Perils of Plantings

I have two hobbies- gardening and my pets. I actually bring both of my dogs with me as I traipse around the yard, trowel in hand, searching for the nasty weeds. Nova likes to chase the clods of dirt I throw for her, and Quick watches very carefully and tries to help. He puts his paws in holes and everything!

But until last week, I didn’t know a product I was very seriously considering using for my hydrangeas (smack in the middle of dog-accessible yard) could very easily kill my dogs. Cocoa-shell mulch contains the ingredients that are lethal to dogs in chocolate (surprise, surprise… I bet everyone but me knew this!) and if the dog eats the mulch, they can become very ill. Watch what you mulch with! A lot of dogs love the gardening smells of fresh earth, fresh compost, and fresh mulch! Quick has stolen every last bag of mulch, moss, and compost that has come in to the woodshed, and dragged it all over the yard, with big sister Nova helping!

Many other gardening products can be dangerous or lethal to your dog, so be careful to keep it out of reach. If you’re not sure about a product, call and ask both the company, your vet, or assume the worst. Don’t forget, just because something is organic doesn’t mean it won’t be dangerous for a dog to ingest.

The ASPCA has a searchable guide to toxic and non-toxic plants to dogs, cats, and horses. It’s well worth looking at! Don’t learn the hard way that your dog will get sick if he eats your flowers.