How to rescue a snail have been stepped on

Two years has passed since I accidently stepped on a snail, and I still feel guilty when I think about it. If you were like me, no doubt you will try to rescue a poor snail next time!

But how to do it? Take a snail to to a vet? Not only might you be unable to afford the vet, but also the vet may not know as much about snails as you.

You can treat a snail by yourself. If you are going to leave it outside, find a place far away from footpath. It is better to leave it under leaves, branches or small stones so that it can hide and won't dry out. Put some calcium near it because calcium can help its shell grow.

If you wish to bring the injure snail home, please carefully put it in a container with air holes. Put something such as leaves for the snail to hide under. And then leave some food, water and calcium next to it. Make sure you spray clean water in the container now and then, so that the snail won't dry out. You may want to check their progress by checking how much they eat. If the snail begins to eat more and more, it probably will get well soon. Release the snail to the nature after it is fully recovered.

To view a full list of what to feed snails, click here.

Update on April 30, 2017: The best source of calcium is cuttlefish bones. If you don't have cuttlefish bone at home (I would be surprised if you do), you can use eggshells. Bear in mind snails have tiny mouth, so don't forget to grind the eggshells! I hear some people use a pepper mill to grind eggshells. I have never tried it myself but you are free to try!