While we’re trying to make our gardens as beautiful and productive as possible, it’s important to remember our four-legged friends. Keep your garden pet-friendly! Some of the stuff we use in the garden can be harmful to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Bean Mulch

Recently I saw a short article on how cocoa bean mulch can be potentially deadly to dogs.

I never thought about it before, but it makes sense. Chocolate is notoriously bad for dogs. The cocoa bean hulls also have the theobromine and caffeine that wreaks havoc on their system. Plus, if the cocoa bean mulch smells like chocolate, what dog can resist?

If you have dogs, it’s best to avoid using this, or look for brands that do neutralize the theobromine.

Not Pet Friendly: Blood and Bone Meal

Additives that contain blood and bone meal are attractive to dogs, but can pose a problem, particularly if consumed in large amounts because it can cause gastric problems and even pancreatitis. Be cautious when using them, or at least use them sparingly. 

Compost

One thing that never crossed my mind is how compost can be a problem, particularly for dogs that will eat it, because of mold growing in it.

According to the Pet Poison Hotline, tremorgenic mycotoxins can be present. If your dog or animal gets into this they can develop tremors and problems working, and in worst case scenarios, it can lead to death.

If you find your dog snacking in the compost bin you might want to take it to the vet to be on the safe side. But it’s probably easier to fence off the compost in order to keep the family pet out of there in the first place. There are pet friendly alternatives!

Some not pet friendly Pesticides

Of course, pesticides can be harmful to animals. Some of the worst are organophosphates because it doesn’t take a large quantity to do harm to cats and dogs. These are really common in the systemic pesticides (Disulfoton) used on roses. So if your pet begins vomiting or acting ill and you’ve recently treated your roses, be sure to let your vet know.

Slug, Gopher, and Mouse Bait

Slug bait is another frequent culprit in pet poisonings. One of its components is metaldehyde, which causes the slime cells in the slug to burst. Talk about gross. The chemical is also poisonous to mammals, which means you have to be careful around pets and children. Use slug bait sparingly if you have to use it at all.

Gopher and mouse bait are equally a concern. Years ago when we had the ground squirrels so badly at one of the community gardens, our local extension agent set up bait stations with a powerful rodenticide.

It always worried me because we had a lot of people walk through the garden with their small dogs, often off the leash. Always be careful when  you don’t know how pet friendly an environment is. Thankfully, we never had an incident. But now that I’ve learned more about it, I would forego poison all together, and go with traps. A dog, particularly a smaller one, can die from eating a poisoned rodent. And even if it doesn’t die, the poison often affects the immune system weakening the pet. So, pick up any deceased gophers (using gloves, of course, then go wash your hands!).

While we all want to have our gardens look it, please do keep the pets in mind so you don’t have to make an unexpected trip to the vet.