5720 Menchaca Road, Austin TX 78745

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Gardening and Your Pet: Can you dig it?

I finally got around to planting some Angelique Tulips last month and I couldn’t keep Biz, Lolli & Vlad (my three miniature schnauzers) away from the bone meal.  They were obsessed!!  So, I googled bone meal to make sure it was OK.  The bone meal isn’t really a problem, but as it turns out tulips and daffodil bulbs are toxic.  Who knew?  And they look so yummy too.  Apparently gophers don’t have a problem with them, but dogs do.  Other things dogs can have a problem with in the garden are:

*Iris
*Foxglove
*Larkspur
*Sago Palm
*Oleander
*Elephant Ears

The rest of the list is very extensive and can be downloaded from www.humanesociety.org.

An even more common problem than toxic plants is the ingestion of composted material.  This stuff can also be irresistible to your dog and can make them very sick (or worse if coffee grounds are involved).  Fruit seeds such as apples, apricots, and peaches contain small amounts of cyanide which can be toxic. The pits of peaches can cause intestinal obstruction.  If you think your dog will not eat these, you are mistaken! At Manchaca Road Animal Hospital we once removed a 4 inch corn cob from the intestines of an Airdale.

A new problem to worry about is cocoa bean mulch.  It smells just like chocolate and like chocolate, contains theobromine which is toxic and can be lethal if eaten in large amounts.  What dog won’t eat chocolate when given the chance?  There it is all over your flower beds just begging to be snacked on.

Other more obvious dangers are bug poisons, weed killers, and fertilizers.

So, now that you have a better idea of what to watch out for, get out there and plant a beautiful garden and bring us some pictures!  And… don’t forget to include your best friend in the fun!