These lawn chemicals can kill your dog
That perfect green lawn and your pooch just don’t mix.
All those easy-to-buy lawn treatments, the ones that kill the weeds and make your backyard look like some Major League Baseball park, could be downright deadly for your dog.
One commonly used lawn chemical is called 2,4-D, and it’s especially dangerous for Fido.
Studies have found that dogs are much more sensitive to its toxic effects than people are. It can cause acute kidney failure in pups, and may even cause deadly cancers to develop.
Research found that dogs living in homes where 2.4-D was used died of cancer at twice the expected rate. The dogs were much more prone to come down with lymphomas and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.
And you’ll want to steer clear of Roundup (glyphosate), a popular herbicide, too. The instructions will say that once dry, the area is safe for pets to be in. But the chemical has been found to cause diseases ranging from hormone disruption to all kinds of cancers. And I sure wouldn’t let my pooch lick, roll and play where it’s been used.
But still, you want a backyard that’s not only safe, but looks good.
And you can have both. Here are some tips from the EPA (finally something useful for your tax dollars!), on how to maintain a healthy lawn without all the spraying.
- Mow high, often and with sharp blades. This will produce stronger grass that has fewer pest problems. The EPA says that the ideal length for most turf grasses are between 2 ½ and 3 ½ inches.
- Don’t bag the clippings. By leaving clippings where they fall you’ll not only be saving time and trouble, but will be recycling nitrogen that will make your grass healthier.
- Water deeply but not too often. The best way to water your lawn is one that is similar to a slow, soaking rain. And water only when the grass begins to wilt from dryness.
And if you hire someone to do the lawn work for you, be sure to inform them that you don’t want “chemical warfare” used on your property just because of some dandelions!
After all, what fun is a beautiful backyard where you have to post a sign on it saying “keep off the grass.”
Source:
“Harmful herbicide: EPA’s unreasonable delay protecting people from 2,4-D” Gina Solomon, NRDC Switchboard, switchboard.nrdc.org
