A pet-safe yard and garden: fertilizer, mulch, baits and compost

The yard is part of your dog’s home

A yard feels like the safest place a dog spends time. It is also where many households keep fertilizer, weed killer, slug pellets, rodent bait and a compost pile full of old food. A dog with a good nose finds those things quickly.

This guide draws on four ASPCA pages, including its expert tips on gardening with pets, and ends with an original walk around your own yard. The first piece of advice is simple. The ASPCA says to always supervise your pets in areas where there may be toxic plants or plant products. Our first days with a new dog guide covers supervision indoors; the same habit belongs outside.

Store garden products like medicine

The ASPCA’s article on pet dangers in the garage says fertilizers can cause a very upset stomach and muscle pain and weakness, and should be stored out of reach of pets in a pet-proof container. It asks that weed killers stay in their original container, out of paw’s reach. Its gardening tips add that many fertilizers contain ingredients that are appealing to pets.

• Original containers. Keep each product in the bag or bottle it came in, so the label and directions stay with it.
• Up and closed. Use a high shelf or a cabinet that latches.
• Half-used bags. Fold, clip and put them away the same day. The ASPCA’s tips for a pet-safe yard and garden say to keep bags of fertilizer locked away.
• One home for everything. Pick a single shelf or bin for garden chemicals, so nobody leaves a bottle by the hose because they did not know where it belonged.

Keep dogs off freshly treated ground

The ASPCA’s gardening tips say most herbicides and insecticides, applied properly and dried, will cause only mild vomiting if a pet is exposed, while concentrated or undiluted products can cause more significant effects, such as seizures. The timing of a dog’s return to the lawn matters.

• Liquids. The ASPCA says to make sure the product is dry before the pet has any access to the area.
• Granules. It says granular products should be watered well once applied, and that pets should not be allowed into areas where piles of granules remain.
• Fertilizer. The garage article says to keep pets away from treated areas until the fertilizer has become incorporated into the soil. The yard tips suggest keeping fertilized plots fenced off.
• Follow the label. The AVMA’s household hazards page says to keep your pet off a chemically treated lawn for the manufacturer’s recommended time, because pets may lick chemicals off their legs or body.

Treat one section at a time and decide where the dog will be meanwhile.

Mulch, compost and birdseed

Some of the most tempting things in a garden are not sold as chemicals at all.

• Cocoa mulch. The ASPCA says cocoa mulch smells and tastes like chocolate, which makes it appealing to pets, and that pets who eat it can show signs ranging from stomach upset to changes in heart rate and rhythm, hyperactivity and seizures. Its advice is to pick an alternative.
• Compost. The ASPCA lists grapes, coffee grounds, garlic and onions among compost items that may be toxic, and says moldy material can lead to stomach upset and neurologic signs like tremors and seizures. It says dogs should never be allowed access to composting organic materials. Fence the pile in or use a closed bin raised off the ground.
• Bulbs. The ASPCA says to be wary when planting bulbs such as daffodil, tulip, hyacinth or crocus. Store bags of bulbs with the other garden supplies, and watch a dog who likes to dig in fresh beds.
• Birdseed. The ASPCA says many birdseed mixes may contain raisins, which can cause kidney damage in dogs, and that birdseed can mold easily. Choose a mix without raisins and sweep up the spill under the feeder.

Slug, snail and rodent baits

Baits are made to be eaten, which is exactly the problem. The ASPCA’s garage article says some slug and snail baits can cause seizures and death. It suggests looking for products that contain iron rather than metaldehyde, while warning that the iron in those baits can still poison a pet who eats enough of it.

For rodent bait, the ASPCA says rodenticides can be life-threatening if not treated appropriately, with signs from neurologic problems to kidney damage or internal bleeding. It advises extreme caution and avoiding their use around pets when possible. If bait is used, pets must not be able to reach it, and the ASPCA points out that mice and rats can often move baits into a pet’s reach. The AVMA likewise says rodent poisons belong in areas completely inaccessible to pets, so check bait stations again every few weeks.

Walk the boundary and the shed

This is an original Housemates exercise. Do it with a notepad at the start of each gardening season, and again when a new product comes home.

1. Start at the back door. Write down every place your dog can go once it is outside: lawn, beds, the side passage, under the deck.
2. Walk the fence line slowly. Note gaps, loose boards, soft ground where digging has started, and gates that do not latch on their own.
3. Open the shed or garage. List each product on the floor or a low shelf. Beside each one, write where it will live instead.
4. Find every bait and bin. Mark bait stations, the compost pile and the bird feeder on your notes. Ask of each one: could a dog reach it, or reach something spilled from it?
5. Pick one fix for this week. A latch, a higher shelf, a compost lid. Put the rest on a short list with a date.

Keep the notes with your household records. Our emergency plan guide has a good place to file them.

Shade, water and when to call

On warm days, the ASPCA’s hot weather safety tips ask owners to give pets plenty of fresh, clean water and a shady place to get out of the sun. Check that the yard still has shade at the hours your dog is out, since a spot that is cool in the morning may be in full sun by afternoon. A sheltered spot outside can mirror the calm resting place in our dog rest space guide.

If you think your dog has eaten something harmful in the yard, the ASPCA says to contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately. Bring the product packaging if you can.

This guide is a household planning aid. It does not replace advice from a veterinarian, and it cannot list every product or plant that could cause a problem.