Spring Gardening

Do you love to garden?  I took advantage today of the few moments of sun to get some seeds in the ground.  As I was working I was reminded of a neighbor down the street who's dog loves to lay beside him as he gardens.  It always does my heart good when I drive by and see them out there together.  As you work on your garden this spring and summer here are a few tips to remember.

There are some garden materials that are not safe for pets.  See the ASPCA "Guide to Pet-Safe Gardening"
for a list of items to use cautiously, or not at all, in your garden.  Another website has a list of Cat friendly plants that can help to keep your furry feline safe.

Below are some comments from the Pet Poison Helpline about fertilizers.

Fertilizers
For whatever reason, many dogs thoroughly enjoy snarfing up fertilizer products, which may contain peat moss or bone meal, or other tasty ingredients. A dog might eat a teaspoon or pounds of the stuff, depending on his or her palate. Generally speaking, fertilizer products are not highly toxic. The most concerning ingredients contained within would be iron, or any insecticide which may have been added for dual purposes. If your dog has ingested a fertilizer product, I would advise you to call a veterinary professional. We can then determine if the ingestion is potentially harmful, based on the product's ingredients. If a large ingestion takes place, and the product contains iron, the risk for toxicity is great. I have personally spoken to a woman whose Labrador ingested six pounds of fertilizer! We would then want to initiate preventative measures to ensure the safety of the dog. Regardless of iron content or insecticides within, a small lick (a teaspoon or less) is not likely to be significantly harmful even in a tiny dog.

Despite the level of toxicity, another serious concern when cups or pounds of fertilizer have been ingested is the risk for intestinal obstruction. The material can clump together in the stomach or intestinal tract, unable to pass through. If the ingestion has been fairly recent, there are steps to be taken in order to prevent this. If not, you would want to watch him or her very closely over the next few days for recurrent vomiting, persistent diarrhea, loss of appetite, or painful belly. If those signs develop, contact your veterinary hospital immediately. In the worst case scenario, intestinal surgery is necessary to remove the obstruction.

Even if your fertilizer is neatly contained within an unopened container, hide it safely in a cabinet or place it up high, out of the reach of your dog. They'll not think twice about opening up the bag, spreading it around the patio or yard, and potentially enjoying it as a special snack. At worst, you could be dealing with toxicity. At best, you could have a significant mess to clean up!

Last, a poem found in the April/May 2010 issue of The Bark Magazine.

IN THE GARDEN

My dog

has disappeared into the hydrangeas,
her tail, a taut corkscrew,
nearly as imaginative as a hydrangea
and tipped with a white bud.

"Dog," I say, "get out of the garden."
The hydrangeas shake.

Later she trots our to me,
Pokes my novel with her nose.

What is it you wanted? she huffs,
I am busy discovering new lands
and eating bugs.

- Amy C. Elliott

Is She in Pain?

Sometimes it would be so much easier if our pets could talk back.  Wouldn't it though?  The hardest question to get a clear answer on is whether "Lucky" is in pain.  There are some ways to get an idea, even if I can't get a clear answer when I ask "where does it hurt girl?"

Fortunately our pets are giving us signals through behavioral cues all the time. A little yip might mean it's time for a walk, or an extra rub against the leg from my favorite feline could signal that it's dinnertime. By paying attention to changes in behavior, or when your pet no longer does the normal ones, we can learn a lot about what might be wrong with "Lucky".

The American Animal Hospital Association or AAHA has some great handouts for assessing pain in a dog or cat.  Each of these fliers describes possible changes in posture, aggressiveness, activity level, facial expressions and other aspects of behavior that might indicate the presence of pain.  Your pet might suddenly exhibit abnormal chewing habits, drastic weight gain or loss, start avoiding affection or handling, choose decreased movement and exercise, or even start having "accidents" in the house.  These signs are described in more detail in the article entitled Clues to Detecting Fluffy and Fido's Painful Secrets also available on the AAHA website.

If you decide that the signals are loud and clear and you take your animal to the vet it is equally important that the DVMs and Technicians are assessing the pain level of the animals they are caring for.

In our Critical Care Unit here at VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital we have fliers that provide pictures of animal postures and descriptions of behavior as reminders of the levels of pain an animal might be experiencing.  Each of the animals are assessed on their pain level and are given a score of 0-4.  From that assessment the Veterinarian can make modifications in the animal's treatment plan to increase or decrease pain medication to keep the animal comfortable and aid in healing. 

It is important to remember two things when it comes to pain in your animal:

First, you know your animal the best.  The descriptions provided are guidelines to help you, but if your pet seems different and you're not sure what is going on, a trip to your family veterinarian might be necessary.

Second, do NOT give any over the counter human pain medications to your pet.  NSAIDS - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a class of medications that include, but are not limited to, aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and COX -2 inhibitors (Celebrex). All of these drugs can be toxic to dogs and cats and should never be administered at home.  Veterinarians can prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain relieving medications that are safe for "Lucky".

The moral of the story....if things change, monitor for pain.