Animal Poison Hotline
The Animal Poison Hotline is a service of North Shore Animal League America and PROSAR International Poison Center. APH is the leading provider of animal poisoning information and care.
(St. Paul, MN) May 5, 2004. With the arrival of spring and summer, people’s thoughts turn towards working in the yard and garden. As the weather improves and people spend more time outside however, the possibility of pets being poisoned increases. Familiarizing yourself with common yard and garden hazards and taking some preventative measures now can help you to keep your pets safe all summer long. Below are some basic lawn and garden hazards and poison prevention tips provided by the Animal Poison Hotline (888-232-8870), the leading experts in providing veterinary care for animal poisoning incidents.
The most commonly used lawn care products are fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. When applied according to package instructions, or by a qualified lawn care service, most of these products are not harmful. Pets are primarily poisoned by contact with concentrated products. This exposure may occur due to inappropriate storage, failure to read package instructions, or intentional use of more of a product than needed. Dogs are especially good at finding poorly stored containers, chewing them up and drinking or eating the contents. Pet owners should be especially vigilant when using insecticides, as these tend to have a higher degree of toxicity. Dogs may be exposed to insecticides by various means: digging up treated earth, chewing on pellets, or rooting around ant mounds shortly after insecticides are applied.
Many pets chew on plants in the yard and garden. Fortunately for dogs—who for some unknown reason seem to enjoy eating grass and then vomiting— most grasses are non-toxic. Holiday ornamental plants such as poinsettias and Easter lilies, which are often put outside for the summer, can also leave pets at risk. Ingestion of poinsettia stems and leaves may cause some mild gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting, but is not deadly. Ingestion of all parts of the Easter lily however, causes depression, vomiting and diarrhea in cats—and if left untreated, most cats will die of kidney failure. Tulips (bulbs), Lily of the valley and azaleas are also springtime plants that can be deadly to pets if ingested in large enough quantities. Dogs should be watched carefully when these plants are being cared for.
Generally, most lawn seed and mulch products are not associated with toxic problems in pets. Cacao bean mulch is perhaps the only product known to cause poisoning in dogs. This mulch is made from the hulls of cacao beans and when fresh, has a rich chocolate aroma associated with it. Some larger breed dogs have actually eaten several pounds of the mulch; more then enough to develop poisoning associated with the chocolate remnants, so overly eager dogs should be kept away from the mulch until the aroma has dissipated. Generally a heavy rainfall or thorough watering is all that is required.
As you work outside be sure to take an extra moment or two to protect your pets:
Speak up: Do you have a summertime pet safety tip?
For more information about the Animal Poison Hotline, to order free magnets or to schedule an interview, please call Cari Lombardi at (651) 917-6100, x 125 or send an email to aph@prosarcorp.com.
