Weedkiller and dogs don’t mix. In fact, lawn chemicals and weed killers can be a deadly mix. Chemicals like this are regularly sprayed on lawns, in gardens, and parks, and more.
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What is Herbicide Poisoning in Dogs?
Herbicides are used to kill weeds in lawns and gardens. It’s much easier to spray the herbicide on the weeds than it is to pull them up one at a time. However, dogs and herbicides should never mix because herbicides are very toxic to dogs.
How Does Herbicide Poisoning Happen?
Safe use of herbicides is critical; when used safely, these chemicals will not harm a dog. After spraying these chemicals on the yard, where your dog might play, it’s important to keep him off the grass until the weed killer is completely dry. If the grass is still wet with herbicides and your dog walks on it, his feet will become contaminated with the weed killer.
Dogs sometimes also like to chew the grass in their yard. This is fine unless that grass has been sprayed with herbicides. Another problem is using weed killers near a water source, which the dog might access.
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Chemicals Used in Weed Killers
- There are several types of chemicals used for killing weeds in our yards, which includes:
- Glyphosate
- Disulfoton
- Metaldehyde
- Ammonium sulfamate
- Borax
Symptoms of Weed Killer Poisoning in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog has been contaminated by or ingested weed killer chemicals:
- Burns or sores near mouth/nose/paws
- Rash/itchy skin
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Strained breathing
- Restlessness
- Abnormal behavior
- Excessive drooling
- Urination
- Lack of coordination
- Anxiety
- Blue/brown mucous membranes
- Fits & seizures
- Excessive drooling
If your dog is showing any of these symptoms, then call the vet immediately. This is a medical emergency.
Treatment of Herbicide Poisoning in Dogs
Treatment of herbicide poisoning will depend on the type of weed killer chemical that your dog was exposed to, as well as how much he has ingested. Because there are so many chemicals used as herbicides, it’s not possible to cover all the remedies here.
However, your dog will probably need to stay in the hospital to be treated and monitored. The main goal is to stabilize your dog while getting his heart and breathing rates down. Your dog will need to stay in the hospital for a few days, at least.
When using herbicides in your yard or where your dog plays in the yard, be sure to read the directions before applying the weed killer. Following the directions as they appear on the packaging could save your dog’s life.
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Kyoko
Kyoko is from a family of 3 and moved to New York with her parents and siblings when she was 13. Kyoko is fond of spending a great amount of time with pets, specifically her beagle Luna and cat Missy. Her boyfriend often complains that she spends too much time giving attention to their animals. Kyoko has written dozens of articles concerning pets and is aiming at owning a pet shop one day!
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