Springtime Dangers for Pets - What Cat and Dog Owners Should Know

April showers bring flowers for sniffing, long walks in the neighborhood and afternoon naps on the lawns. But before you let your pet leap into spring, make sure you're keeping your dogs and cats safe from these seasonal health hazards:

1. Watch Out for Poisonous Flowers
Tulip, hyacinth and daffodil bulbs can damage a dog's mouth and esophagus, causing drooling, vomiting, severe diarrhea or even abnormal heart rhythms, depending on the amount consumed. So be sure to keep bulbs out of reach before planting says Justine Lee, an emergency critical care veterinary specialist and Associate Director of Veterinary Services at the Minneapolis-based Pet Poison Helpline.

When planting, place the bulbs in deeply, surround them with plenty of mulch and then supervise your dog when it's outside to make sure it's not digging them up, Lee advises. Once the flowers are out and have bloomed, they generally don't pose a threat, as it's the bulb that's the most poisonous.

Also be very careful with lilies. Just a couple of leaves from certain lilies, like the day, Asiatic and Japanese varieties, can cause severe kidney failure in cats, according to Lee who said she dug up all the lilies in her yard in case her cat ever gets outside. "My own sister's cat died from it," Lee tells Paw Nation "Cats will always chew on plants. They're just curious and want to try something different. But one or two leaves will kill them."

2. Be Careful With Common Fertilizers
How you treat your yard is very important, as even organic supplements can be toxic to your pet.

Blood and bone meal are popular organic fertilizers, and dogs love the taste of these meat-based products. But ingesting blood meal can cause vomiting, diarrhea and severe pancreatic inflammation, while bone meal can create a cement-like ball in the dog's stomach, potentially forming an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract and requiring surgery to remove.

Another known hazard are rose fertilizers containing disulfoton or other types of organophosphates which can be deadly to a dog. While most dogs wouldn't eat the granules just for fun, gardeners often mix the fertilizer with bone or blood meal, creating a tasty invitation. "The pet will ingest a larger amount of that chemical because it tastes so good, resulting in the ingestion of potentially two toxicities," Lee says. Consider fencing off roses with plastic or chicken wire so dogs can't get into them, says Lee. It might not be pretty, but "it helps protect your pets," she says.

3. Assess Pest Control Around the House and on Your Pet
Spring means ants. What you may not know is that many ant baits use peanut butter, practically luring dogs to nibble on them. In fact, the chemicals inside the baits are relatively innocuous, due to the low concentration of insecticide and small size of the bait, experts say. The biggest risk is a gastrointestinal obstruction from swallowing the plastic. To be safe, keep traps off the floor, placing them instead in areas such as on the counter or in a window sill.

Another big risk for your animals is misuse of flea and tick products. "Dog flea and tick medications can never be used on a cat because they have a different metabolism," Lee says. "They should never apply it without consulting a vet."

You should also learn more about the kind of flea and tick prevention you are using as recently there has been a lot of concerns about the toxicity of certain products. Depending on where you live and what your risks are you may consider some of the natural options for flea and tick control. (The National Resources Defense Council gives suggestions on chemical-free ways to keep pet pest free.) Discuss your concerns with your vet so that you can come to the best solution together.

Spring is a great time to let your animals roam and if you take the right steps to keep them safe, everyone will be happy.

Tags: ant baits, fertilizer, flea and tick control, FleaAndTickControl, plants, toxic for pets, toxic plants, ToxicForPets, ToxicPlants