In Your Own Backyard: Outdoor Pet Toxins

Summer is almost at an end, and you want to spend as much time outdoors with your pet as possible before the cooler weather sets in. Your pet will love the extra playtime outdoors, but he or she is also at risk of becoming sick if you don’t protect your pet from a number of outdoor pet  toxins that exist in the backyard, along the hiking trail, at the lake, or on the shore.

Outdoor pet toxins come in all different forms, which can make keeping your pet safe a bit tricky. Keeping your pet confined to a fenced-in area will help them stay safe, but there is more to it than that. If containers are present in the yard, make sure the lids are tightly sealed and stored out of your pet’s reach. Additionally, do your best to keep your pet away from that outside garden where all sorts of potential hazards like vegetables and compost can cause serious damage to your pet. Likewise, you’ll want to be sure that your yard is secured against escape-artist pets, so that your four-legged friend doesn’t stray.

Common outdoor pet toxins include:

Compost piles, which can contain raw materials that are very harmful to pets, such as raw egg, moldy foods, and other decaying organic matter

Antifreeze and other vehicle-related fluids

Saltwater

Slug and snail baits

Mole and gopher bait

Outdoor flea and tick abatement products

Pesticides and herbicides

Fertilizers

Mushrooms

Rhubarb

Onions and garlic

Certain bulbs and plants such as lilies, tulips and azaleas

Sago palms

Cocoa mulch

Blue-green algae

Toads

Do a random check of your yard every few days to ensure that your pet’s play area is free of potential dangers and toxins. If you are suspicious of something you see in your yard, it’s better to play it safe than sorry – clean it up on your pet’s behalf

It’s also a good idea to have clean, bottled water with you at all times when you and your pet travel away from home. If you venture to the lake or beach, don’t let your pet drink salt water, eat the algae, or chase toads, since all of these items contain toxins that will make your pet incredibly sick.

If you believe that your pet has ingested a toxic substance while at the beach or in the yard, look for these symptoms of poisoning:

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Agitation

Excessive panting and drooling

Tremors or seizures

Bloating

Labored breathing

Early recognition and treatment are key in successfully treating poisoning. Always have fresh, clean water nearby and keep your pet well supervised.

If your pet requires immediate attention due to the ingestion of an outdoor toxin, contact us immediately at (210) 659-3938 for treatment options and the chance to speak with our on-call staff regarding your pet’s condition. We want to help your pet stay happy and healthy and ready to enjoy summer when it returns again.