Common gardening product almost costs dog his life prompting warning for pet owners

A Melbourne pooch has had a narrow escape after ingesting a common gardening product that is highly toxic to dogs.

Mr Boof had escaped from a side gate and found the strong-smelling fertiliser Blood and Bone.

After his snack on the gardening staple, the three-year-old Maltese terrier soon showed signs of being dangerously ill.

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”Mr Boof vomited something which looked like grey or black rubbish,” his owner Mark said.

”He then started non-stop vomiting.”

The pooch was taken to Lort Smith Animal Hospital where he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, which is an inflammation of the intestine and stomach.

Veterinarian Rebecca Hyland said Mr Boof arrived in “a very bad way”.

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“He was showing signs of becoming septic, and going into shock,” she added.

”Ingestion of fertiliser can cause a range of symptoms in canine pets, including lethargy, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures and difficulty breathing – even death.”

The Maltese terrier was given fluids, pain relief, anti-nausea medication, gastrointestinal protectants and a plasma transfusion.

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For Mark and his family, the experience was a terrifying one.

“It was really tough. We tried not to let the kids see how sick he was so we were very relived when he started making slow progress and improvements. They visited him almost every day although we live an hour away in Frankston,” he said.

”The hour drive was well worth the trip. I had no knowledge that it could make them so sick. At one point, I was bloody worried I’d killed my family pet.”

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Dog owners are urged to store their fertilliser well away from their pets.

“With autumn being a traditionally busy period for gardeners, it is very important to keep pets away from fertiliser in sheds and on freshly fertilised garden bed,” Dr Hyland said.

”If you think your pet has ingested fertiliser, then please contact your vet right away. It may be possible to decontaminate the system if this is known about early and before any signs have developed.” 

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Blood and Bone fertiliser isn’t the only danger in the garden for dogs, according to Pet Insurance Australia.

Slug and snail bait often contains the highly toxic compound metaldehyde which causes symptoms like muscle tremors, seizures, vomiting and potentially death.

“Metaldehyde poisoning is a common claim when it comes to toxicity in pets, running behind chocolate and bait,” Pet Insurance Australia spokesperson Nadia Crighton said.

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Baits for rats and mice is another one to watch out for as the cooler weather leads rodents to seek shelter inside. Pets can become ill with internal bleeding or kidney failure and potentially die after eating the bait itself or a rodent that has eaten the bait.

Some mulches can also be toxic to dogs depending on what is in it, so it’s important to check the ingredients before using.

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