With this heat wave rolling through Cleveland, it may be tempting to treat your lawn to some fertilizer to help it survive the high temperatures. However, the ASPCApro notes that calls regarding pets being poisoned by lawn and garden products were in the top 10 most frequent toxin calls for 2017. This problem is becoming a growing concern.
Fertilizers can be very enticing for our pets to indulge in. Many fertilizers have animal products (such as fish meal), so it’s easy why an animal may want to eat it off your lawn (or worse, tear into the bag). While some fertilizers will only cause mild symptoms, others can be far more dangerous. Fertilizers that use pesticides and/or weed-killers, and of course stand-alone pesticides and weed-killers, can be fatal to your pet if ingested. The ASPCApro also notes that some fertilizers (especially if expired) may have toxic molds that can induce dangerous seizures in your pet.
Another item to note is that even if a fertilizer is marked “Organic” or “All-Natural,” that does not mean it is safe for pets. There are plenty of natural pesticides available that are still toxic to cats, dogs, and other animals.
To help protect your pet from these issues, use the following tips:
- Store any lawn care products in locked areas where your animal cannot reach
- Do not let your animal out in your yard while working with these types of products
- Rinse off leaves, brushes, etc. after applying lawn care chemicals
- Wait until all of the products have completely dried before allowing animals on these areas (typically 24 hours after application, but wait time may be longer depending on your specific product)
- Ask your neighbors to let you know when they are doing lawn treatments
- Close neighbors may use products that spread into your yard
- Other neighbors may use products and your pet may walk in or ingest products from their lawn while you’re on a walk
- Have the APSCA’s information, your veterinarian’s contact information, and the information for the local emergency veterinary hospital available at any time, in case your pet should be in danger from lawn products.
Here at Emerald Animal Hospital, we wish everyone a safe and happy summer! Please let us know how we can help you and your pet this season by calling 216-749-7161.