Diagnosis of Fertilizers Poisoning in Dogs
If you suspect that your pet has come in contact with fertilizer, bring them to the veterinarian to determine the level of toxicosis. In the case of a basic fertilizer exposure, the symptoms might be mostly gastrointestinal and may resolve within a day or two. It is always best to have your pet checked at the clinic and be sure to bring along the container or product leaflet so the veterinarian can verify the ingredients of the product.
If the fertilizer contains herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides the situation may become more urgent because the toxic effects of fertilizer containing these additives can be much more severe. The veterinarian will base the diagnosis on clinical signs (vomiting, dermal ulcers) and may want to do additional urinalysis and blood testing to check toxicity levels or to look for signs of secondary illness like pancreatitis, depending on the type of fertilizer. For example:
Why Do Dogs Eat Fertilizer?
Who knows! For some dogs, eating things they shouldn’t appear to be a life goal! For others, it’s a medical disorder called pica. Whichever camp your pooch falls into, there’s a high chance that they’ll eat something they shouldn’t at some time! Fertilizer is sometimes eaten by the most sensible of dogs if they walk through it and then lick it from their pads. Many fertilizers, especially organic fertilizers, are made from blood or fish – things your dog is likely to find tempting! Lastly, fertilizer is sometimes placed over a corn cob base to make it easier to spread, and it might be that this tempting snack is what causes your dog to be attracted to the fertilizer.
Fertilizers can be toxic to dogs, but just how toxic depends on the type of fertilizer. Most fertilizers contain a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – the amounts are usually listed on the back as the N-P-K ratio. They usually also contain a combination of other minerals such as copper, manganese, molybdenum, boron, iron, cobalt, and zinc.
For most standard garden fertilizers, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron are the major toxic compounds. However, they are thankfully poorly absorbed, and usually cause gastric upset such as drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. In fact, they’re so poorly absorbed that impaction, constipation, and bowel obstruction are a major concern when large amounts of fertilizer have been eaten. Fertilizers with large amounts of iron can also cause iron toxicity, which can show symptoms days after the fertilizer is first ingested.
But the most dangerous fertilizers, and the ones you should most lookout for, are those mixed with other products such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicide, or other additives. Some of these other ingredients can be very toxic and even fatal to pets.
Lastly, you should be aware of mold contamination, especially in open bags of fertilizer that have been stored for some time. Moldy fertilizer can contain mycotoxins that can be very dangerous to dogs. If your dog ate fertilizer, you should look carefully for signs of mold before calling the vet.
My Dog Ate Fertilizer – What Do I Do?
For some types of fertilizer, no treatment might be necessary. For instance, a young, large dog with a very small amount of natural fertilizer might not need to go to the vets for treatment. However, this depends hugely on the type of fertilizer your dog has eaten, so it’s essential that you call the vets and don’t make this decision yourself.
For dogs that do need to go into the clinic, the treatment will depend on how recently they ate the fertilizer and the symptoms that they’re showing. If your dog has eaten the fertilizer within the last couple of hours, it’s likely that your vet will attempt ‘decontamination’ – in other words, they’ll make your dog sick to remove the fertilizer from their system.
If you’re already seeing symptoms of fertilizer poisoning in your dog, there is no antidote. Instead, your vet will treat the symptoms that are showing. Anti-vomiting drugs, gut protectants, and anti-diarrheal drugs may all be used. If your dog is at risk of dehydration, fluids may be given via a drip. Pain relief may also be necessary if your dog is showing signs of abdominal pain or muscle pain.
Rarely, dogs may require surgery to treat a bowel obstruction. This is unusual but can happen when dogs eat a large amount of relatively indigestible fertilizer, especially if the fertilizer has a corn cob base to make it easier to spread.
Fertilizers and Pesticides Poisoning in Dogs – Symptoms & Causes
You can see your ideal lawn now: soft green grass, the envy of all your neighbors and friends. The only problem? The last time you fertilized your own lawn, you almost sent your pet to the vet. Not good.
For many people, cats and dogs are like members of the family, so it’s important to know what lawn fertilizers could possibly harm them. Many commercial garden and landscape fertilizers contain ingredients that can be harmful to your cat or dog, particularly if ingested. In order to keep everyone safe, you need to know what to look for in a lawn fertilizer, when it’s safe to let your pet back on a fertilized lawn, and what steps to take if something DOES happen. This article explains some of the different lawn fertilizers and the precautions you should take to keep your pet safe. Also, we’ll discuss the signs to look for if your pet does come in contact with a recently fertilized lawn.