Dead slug in the padding pool. Still ok for kids to use?

[Snowflakes1122]

Spent the last two hours filling DCs padding pool. Just been to check on how it’s going, only to find a dead slug at the bottom of it 🤢

As gross as it is, my gut says it is still ok for them to go in - what do you guys think?

Have seen several people worrying about murky pool water and bugs in paddling pools. Yet people allow their kids to swim in the sea and streams which is full of whale poo, dead animals and human waste 😬

A slug won’t harm.

we stayed somewhere last year with a pool that had lots of small dead frogs in it. we fished them out before getting in, but always missed a few. one my kids was a bit squeamish about the frogs, but all lived to tell the tale.

sorry that's just an anecdote - irrelevant to your situation in multiple ways (frogs v slugs, chlorine in pool v no chlorine in paddling pool...) but just wanted to join in the things in pools chat

It's not a recent thing, no.

yes a slug may have a parasite but a few examples are extremely rare.

Yes, got tossed out. The lungworm and meningitis thing did cross my mind, hence asking.

I had heard about that case, Discovereads Poor guy was in a terrible state before he died too.

My kids have been head to toe in mud before now and survived, so should be ok.

There’s a lido near my house with all sorts of creatures in

There are two types of lungworm that affect hedgehogs. The first has been around for ages and is less harmful. But, rat lungworm is relatively recent and is the one that can infect humans as well. It arrived in Europe in 2010, U.K. estimates vary but I’ve seen 2012-2015 and it started in south and has spread north. (Originally discovered in China in the 1930s.)

Ugh I stand corrected 😖

It’s a bit scary when you think about global warming….so many diseases and parasites associated with the tropics are spreading north and south of the equatorial zone.

They'll be plenty if slugs everywhere in the garden and plenty that have been dead in the grass/patio they play on.

It's fine.

In fact if you have toddlers be grateful you haven't caught them eating one

Thanks @Discovereads I must admit I thought you were joking at first about scrubbing the pool.

I’m a bit OTT when it comes to cleanliness, am the first to admit that. But, yes, I absolutely would empty and scrub the pool and refill if I found a dead slug in there. I know the risk is tiny of them catching rat lungworm but I know if they did, I would not be able to ever forgive myself if I’d not taken simple steps to avoid the risk as much as possible.

That seems such a waste of water

Doesn’t have to be. Just water your garden with it. It’s all outside and we’ve had so little rain, your local flora and fauna will thank you.

Fine of course! That dead slag would otherwise have died on the grass, and you wouldn’t stop your kids playing on grass would you?

*slug not slag 😂

Well yes,I probably would
A slug I wouldn’t have a problem with though

@CormoranStrike wins best typo of the day 😅

Entirely unintentional, but oh so good!

"CormoranStrike
Fine of course! That dead slag would otherwise have died on the grass, and you wouldn’t stop your kids playing on grass would you?

Well yes,I probably would
A slug I wouldn’t have a problem with though"

🤣😮

Doesn’t have to be. Just water your garden with it. It’s all outside and we’ve had so little rain, your local flora and fauna will thank you.

Lol, of course it's wasteful to empty it & refill it in one day.

Well if you’re going to water your garden anyway, there’s no waste. Besides it costs what £3 to fill a paddling pool? So worth it.

🤦🏻‍♀️ www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-57900538.amp

It's the cost to the environment

I’d empty it because of that horrible story of the boy who ate a slug at university as a dare and it paralysed him.

i empty the water often because of listeria or legionnaires etc.