Lawn fertilizer might be harmful to your pets, depending on their size and how much they consume. If your pet eats commercial lawn fertilizer, it may result in some serious health problems, including inflammation of the liver and pancreas, excessive drooling, vomiting, discolored gums, bowel obstruction, difficulty breathing, and abdominal pain. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep your pets away from any grass areas that have recently received fertilizer. Allow at least 1-2 days for the fertilizer to seep into your lawn before allowing your pets back on it. Rainy weather equals speedier absorption.
How soon can I let my dog out after fertilizing?
Keep any unused fertilizer bags stored away from pets if you have any on your property to prevent them from trying to rip open the bags. Given that certain organic fertilizers are generated from animal bones or byproducts, this is particularly significant in the case of organic fertilizer. You can be looking at a hefty vet bill if your pet consumes too much organic fertilizer because it can lead to intestinal blockage and other digestive problems.
If you have children or pets, ask a lawn care company like Gatsby Grounds Company whether it’s okay for them to return to your lawn following a fertilization treatment.
Canine lawn fertilizer be harmful?
As a pet owner, you might not be aware that the items you use to feed your grass are poisonous to dogs and can also exacerbate allergy symptoms. If your dog consumes a significant amount of these fertilizers, they may possibly be fatal.
Even if some fertilizers are secure for your dog to walk on once they have dried, he might decide to chew on the grass instead. Additionally, some fertilizers can irritate your dog’s footpads and transfer to them, causing him to lick and chew them. This is more likely to happen right after a rain or in the morning when the grass is still moist.
Any reaction to exposure to lawn fertilizer may be seen as an allergy, but it is equally likely to be a toxic response to the product’s ingredients. Read the warning labels if you plan to use these products, and think about switching to a natural fertilizer free of harmful chemicals.
Dogs should not use most commercial lawn fertilizers. Make sure your dog is not exposed to them, even if they are not technically allergic to your dog. Even though the majority of lawn fertilizers claim to be harmless after drying, your dog may still be harmed if they chew or lick the grass or their feet and bellies. In the basement or shed where you store the fertilizer, pets might also breathe in the chemicals, so make sure it’s kept in an airtight container far from kids and animals.
Even after they dry, weed-and-feed fertilizers are never secure and can lead to conditions including bladder cancer, lymphoma, and asthma. Although organic fertilizers may be superior, they are not always safe and may result in gastrointestinal problems, pancreatitis, and allergic responses on contact and inhalation.
How much fertilizer can dogs safely consume?
4 More than 0.5 g/kg of intake may result in impaction or constipation. 4 Abdominal pain, weakness in the rear limbs, and muscle stiffness or rigidity may be symptoms of large ingestions. In some cases, the stiffness and rigidity are so severe that the dog is unable to stand or walk.
Can dogs walk on fertilizer granules?
Everyone desires a verdant lawn, a plentiful garden, and lovely flowerbeds. However, we also desire healthy dogs. What you need to know about fertilizing and when your pets can return to the yard is provided below.
What is Fertilizer
The majority of fertilizer bags contain certain fundamental components. These include phosphorus, nitrogen, and potash (potassium). They don’t pose a significant risk to pets when used on a lawn, in flowerbeds, or in a garden—unless the granules are consumed in excessive quantities. Consuming something out of an open bag is included in this.
Additionally, strolling on a freshly fertilized and watered area might make dogs and other animals sick. This is so they don’t get sick by licking the liquid or liquified fertilizer off their paws.
When It’s Safe for Pets (and People)
Most manufacturers advise returning to the yard with pets and people once the fertilizer has been absorbed by the soil and the area has dried. Once the grass is clearly dry, liquid fertilizers are frequently safe. The majority of granular fertilizer producers advise pet owners to wait 24 hours before reintroducing people and animals to the grass. The growth cycle of gardens and flowerbeds is comparable.
Some fertilizers are okay for pets right away after application if you decide to water them afterwards. Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food is among them. Again, make sure to follow the instructions on the container or get guidance from the staff at your local Coastal.
Signs of Extreme Exposure
Large-scale ingestion of granular fertilizer or drinking of an undiluted mixture by your dog or cat can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive crying, lethargy, breathing difficulties, seizures, and occasionally even death. If any of these symptoms appear to be related to ingesting fertilizer, contact your veterinarian right once.
Call Dog Poison Control
If your pet is in trouble, you should always contact your veterinarian right away. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, however, can also provide support and guidance by calling (888) 426-4435.
Get Garden, Yard, and Pet Products at Coastal
At your locally owned and operated Coastal in the Pacific Northwest, we have everything you need for your garden, yard, and pets. Don’t forget to bring home pet food, snacks, and toys for your family’s greatest friend and protector as well as all the fertilizer bags you’ll need for your yard and garden.
How will my dog react if she smells fertilizer?
Gastric distress is most likely to be your dog’s first sign of fertilizer toxicity. Early indications of a problem include nausea, drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. You can also notice seizures, stiff walking, weakness, or stomach pain if you use more hazardous fertilizers or if you consume them in big quantities. Take your dog to the vet as soon as you can if they exhibit convulsions, unusual gum color, or respiratory issues.
