7 Hidden Dangers in Your Backyard that Pose a Threat to Your Pet

Do You Know All the Hidden Backyard Dangers to Your Pet?
Do You Know All the Hidden Backyard Dangers to Your Pet?

We all would like to think that our yards are a safe haven for our pets. But the potential for hidden or little known dangers can be high. For example, did you know that green tomatoes can make your dog sick or that a certain kind of mulch is not only attractive to your dog, but very dangerous as well? Learn about these and other potential dangers in the list below.

1) Cocoa Mulch

Chocolate is toxic to dogs and can be dangerous to cats, as well. Garden mulch made from cocoa bean shells is marketed as being environmentally friendly, but it smells like chocolate, which will attract your dog and is particularly toxic to them. While the smell may wear off over time, decreasing the likelihood that your pet will eat it, the mulch still remains poisonous. Learn more at the Saturday Evening Post, and pay attention to the type of mulch that you put in your yard. If you have pets, you will want to avoid cocoa mulch.

Related: 25 horrifying photos of things pets have ruined

2) Sago Palm Seeds

I recently learned about the dangers of palm seeds after a corgi that I follow on Facebook ingested one and had to undergo surgery to remove it. Used as an ornamental plant in warm climates, all parts of the sago palm are poisonous to dogs, but the seeds are particularly so. Only 50% of dogs who ingest sago palm survive, even with veterinary treatment. Other palm seeds are dangerous, too , as they can become lodged in the animal's intestine, which is what happened to my Facebook friend. Fortunately, he has fully recovered! Learn more at the Pet Poison Helpline.

3) Pesticides and Fertilizers

Whenever chemicals are used in the yard, it is logical that there could be a danger to pets. Pesticides can be dangerous even in small amounts. Also, be particularly careful about fertilizers containing blood meal, bone meal, feather meal, or iron. These can be tasty to your pets but can cause obstructions in the gastrointestinal tract as well as severe pancreatitis or iron poisoning. Learn more at the Pet Poison Helpline.

4) Plants

Numerous ornamental and garden plants can be poisonous to your pet. Lilly of the Valley and Fall Crocuses can be very dangerous to pets, and various lilies can harm your cat. To learn about other dangerous plants, you can see a list at Home and Garden TV. Some plants will not necessarily cause lasting harm to your pets but might make them vomit or otherwise feel briefly sick. For example, when my corgi, Eve, got a hold of a green tomato once, she was sick for a couple of hours. Learn more at the Pet Poison Helpline.

5) Slug Bait and Rodent Poison

Slug and snail baits are are highly poisonous to both dogs and cats and, if ingested, can be fatal without prompt veterinary attention. Meanwhile, not only is rat poison also toxic to your pets, they can also become ill if they eat a rodent that has ingested the poison. Pets can also be injured by traps meant for rodents or other animals. Read more at HumaneSociety.org.

6) Compost

Are you a gardener? If so, you may have your own compost pile. But the same compost that is so good for your plants can be toxic to your pets. Compost often contains molds that can quickly cause sickness. Keep your compost in an area that is not accessible to your pets. Learn more at the Pet Poison Helpline.

7) Friends, Neighbors, and Meter Readers

This last one comes from personal experience. One of the scariest things that has happened to me was when the meter reader left the back gate ajar. I didn't know it until my dogs had escaped and ran down the street. Fortunately, my corgi returned when called, but I had to chase down my labrador several blocks away. Friends and neighbors may not realize how easy it is for a dog to slip by them and run down the street, and meter readers don't always shut the gate. Watch to make sure that the fenced yard actually remains fenced in.

Photo Source: Carleen Coulter


- By Carleen Coulter


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