Dog Lawn Chemicals

If you own a home and have a dog, you should be aware that the various items you use on your lawn, can cause harm to your dog. If you work hard on your lawn and use lots of chemicals to keep it healthy, you should always be aware of where your dog is because you do not want to let your dog out on a lawn that you just treated chemically, or allow your dog to roam around on the lawn and begin eating the grass.

What Chemicals are Harmful?

In 2004, the Purdue University released their findings that dogs exposed to lawns treated with a chemical known as 2, 4-D had a higher risk of developing Dog Bladder Cancer. Remember, if you are treating your lawn with anything, you need to know what is in it, and make sure it is safe for your dog. Dogs love to dig, eat grass, and use the lawn as their potty area. You may be surprised to learn that the chemicals you are using to treat your nasty weed problem may indeed have 2, 4-D in it as one of the ingredients that is effective at killing weeds, but unsafe for your dogs.

What About Lawn Professionals

Almost all lawn care professionals will tell you their products are safe to use around dogs. However, you need to do your own research and ask to read the ingredients on the chemicals they plan to use on your lawn. If they are using all natural organic substances, then you can feel safe in using their product on your lawn. However, never just take a company’s word for it, after all, they want your business, and they will not have to deal with your dog should it become ill in the future.

Most lawn care companies test their products to make sure they are safe for humans, but you probably noticed that your dog is not exactly human. Therefore, many have done no tests to make sure the safety of your dog is ensured when using their products. If you have concerns, either do not use the professional service or keep your dog away from the treated area.

An Alternative

The best thing to use on your lawn are all natural products, they may take longer to kill weeds, but you can feel safe knowing your dog is safe being around the ingredients.

If you insist on using chemicals on your lawn, you can section off your yard with fence to keep your dog off of the treated grass. That way they can still go out and you can use chemicals on the lawn where you know your dog cannot get to. This of course, is tricky with dogs because they can and do jump over fencing, so you will have to find a way to keep your dog out of the treated lawn because most dogs love eating grass. If your dog is an indoor-only dog, then you do not have to worry about it getting in the treated lawn.

Final Thoughts

If you know your dog has been on a recently treated lawn, be sure to wipe their feet off, which you really should do after all walks outside to make certain they are not dragging anything inside. Know what ingredients you or a professional use on your lawn and do your research to make sure the chemicals are safe. If in doubt, choose not to use the chemical.

Suggested Products

Nu-Pet Vitamin & Antioxidant Wafers
Cancer Support Kit – Dogs