How To Use Mulch Safely Around Your Dog And Cat

Posted on: 3 June 2016

Mulch can help you create a beautiful landscape and it can be functional for solving problems like drainage and moisture retention. If you are considering using mulch in your landscape for any reason, taking into account your pets before doing so is extremely important. While the greatest thing you will need to worry about with cats is mulch becoming a huge litter box, your dogs are in greater danger with some mulches. Some mulches also pose poisoning risk to your cat. Follow these tips for how to use mulch safely around your dog and cat.

Dogs Like To Sample And Chew

Most every dog is like a small child when it comes to putting things in their mouth, no matter how young or old they may be. When it comes to mulches, some pose a serious, deadly risk to your dog. While it offers a wonderful, rich color for your landscape, cocoa bean mulch is toxic to your dog. Cocoa mulch is also toxic to cats. Cocoa mulch contains a chemical called theobromine that can kill your cat or dog if its ingested. The worst part of this mulch is it also smells like chocolate, making it hard for your pets to resist. Dogs will try to eat cocoa mulch while cats will clean their paws after walking it to use it as a litter box. If you have pets, do not put down cocoa mulch in your yard.

Some Mulch Materials Pose Choking Hazards

Mulches that contain larger pieces of wood or other material can pose a choking hazard to dogs that like to chew on it. In some bags of mulch, you may find large pieces of wood that did not get chipped as well as the other pieces in the bag. Making sure you take the larger pieces out is a good idea. Mulches made from pine and cedar have been found to be safe for use around pets. However, the choking hazards still remain, so keeping an eye out for larger pieces is best.

About The Danger Associated With Pine Needle Mulch

For the most part, pine needle mulch is safe to use. However, it has been reported that dogs can ingest pine needles and if swallowed hole, a dry needle can puncture the stomach lining. If you use pine needles as mulch, it would be best to use it in areas that are not accessible by your dog.

Taking the best care of your landscape and your pets is important. By learning more about the products you can safely use around your pets, you and them can enjoy spending time together in a beautifully designed landscape. Contact a business, such as Mulch Masters for more information.     

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