Perhaps this article should have been called “Garden Etiquette for your Dog”. This article is about what dogs get up to in the garden! No one knows exactly why “does a dog eat plants” and everything else that smells and tastes good. Perhaps it is to amuse themselves, cannot resist something that smells or tastes good or even boredem but it will always be the destruction of your most prized plants invariably! There are the things in your garden though that can kill your beloved dog which they seem attracted to. Wandering Jew, ground cover, is one example. If your dog eats Wandering Jew, it can make your dog sick. Eat enough of this and it could kill your dog. Other toxic plants that are harmful to your dog are Hippeastrum bulbs, rhubarb leaves, Jasmine, Lantana to mention a few but there are others. Some symptoms to look out for may be nausea, breathing difficulties, weakness, restlessness and convulsions. In any case if you think your dog has ingested any toxic plants, get your dog to the vet straight away.
Mulch, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides can be another thing your dog loves to eat in your garden. Eating fresh blood and bone fertilizer and chicken manure will attract your dog but in most cases it will be harmless. Dogs are exposed by digging up your garden, chewing on pellets and sniffing around just after insecticides, herbicides and fungicides have been applied. Needless to say, keep all of these well stored out of reach of pets and children. Vets see cases every year of dogs that have eaten snail pellets and treatment is not pleasant, so be mindful.
One of our favourite indulgences, chocolate can actually be fatal to your dog. That’s why Cocoa Mulch can be lethal to dogs (and cats) if it contains an ingredient called ‘The Obromine’. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. If they ingest this mulch, again it can be fatal.
It is alright, however, for your dog to eat nut grass and other long blades of grass to aid digestion or to throw up. It’s the natural way they have to deal with a stomach upset.
It doesn’t matter how well fed your pooch is, beware, pups, bitzers and pure breeds cannot distinguish a toxic good smell or taste as they forage around the yard.
So keep your dog safe and away from toxic plants in your yard.