In addition to poisonous plants, trees, and flowers your beautiful spring garden can pose a number of hazards to your pet and your family. Be a thoughtful Gardner and keep these toxic substances away from your pets and children.
Baits:
Rodent, snail, ad slug baits are extremely harmful to pets. They are highly toxic and without immediate veterinary attention, can be fatal.
Blood Meal:
Used as an organic fertilizer, blood meal is flash frozen animal blood that has been dried and ground. As you can imagine many pets and wild animals find this product very attractive and some will even seek it out. If a large amount is ingested it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and severe inflammation of the pancreas.
Bone Meal:
Bone Meal is an organic fertilizer made from animal bones that have been ground into a powder. Bone meal if ingested in quantity can for a hard clump in your pets stomach called an obstruction that could require surgery to remove.
Fertilizers:
Many fertilizers are basic gastrointestinal irritants. However some are combined with toxic chemicals called organophosphates or carbamates which can be harmful to pets. Ingestion can result in drooling, watery eyes, urination, defecation, seizures, difficulty breathing, even fatality. Immediate treatment from a veterinarian with an antidote is necessary to improve your pets chances of survival.
March 19th through the 25th is National Animal Poison Prevention Week. Help keep your pets safe and healthy by following tips and advice to prevent poisoning. Make sure to spread the word, because a healthy pet is a happy pet! Make sure to check back throughout the week for more Animal Poison Awareness information.