Springtime Alert – Dogs and the Dangers of Lawn Products.
Spring has sprung (almost!) and many of us will be looking forward to getting out into the garden. Some of us may want to turn our attention to areas of lawn that may have suffered over the winter period. Unfortunately, dogs and lawn products don’t go together too well. This Holidays4Dogs article will take a look at the possible dangers of lawn care products and offers alternatives which are safer for pets and the environment.
Many products are deemed to be safe by manufacturers. However, if you check the small print this is often only the case once the granules have been watered in. Some people may think it is fine to sprinkle on a lawn product; hen wait for it to rain, but the granules can be harmful to dogs if left untreated.
Furthermore, it is possible that even after watering in, lawn products may not be safe for dogs to walk on. There have been reports of cases of dogs taking in the toxins from lawn products by chewing contaminated paws.
Traditional lawn care products and other pesticides are capable of putting pet’s and people’s lives, at risk. In addition, they can have a detrimental effect on the environment too.
People have always had a great affection for their lawns. Experts believe this attraction goes back centuries when European royalty showed off their castles, amid sweeping expanses of exquisitely manicured lawns.
Garden care products can be made with toxic ingredients.
To achieve the picture postcard garden, thousands of us today use various products over the spring and summer months. Many plant and lawn products, are manufactured using synthetic ingredients. They are frequently processed from ammonia and blended with formaldehyde. According to some experts, lawn chemicals can remain active anything from a month, to over a year; all the while releasing toxic vapours. Doctors are not always aware of the dangers of pesticide poisoning as symptoms are similar to flu-like illness or allergy.
Alternative products.
There are many pet friendly organic alternatives for use in gardens and on lawns. Considering the effect that synthetic chemicals may have on your pet’s health, it is worthwhile looking into these safer products. Westland, for example, manufacture a lawn feed which only uses natural ingredients.
Before you decide to buy pesticides of any kind, consider first whether it is really necessary to control certain weeds, or pests and whether there is a suitable green alternative. For instance, rather than treat a whole lawn, is it possible to dig out dandelions and other weeds by hand?
It is important to remember that if you use pesticides at home you are legally responsible for using and storing these chemicals in an effective manner.
Avoid storing pesticides for any length of time. Before you use any product check the Health and Safety Executives database to confirm whether the product you have is still legal to use. You can follow the link here; https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/garden/prodsearch.asp
Conclusion.
The bowling green lawn isn’t a necessity, especially if you have children and pets in the family. A good quality turf and a good schedule of mowing that doesn’t involve cutting the grass too short, will create a lush lawn that is also hard wearing and a joy to relax on over the summer.
