes and goes, he's still adjusting.
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Post by helptoall on Mar 2, 2018 12:51:08 GMT
but if im concluding his pverall behavior i think there is something wrong.. he is acting weak.. Maybe i cn try to treat it like an infection? it is possible that he developed an infection beacause the brake in his shell. do you vave any reccomendation for treatment?
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Post by jolovessnailies on Mar 2, 2018 14:08:32 GMT
Oh dear, I hope he stops worrying you soon hunni. Healing vibes are on their way.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by etana on Mar 2, 2018 14:46:08 GMT
Infection is a possibility. Though first let me know, is he willing to drink even water, or suck soft crushed/pureed food?
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Post by helptoall on Mar 2, 2018 17:54:29 GMT
today for the first time he did something that looks like eating but in a very weired way and im not sure that it really got inside him.. he was on a piece of soaked fish flakes and move his mouth but it wasent the normal way snails eat. also i never seen befor a snail who opens him mouth that way.. i think there might be a chance he has some injury in his mouth.. anyway other then that he didnt ate or drank for what iv seen,and like i said this also wasnt exactly"eating" i think i would like to try treating him for infection..
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Post by etana on Mar 2, 2018 18:35:11 GMT
Old snails sometimes have broken or dull radulas, they can learn to live on purees but they have to stay with you for the rest of their lives as you crush their food.
I just remembered one anti-inflammatory that is safe for snails: Green tea. Prepare a little bit and dilute it until it has only little color left (and obviously it's not hot), pour it on a low dish (like a very shallow bath, definitely not high enough to reach his breathing hole) and sit him in it. It's safe for him to drink if he wants to, and should be nice and soothing. When he wants to crawl out, let him do it.
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