Can dogs’ paws be harmed by lawn fertilizer?
The majority of fertilizers can be used around dogs if they are handled correctly and in line with the supplied instructions. To combat weeds and insects, hazardous chemicals are occasionally added to fertilizer. The paws of your dog can become irritated, inflamed, and burned when exposed to these chemicals or when inappropriately applied “safe chemicals.” If your dog walks on them and then licks his feet, toxic substances may also get inside him.
What type of fertilizer for lawns is safe for dogs?
The Best Lawn and Garden Care Products for Pets
- Espoma Organic Lawn Food for All Seasons.
- Dr. Kirchner Organic Weed Control.
- Tall fescue lawns Scotts EZ Seed Dog Spot Repair.
- Pet-safe lawn fertilizer from Water N’ PlayTM.
- Neem Oil by Natria.
Can dogs use Scotts lawn fertilizer?
Pets are safe around Scotts Turf Builder fertilizer. Spreading Scotts Turf Builder on your grass won’t hurt your dog, other pets, or members of your family as long as you follow the instructions on the package. Only-fertilizer products like Turf Builder include non-toxic ingredients that won’t endanger your pet. To control or eliminate weeds, however, certain Scotts solutions include fertilizer and pesticides. The health of your pet may be at danger from these goods. Even though these substances are not fatal, if you are applying a fertilizer/herbicide combo, it is crucial to watch out for your pet.
How can I stop my dog from consuming fertilizer?
Giving your plants a slow-release supply of nutrients by using organic fertilizers is a terrific way to be environmentally conscious. Some of the, ahem, “more aromatic fertilizer elements, on the other hand, seem to be calling out your dog by name. There are a few things you can do to prevent the problem and keep your fertilizer where it belongs if you have a dog that enjoys rolling around in potent smells or, worse still, has a gourmand’s love for such things.
- Make sure to completely water the area where you applied fertilizer. The aroma will be diluted by water.
- Any area you fertilize should be covered with mulch or dirt to make it less visible and odorous.
- Avoid feeding your dog blood, fish, and bone meal, which can make them sick if consumed in large quantities. Choose plant-based fertilizers instead (a few veganic fertilizing options here).
- Feel the guilt, dog. On a gardening site, someone wrote: “Since I caught her in the act, I was able to humiliate her by overreacting and demonstrating how it hurt my feelings. Being so dramatic makes you appear foolish, but it works for me. Since then—that was three years ago—she has left my boxes alone. (I had a reaction to a dog that had chewed on a piece of my property 25 years prior. He never chewed anything again after I pretended to cry and staged an overreacting drama scene about how my item was damaged.) Could try it, hopefully without the neighbors noticing.
- To discourage digging, cover the soil with chicken wire. Additionally, use liquid organics rather than solid organics (you can soak organic granular fertilizers for a day and then strain them to create a liquid fertilizer). In this manner, nothing is left to snuffle at or consume from the soil’s surface.
If your dog does accidentally roll in fertilizer, you can wash him down with soapy water from the bucket or water that has been mixed with white vinegar. You can use a waterless shampoo like Bio-groom until you can get him into the tub if taking a bath outside is not an option.
How much time does it take for fertilizer in granules to dissolve?
Granular fertilizer can start to be available in the soil in a few days and last for several weeks, depending on the product’s formula. Granular fertilizer typically disintegrates two weeks after application.
There are many slow-release fertilizers in granular forms. The coating on the pellets aids in delaying the release of the nutrients. Slow-release fertilizers take longer to operate but are more effective since they release less fertilizer at once. In contrast, the quick availability of liquid fertilizers is less effective because not all of it will be consumed before some of it drains off.
How long after treating grass should dogs avoid it?
The only thing you can do to keep your pet safe if you feel you have no choice but to spray pesticides on your grass is to keep it off the lawn for at least 48 hours following the treatment. Some lawn care providers would advise you to wait 6–12 hours after treatment before allowing your pets back on the lawn. However, a 2013 study found that lawn chemicals continue to be present on surfaces where they have been applied for at least 48 hours. In order to be safe, you definitely shouldn’t let dogs (or kids) play on a lawn that has received chemical treatment for at least 3 days after it has been sprayed. You understand what a challenge that might be if you have dogs or kids.
The best way to protect your pet from lawn pesticides is to refrain from using them, and to encourage your neighbors to do the same. It’s crucial to realize that there are other ways to get a green, lush, and healthy lawn besides using dangerous lawn pesticides. By employing a 100% organic lawn care method, you may prevent pesticide exposure for all members of your family and household.
When a dog licks fertilizer, what happens?
Getting set to spend this summer working in the garden? Make sure you are aware of any potential garden hazards before doing this that could harm your dog. When in doubt, confine your pets indoors while using some of these typical yard or garden supplements.
Fertilizers Homeowners frequently use fertilizers to brighten up their lawn in the spring and fall. There are two sorts of fertilizers: granules and water-based products (that are directly sprayed onto the lawn).
Fertilizers appear ominous.
