Diseases and injuries of Ahatin snails

Ahatin snails are interesting animals that are frequently kept as pets due to their unusual appearance and low maintenance requirements. However, they are prone to a range of illnesses and wounds just like any other living thing. If you want to make sure your snail has a long and healthy life, you must be aware of these health issues.

The most frequent issues that Ahatin snails may encounter—from bacterial infections to shell damage—will be discussed in this article. Early symptom recognition can have a significant impact on your snail’s course of care and recovery.

We’ll also offer helpful suggestions on how to avoid these problems in the first place. You can encourage your Ahatin snail to flourish in its natural habitat with the correct care and attention.

Disease/Injury	Description
Shell Cracks	Shell cracks can occur from falls or rough handling. Ensure a soft substrate and avoid dropping the snail.
Calcium Deficiency	Lack of calcium causes a weak shell. Provide a calcium source like cuttlebone or calcium powder.
Dehydration	Dry conditions can lead to dehydration. Keep the habitat humid and provide fresh water.
Parasites	External or internal parasites can affect health. Regularly clean the habitat and monitor the snail.
Foot Rot	This bacterial infection causes the snail"s foot to decay. Keep the habitat clean and remove any uneaten food.

Although ahatin snails are generally hardy, they can get a variety of illnesses and wounds, which are frequently brought on by unfavorable living circumstances or incorrect handling. Maintaining the health of your snails depends on your ability to recognize the symptoms of common problems like infections, parasites, and shell damage. Most issues can be handled quickly and effectively with the right care, enabling your Ahatins to flourish in their surroundings.

How to understand that Achatina is sick

You can identify which of the pets are unhealthy by keeping an eye on them. Sick people are immediately visible. With their nondescript type and unusual behavior, they stand out among their healthy relatives. The three primary signs of Achatin are as follows:

• Usually Achatins lead an active lifestyle, they eat well and communicate with each other with pleasure. If the animal stopped eating, hides in a shell or inactive – this is the first sign of the disease.
• Previously, a brilliant and beautiful sink has lost its impeccable look, mucus and flakes appeared on it – this is the second sign of the disease. As a rule, the cause is a fungal infection or the presence of parasites.
• The shell has cracked, started to delaminate, and erosion has appeared on it — this is the third sign that the pet is sick.

Tumors may have an impact on them. Pets with benign tumors are not harmed. It doesn’t stop moving quickly and doesn’t become less hungry. If the snail is in pain—that is, if it refuses to eat or drink and spends all of its time inside its shell—the tumor is probably malignant. Such animals are better off frozen for humane reasons.

It is deemed unfavorable when Achatina disappears behind the coil and is fully submerged in the shell. This state is similar to a coma. Achatina is too tired to use a membrane to shut the shell. It ought to be awakened if it "sleeps" for longer than two to three weeks. If the animal has submerged itself in the shell and started to dry out, that is a very bad sign.

By outlining the primary Achatina diseases, let us attempt to determine the cause of the pet’s illness.

Main diseases of Achatina

The illnesses and issues pertaining to snails that our readers are most frequently curious about are listed below.

⚫️ Parasites

A warm, humid atmosphere encourages the growth of mold. With soil and soiled food, a variety of parasites can readily enter the terrarium and infect every snail within.

✅ Worms / nematodes

Vegetables and greens that haven’t been cleaned can harbor these parasites. Your pet could die in three months if you do not give it any care. Furthermore, nematodes are carried by Achatina. From them, infections can occur in both adults and children. Worms can be found on the body itself, on the moist walls of the aquarium, and in animal excrement.

✅ Midges

Fruit midges may reproduce in the terrarium due to dirt and uneaten food. Their larvae have the ability to infect your pets.

✅ Bugs

Food soil that hasn’t been processed or sifted can allow these unwanted inhabitants to reach the animals. It has been observed that ticks enter snails’ mouths, spiracles, and parasitize there while feeding on the blood of the animals. It’s a great place for bugs to lay their eggs, the shell. Animals can suffer irreversible harm from parasite larvae.

✅ Bedbugs

The blood of Achatina can be consumed by bloodsucking insects. Pets that have been bit die fast, stop eating, and become lethargic.

⚫️ Shell problems

Indications that the snail’s home is being destroyed present another unpleasant issue. Many owners are unaware of the cause of the shell’s destruction or breakage. Maybe it broke when it fell.

What should be done if the snail’s shell breaks? Using the image as an example, let’s discuss the most evident issues with the shell and how to fix them.

It is preferable to put the snail in a different container without soil until its condition improves if there are any serious shell issues.

✅ Crack

If you find a crack in the shell, it’s best to move the mollusk to another aquarium and use a band-aid to close the crack. You can include things like chalk, crushed eggshells, and other calcium-rich foods in the menu. You can grind the shell in a coffee grinder to improve absorption.

