Express UK Delivery
From £6.99
Dogs - Dangers in the Garden
Those with dogs and a garden will undoubtably love to share their outdoor garden space with their doggy best friend. For those who are keen gardeners it is important to be aware of what potential dangers lurk there for their dog. Here are some of the more common threats faced
Spring flowers
There are lots of common plants found in gardens across the UK that can make your dog ill. Some can be extremely poisonous, whilst others may just result in an upset stomach. One of the top dangers come in the form of spring bulbs. These are plants such as:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Spring Crocus
Poisoning form these plants is most commonly going to occur when the dog eats the bulbs in the Autumn when they are planted (or spring if you are always late like us!), or the spring when they start to flower. If this happens seek veterinary advice and ideally know or take with you the type of plant ingested.
Slug bait
Slug bait commonly comes in the form of pellets and especially when being spread can be very appealing to dogs as they will appear to be similar to dog treats. The toxicity of different types of slug bait can vary depending on the ingredients. In 2020 those containing the highly toxic Metaldehyde were banned in the UK with gardeners and growers given until March 2022 to phase their use out. This should mean that moving forward this particular toxin is not a danger anymore to either pets of wildlife. However it is always advisable to double check the contents before using any treatment just in-case it is an old box that has been sat in the garden shed.
Regardless other still legal forms of slug bait can contain varying chemicals which can cause harm to your dogs, especially if ingested in large volumes, ideally choose those that are noted to be harmless to pets and always spread about the area you ant to treat and never leave in large piles or containers accessible by your pets. You could also of course, use alternative preventative measures for treating slugs in your garden. One option is made from sheep wool and when used correctly can create a barrier that the flus simply wont travel over.
Weedkillers
Again there is a wide variety in the chemicals and therefore toxicity of products used to kill plants. Most cases of dog poisoning form this source is as a result of them brushing up against, chewing, or licking recently treated foliage. Of course dogs can also come to harm if they are able to consume directly from or play with the product containers.
Symptoms of poising from weedkillers can vary as much as the chemical ingredients. They can however include these classic poisoning symptoms such as:
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
- Blood in stools or vomit
- Ulcers in the mouth,
- breathing difficulty
- Heart problems
- kidney or Liver Failure