A healthy NJ lawn should be something you and your family enjoy together. That especially includes your pets - who revel in the chance to play fetch, have a run, or take a rest on your emerald-green grass. Hey, don't we enjoy that, too?
Dana Farbman, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) pet poison prevention expert, says "Keeping animals safe from accidental poisonings should not end once you've stepped outside. Protecting your pet from potential hazards is just as critical." Unfortunately, the APCC's expert team fields thousands of calls each year involving pets who've had potentially hazardous contact with insecticides, weed-killers and pet-toxic plants.
According to the APCC, here's the 8 critical areas to watch out for when protecting your family's furry companion:
1. Poisonous plants - When designing your lawn space, remember that many popular outdoor plants (especially sago palm, rhododendron and azalea) are toxic to pets. Checkout the full list of plants here.
2. Fertilizer - The chemicals and fertilizers that keeps plants "healthy" can be particularly harmful to our furry friends. Ingesting large amounts can upset their stomachs, potentially causing life-threatening gastrointestinal obstructions.
3. Cocoa mulch - Although it's popular for it's odor and color to humans, it attracts pets, too who are allergic. Depending on the amount ingested, symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, elevated heart rate and even seizures.
4. Insecticides - This is rough stuff. The most dangerous are snail bait with metaldehyde, fly bait with methomyl; and systematic insecticides with disyston or disulfoton, mole or gopher bait with zinc phosphide and most forms of rat poison. You should always keep these out of Fido's reach.
5. Compost - Food and garden waste make prime additions to the garden soil; but, watch what you put down. Coffee, moldy food and certain fruits and veggies can be toxic. Here's a list on what to avoid.
6. Fleas and ticks - Keep your lawn trim since fleas and ticks hangout in the tall brush and grass. In addition to excessive scratching, hair loss, scabs, hot spots and tapeworms; they can also lead to more serious tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Babesia.
7. Garden tools - Be sure your essential lawn tools are secured safely away. They could cause accidental trauma to your pets, especially dogs who tend to be outside more than cats.
8. Allergy-causing flora - Pets have allergies, too. Yup. Your pets' allergic reactions can cause life-threatening anaphylactic shock of severe enough. Also, try to keep your pet out of other people's yards.
Pesticides impact both outdoor and indoor pets — since a lawn care service using toxic or misapplied chemicals will leave residue that you or your family can track inside. Dogs or cats are then exposed to it, ingesting it as they clean their fur.
The key to avoiding these hazards is to use a natural NJ lawn care company that understands the risks. At Natural Turf, we use organic fertilizers and pesticides that not only guarantee seed germination to make your lawn look its best; but, are also pet safe. Contact us today to learn more - your lawn and your family's furry companion will thank you!
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