✅ Chipping of the growth

The snail’s shell functions as its skeleton, and as it grows, it takes on new turns. Growth is the term for the shell’s edge. Pets are not affected when a tiny fragment breaks off from it. Manicure scissors can be used to carefully trim a chip if its edge is too sharp.

✅ Chipping of the top of the shell

You can assist the snail in repairing its home with plaster when the top of the shell chips without harming the internal organs. The top of the shell takes on a natural appearance after being shaped from a small piece of plaster mass.

✅ Hole in the shell

Calcium is added to the food, and a band-aid can be used to seal a small hole. Because open organs are more susceptible to the effects of the outside world, a large hole causes the snail more trauma. To prevent the Achatina from suffering in this situation, it can be frozen.

✅ Flaking shell

If the animal’s shell starts to peel off, it’s probably deficient in calcium or vitamins. This may also result from:

• chlorinated water;
• poor conditions of detention;
• fungus.

You should feed the snails high-quality, calcium- and vitamin-rich food, keep the house clean, and avoid moving it. You can place a special lid with holes on top of the container to prevent the Achatins from falling out.

✅ fell out of the sink

A crucial organ is the snail house. The muscles of Achatina are attached to this skeleton. He aids the snail’s ability to move, breathe, and maintain equilibrium. In the wild, the animal quickly perishes without a shell.

• injuries;
• bacterial lesions;
• genetic disease;
• poor conditions;
• External impact (when they try to tear them off the wall of the terrarium);
• muscle atrophy and t.p.

Try saving the snail if it’s not all that big:

• transplant into a separate plastic container with low sides;
• with clean hands, carefully try to push the Achatina into the shell;
• for 7 days, do 10-minute therapeutic baths in a solution of mitronidazole (1 tablet of 125 mg per glass of warm boiled water);
• instead of soil, place a damp cloth or paper in the terrarium.

It is nearly hard to save the snail if it falls out completely. It is preferable to freeze your pet so that it won’t suffer unduly.

✅ How and what to strengthen the shell

It is advised to lubricate the shell on a regular basis with the following ointments to avoid issues:

1. Burdock oil;
2. Vitamins A and E;
3. Vittri drops, which include vitamins of groups A, D, E. They can also be added to food 1 drop weekly.

⚫️ Effects of temperature (overheating / hypothermia)

Direct sunlight and cold temperatures are harmful to snails. Achatina containers cannot be kept in drafts or near open windows during the winter. Achatina may sustain a thermal burn from exposure to direct sunlight, swimming in excessively warm water, or a nearby heating lamp during the summer. The pet may die as a result of these circumstances. Achatina grow slowly, become drowsy, and refuse food.

How should one proceed? If the Achatina becomes too hot, rinse it under cool water. If you think you may be hypothermic, stay warm by a lamp or have a warm bath. Snails should have their own area of the terrarium to hide from unwanted outside influences.

⚫️ Chemical burn

Snails can be killed by spilled household chemicals, salt in food, and poorly cleaned containers following disinfection. They start to foam, and mouth bubbles form. Under running water, you must immediately rinse the mollusk in this situation. It is best to freeze the snail if foam keeps appearing.

⚫️ Poisoning

In ninety-five percent of cases, Achatina dies from burns or poisoning.

• poor-quality food (there were pesticides in the leaves or fruits);
• detergents, when the owner did not rinse the container well after cleaning;
• salt (the food was salty).

The kitchen or bathroom are not the best places to release the snail because there might still be chemical residue there.

Achatina may be frozen in the event of poisoning so she is not exposed to harm.

⚫️ Tumor / neoplasm

Unfavorable external conditions can cause benign or malignant tumors to appear in Achatina.

• the plastic of the container is unsuitable for Achatina to live in;
• low -quality food with synthetic additives;
• pesticides;
• flavorings in food;
• contact of the terrarium with petroleum products, etc.p.
• infections, viruses.

⚫️ Infection

As with all living things, bacteria and viruses can affect Achatina. Treatment for snails has been the subject of numerous articles. In actuality, baths in a mild potassium permanganate or furacilin solution will be beneficial.

Antibiotic solutions (penicillin, streptomycin, cycloheximide, etc.), disinfectants, and antiseptics can also be used.

The concentration of aqueous solutions used is limited to 0.01%. At +22°C, their bactericidal qualities remain intact.

Understanding the common illnesses and wounds that Ahatin snails may experience is essential to providing proper care. Many of these problems can be avoided with appropriate hygiene practices, nutrition, and living conditions. But when issues do arise, prompt identification and suitable care are essential to their healing.

It is crucial to provide a clean environment with the right amounts of humidity, temperature, and calcium. You can identify early warning indicators of distress in them by keeping a regular eye on their behavior and shell health. Take immediate action to resolve any unusual observations you make.

Recall that although ahatin snails are hardy animals, they still require their owners’ attentive attention. You can make sure that your snails have happy, healthy lives in your aquarium by being knowledgeable and proactive.

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