This dog article will answer the major question, “Can dogs eat fertilizer?” we will also cover the bad effects of fertilizer on your dog’s health, the diagnosis of fertilizer poisoning, and the treatment of fertilizer poisoning.
Can dogs eat fertilizer?
No, dogs cannot eat fertilizer. It is not safe for your dog to eat fertilizer because it can prove toxic for your dog. Mild poisoning can only affect the gastrointestinal tract of the body while herbicides and insecticides can cause tremors and other nervous signs in your dog.
What are the bad effects of fertilizers?
Following are the bad effects of fertilizers on your dog’s health:
Mouth burns
The first problem associated with consuming fertilizer is mouth burns. Fertilizers can cause mouth burns because they have some chemicals that can cause irritation of the oral mucosa of the mouth.
Following are the major clinical signs of mouth burns in your dog:
- Ulceration of the oral mucosa.
- Pain
- Loss of appetite
Stomach upset
Stomach upset is the next problem on the list. It is an important sign of the upset health of your dog. The first sign that you will see if there is a food-related problem in your dog is stomach upset.
Your dog will show the following signs in case of stomach upset:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
Toxicity
The next problem is toxicity. Consuming a small amount of fertilizer will not cause any problem in your dog if it is not insecticide, pesticide, or herbicide.
The common elements in the fertilizers are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. There is also iron present in the fertilizer.
Consuming such fertilizer can cause stomach upset in your dog. Iron toxicity is very severe in your dog.
The most common symptoms of toxicity in your dog are:
- Tremors
- Imbalance
- Incoordination
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Confusion
- Increased heart rate
- Increased respiration rate
- Anemia
- Loss of appetite
You should look for such clinical signs in your dog so that you can provide treatment in time to your dog.
Skin problems
Fertilizer can also burn the skin and cause skin irritation in your dog. The problem arises when your dog plays in a garden that is filled with fertilizers. Your dog will have fertilizer on the skin.
Why does your dog consume fertilizer?
There are a number of reasons why your dog eats fertilizer:
Pica
Pica is a condition in which the dog eats non-food items such as rocks, wood, and fertilizer. It is due to the nutritional deficiency in your dog.
The most common cause of pica is phosphorus deficiency in your dog.
Taste and smell
Fertilizer is applied to the soil that has corn. Corn is consumed by your dog and your dog will recognize the smell of the corn. Your dog will be attracted to the fertilizer due to the smell of the corn.
Exploring
The last reason is that your dog is an explorer. He will explore the garden and will smell and taste the fertilizer in the garden. If your dog only licks the fertilizer, he will be fine. If your dog eats a lot, it will cause a disaster for your dog.
How the vet can diagnose fertilizer poisoning?
The first thing when you arrive at a vet clinic is you have to give the history in which you will tell the vet about the problem and some general information such as the breed, weight, and age of your dog.
After that, your vet will examine the dog and will note down the clinical findings. After that, your vet will go for testing.
Your vet will perform LFTs, RFT’s and complete blood count to see what is going on with the internal organs in the body.
After the results, your vet will discuss the treatment options with you.
How will your vet treat your dog?
If you have brought your dog immediately after consumption of fertilizer, your vet might induce vomiting in your dog.
The most common agent used to induce vomiting is activated charcoal. You shouldn’t use this item as it can cause toxicity. The product should only be used in the presence of a vet.
If the clinical signs have appeared, the vomiting will not work. Your vet might go for fluid therapy, antibiotics, antidiarrheals, and a soft diet or liquid diet.
Fluid therapy will dilute the toxins in the blood. Antibiotics will reduce the risks of secondary bacterial infection in your dog. Antidiarrheals will reduce the risk of dehydration in your dog.
Conclusion
In this dog article, we entertained our major question, “Can dogs eat fertilizer?” we also talked about the bad effects of fertilizer on your dog’s health, the diagnosis of fertilizer poisoning, and the treatment of fertilizer poisoning.
References
https://wagwalking.com/condition/fertilizers-poisoning
https://www.hepper.com/my-dog-ate-fertilizer/
https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-toxins-poisons/fertilizer-and-mulch-dangers-dogs
