# Lawn care and dogs' health



## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Something that's come up on lists and is a timely discussion is how you treat your lawn and garden and how it might affect your pets' health.

Here's an article on lawn care: http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=47&pid=0&sid=1075981&page=1

... and look at this, from the article.... *"the pre-emergent of choice for the safety of people, pets, water supplies and the world in general is corn gluten meal!

That's Right -- CORN GLUTEN MEAL! "*

Hmmmmmm........ gluten, eh ? Unreal.  Just make sure it doesn't come from China!

Passing this site along as well...... I have no interest in this or any company at all. 
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/sg/Organic Lawn Care

Laval passed a law a couple of years ago forbidding the use of chemicals on our lawns, so there is no danger here. Phew!


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## dotndani (Mar 19, 2007)

My hubby recently cut the grass and wanted to fertilize so he was good enough to find something that was pet friendly and he found something.He's too cute!!Even though it says it's not harmful,he told me just so I wouldn't be too agitated,we should keep Duncan off for a day or 2 and he'll run the sprinkler a couple of extra times.You gotta love my hubby!!!
Dot


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

We lived at a golf club down here in the desert and we sold our home and moved to another development because of the aggressive action they took maintaining the lawns . Far too many chemicals and when the grounds men are running around with masks and wearing white suits you know this is bad stuff . Asta's feet were always being washed to keep the chemicals off .
In the end I said this is not worth it and this is nuts .. It was running off into the streets .. People with dogs complained but they(the golfers ) did not want dogs there so the finally got rid of most of the dog owners .. They sold and moved out as we did not have a voice .. 
Golf was much more important ..
I wondered if they ever thought about their own health but apparently not ...
Our lawn at home goes the natural route and when it is totally a mess we just resod . Any thing to keep the dogs healthy ..


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

We do have a lawn care company that comes many times a year on the lawn as well as tick applications. The company is owned by our best friends, who also have 3 havanese and they have assured me that there is no harm to the dogs. After an application they usually recommend staying off the lawn for 2-4 hours. When they come, I just walk the pups off the property to go potty, but have NEVER had any problem with the lawn care. I think that anyone who has a company, should check with them about the chemicals they use.
Laurie


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Those very same golfers might just be tracking that stuff into their own homes and contaminating their own pets and/or children!  I agree... sometimes it's just overkill and you have to stop and think about whether it's really worth it. 

We stopped spraying our lawn about 6, 7 years ago. The smell of it bothered me and if I had clothes drying on the line when they came, I took it right off before it got on them. In fact, when we no longer used it, my neighbors' spraying would make me close my windows and take the clothes in. I'm very thankful it's now banned. Sure, the grass is "uglier" looking, but like many of you here have said, it's better than getting sick.

There ARE safer methods and that is what we now use.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

We don't do anything to our lawn, maybe that's why it looks that way  
We have very little grass in our backyard, where the dogs stay. The front lawn was very nice until this spring. I have some kind of creeping thing all over it. I think the squirrels put it there when they were burying their nuts.
I'm in a dilemma - weed killer or just resod. The dogs like to sit out front and play on the lawn, so probably resod.


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