Farewell of snails

Saying goodbye is never easy, but the animal's best interests always come first!

No matter what pet you are the owner of, there will come a day when the animal falls asleep naturally or when you have to end the animal's life yourself to avoid unnecessary suffering for it. This is also the case with snails as pets. Here we highlight practical things such as gentle euthanasia, signs of illness and more, but also the sadness that results. The snail becomes your friend and it is natural to grieve.

When the time is right, in case of old age or illness/injuries

African giant snails are amazing animals, but a downside with these pets is the difficulty in determining their condition. They don't make any noise and when something is wrong on the inside, you can only guess what knowledge and being well-educated are. In general, it is not usually said that a poor appetite is a sign to be concerned about, but on the other hand, a changed skin color, skin that has become thinner/weaker and a shriveled body are things you should be on the lookout for. The skin may turn red suddenly which is usually a sign that the snail is dying.

As I said, it is difficult to determine when it is time to euthanize if it does not take care of itself naturally, but what should be the motto is that euthanasia should take place when the snail no longer has a worthy quality of life. If you are unsure, I usually recommend waiting a few days at most, and if the snail's situation has not changed, it is time.

When damage become fatal

In addition to old age and disease, injuries can also be a reason to consider euthanasia, again if it does not happen naturally despite continued suffering. Damage to the shell will certainly occur to a small extent when the snail climbs and falls. We want to avoid it as much as possible, but of course it can still happen. Small injuries are not dangerous and often heal easily with extra calcium intake, but when the damage to the shell is so great that the internal organs are no longer fully protected, the situation is more serious. Killing should then take place as soon as possible, otherwise it will be a painful death while the snail dries out.

Old age

We often talk that African giant snails can live to be between ten and fifteen years old, and that is true in the wild, but breeding has meant that individuals rarely reach this age in captivity. Therefore, do not feel that you have done anything wrong if your snail ages prematurely. Signs of old age can be reduced activity, but the most common sign is the shell darkening with age and sometimes almost completely black.

Methods of killing

There are many ways in which killing can be done, but nothing should be done before the snail's complex cerebral hemispheres have been knocked out. This is done by placing the snail in beer for a period of time. A method we use to make the next part of the killing process as painless and stress-free as possible for the snail. After being in the beer for fifteen minutes, the snail has usually gone out and if it is already very bad then it may be enough to wait a further time before it falls asleep. Sometimes, however, this is not sufficient as euthanasia, but it is important to carry out as the snail's ability to experience stress and pain is knocked out by the alcohol that is absorbed into the body. Once this has happened, you can do in different ways. Some put the snails in boiling water, others bury them directly, small snails can sometimes be crushed in plastic bags under a rolling pin, a fourth packs the snail in the fridge for a while etc... It sounds brutal and is one of the absolute toughest things I as a snail owner, but don't forget that most of the brain is knocked out and that you are doing it for the good of the snail. Ending suffering is always priority one.

Funeral and mourning

An African giant snail does not mean the same to all owners. For some they are production animals, for others it is "just" an animal and for others the snail is everything. How hard it takes and how long the processing takes is individual, but grieving is never easy. For some it may be significant to arrange a special place where the snail is buried, while others just want to move on. Regardless, you should make sure your pet gets a dignified end❤️