OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — It’s time to enjoy the great outdoors – and spread chemicals all over the lawn. That’s a concern for pet owners.
Nice days make lots of us want to get out and garden. If you’re using pesticides or fertilizers or your lawn service is and you have pets, make sure you know what the compounds are and follow the directions – otherwise you might end up with a healthy lawn and a sick puppy.
Fertilizers and insecticides pose the most problem when they’re still wet because they stick to animal’s paws.
Then when dogs or cats lick their paws they ingest the toxins. The best thing for you to have on hand: the packaging for do-it-yourself or the MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) for the substances your lawn service is applying. Those sheets are EPA-regulated and outline risk of exposure to humans and animals.
A dose of insecticide or organic phosphate will lead to symptoms pretty quickly – you are likely to see neurological symptoms within 30 minutes:
- Shaking
- Salivating
- Dilated pupils
As time goes on, gastric problems like vomiting and diarrhea can occur.
If you notice these symptoms, get your animal to your veterinarian quickly and take along the product or the MSDS so your vet can see what he’s dealing with and provide proper treatment.
The good news is there is usually no harm with lawn products if you follow the label and simply keep your pet off the lawn for the time specified. If you have a lawn care service, make sure they know you have pets, ask for instructions on when the lawn is safe, and get a list of used fertilizers just in case.
One final note: a first aid must in case of pet poisoning is hydrogen peroxide. If the product says to induce vomiting once ingested a few teaspoons of this should do the trick. But always follow-up any poisoning incident with a visit to your veterinarian. That way you’ll know your pet is on the road to recovery.
Credit: wowt.com
