Editor’s note: this is a guest post written by Laura Pakis for www.acmecanine.com

With the purchase of a new house, homeowner’s thoughts usually focus on making it more their own. Moving your dog to a new house is always a challenge, but it’s even tougher when you have to make sure your dog is safe in the backyard when you’re not there to keep an eye on them.

Familiarizing yourself with common yard and Garden hazards and taking some preventative measures now can help you to keep your Pets safe outdoors. Below are some basic lawn and garden hazards and poison prevention tips provided by the Animal Poison Hotline, the leading experts in providing veterinary care for animal poisoning incidents.

Lawn Care Products

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. Not being careful with your lawn care products can prove costly, and not just in vet bills.

Garden Plants

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.

New plant growth is fun to smell and get into; some of it is great to eat too! Be sure to keep your critters under control so they don’t find their way into your neighbor’s garden. Hazards include not only upsetting your neighbor, but toxic items such as snail bait, ant poison and other related gardening additives or chemicals.

Grass and Mulch

Generally, most lawn seed and mulch products are not associated with toxic problems in pets. Cocoa 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 than 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.

Some Basic Tips on Safety

As you work outside be sure to take an extra moment or two to protect your pets:

• Read all package instructions carefully before any applying products to your lawn or garden.
• Be sure not only that it is safe to use around your pets but that you are mixing or applying it correctly.
• Check with your local garden center about the safety of plants you are putting in your garden. Finally, be sure to close the top tightly on all containers and put them in an area where your pets do not have access to them.

By reading labels; keeping informed of what substances are dangerous; and keeping these products out of your pet’s reach, you can substantially reduce the chances that your dog or cat becoming poisoned. You should still feel encouraged to decorate and make your backyard beautiful, just double check you won’t be harming your loved pets in the process.

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