They are frequently applied by lawn care companies with notices that advise keeping kids and pets off the grass for at least 72 hours. In reality, depending on the product used, fertilizers are normally rather innocuous and often have a large margin of safety.
How does fertilizer work? Natural components (such as nitrogen, potash, and phosphorus) are typically represented by figures like 10:0:40 and are present in the majority of lawn fertilizers. Thankfully, most of these substances are non-toxic. Insecticides used in fertilizers to kill grubs, snails, and other pests may also cause moderate gastrointestinal symptoms (such as drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea) when consumed directly from the bag.
Although it is uncommon for your dog to become really ill from eating grass that has had fertilizer put to it, more severe symptoms can appear when the substance is consumed directly (i.e., right out of the bag). Tremors and seizures may occur if something is consumed straight from the bag.
When using these products on your lawn, be sure to carefully follow the indicated recommendations and keep your dogs indoors to prevent any risk of poisoning. In order to be safe, keep your pets off the grass until the product is absorbed by the soil (for example, when the spray-on product dries, or after it rains, if the product is a pellet). These pesticides normally wash into the soil after rain when used properly or diluted, posing little harm to dogs.
Making sure it isn’t fertilizer with more hazardous ingredients is of utmost importance.
In less common varieties, extremely toxic insecticides like carbamates or organophosphates may be present, which can cause iron poisoning. It’s a good thing that the EPA has restricted the distribution of these later, riskier products. Clinical indications that are more severe and potentially fatal are caused by carbamates and organophosphates and include:
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- severe sluggishness/collapse
- Diarrhea
- a lot of tears
- Urination
- unusual heartbeats
- Having trouble breathing (due to bronchoconstriction)
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Death
Again, the more hazardous varieties are not commonly seen on the market today, but if in doubt, secure the garage door and keep these fertilizers out of the reach of children.
natural fertilizers (e.g., meals) Surprisingly, organic fertilizers are the most hazardous types of fertilizers. most animal owners desire to use “They frequently choose anything organic because they want to use safer items around their pets. Usually, organic fertilizers “Byproducts from the farming or meatpacking industries that are naturally occurring fertilizers. Examples comprise:
- Bone food
- Blood dinner
- Feather food
- Fish dinner
These organic “meals” are frequently used as fertilizer additives, deer, rabbit, and wildlife deterrents, as well as soil amendment solutions. These goods may encourage a huge intake since dogs frequently find them to be highly appealing; they smell bad to humans but delicious to dogs (e.g., dogs ingesting several pounds of bone meal directly out of the bag). Added threat? Gardeners frequently combine organic fertilizers with other, potentially more harmful fertilizers or chemicals (such as the organophosphates or carbamates found in some older varieties of rose fertilizers, spring bulbs, etc.), which can lead to dual poisoning with a different product.
Meals can cause gastrointestinal discomfort (such as vomiting, diarrhea, etc.), foreign body blockage (due to the bone meal congealing into a huge concretion the size of a bowling ball), or even serious pancreatitis (i.e., inflammation of the pancreas). Treatment consists of:
- a comprehensive evaluation at the veterinary clinic
- making someone vomit
- Xrays (to see if the material has passed out of the stomach or not)
- fluid treatment
- medicine to prevent vomiting
- bland food.
It may occasionally be necessary to “pump the stomach” (i.e., perform gastric lavage) in order to get the product out of the stomach after large ingestions. Thankfully, with timely attention and encouraging care, the majority of dogs thrive.
Mulch Pay attention if you’re ready to mulch your yard! The majority of mulches are safe for dogs to eat, but if they do, your dog may absorb a foreign body. The most common type of mulch is shredded tree bark, although it can also take other forms (e.g., compost or decaying matter; cocoa mulch; etc.). When cocoa mulch is first spread out in the yard, it smells faintly of chocolate and is very fragrant. Cocoa mulch is created from the shells or hulls of the cocoa bean. Dogs might be enticed to eat it as a result. Despite the hazards of cocoa mulch being discussed on numerous websites, it’s uncommon for dogs to become ill from it. However, a little amount of theobromine, the substance that causes chocolate poisoning, is still present in the mulch, and when consumed in high quantities, this can result in symptoms of chocolate poisoning.
Following are symptoms of cocoa mulch poisoning:
- avoiding food
- Drooling/hypersalivating
- Anxiety
- Hyperactivity
- a pounding heartbeat
- perpetual panting
- slender red gums
Depending on how much cocoa mulch was consumed, the severity of clinical symptoms from chocolate poisoning will vary; typically, one or two licks or bites won’t be an issue. Nevertheless, during the first few weeks, be sure to keep the mulch out of your dog’s reach. Exposure to the sun, heat, and rain reduces the risk of poisoning over time, and the scent of chocolate quickly goes away.
What if mulch or fertilizer were to make my dog sick? Call your vet or an emergency vet right away if you think your dog may have come in contact with something harmful. Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you’re unsure. They might be able to give you advice on how to make yourself throw up and whether or not there is a risk of poisoning.
Most importantly, keep these garden and yard poisons out of reach to protect your dog this summer! Lock up your garage, keep an eye on your dog when he’s outside, and store your lawn and garden supplies in locked containers!
