Garden Design with Your Pets In Mind

Today is the official first day of spring and I'm itching to get into my garden.  Of course, your dog or cat usually follows you into the garden and there is always that one favorite spot where they like to dig or curl up for a nap, usually right on top of your favorite flower.  So how can we garden, with our pets in mind, to make it enjoyable for them and us?

I found lots of websites with ideas for designing your garden or landscaping with your pets in mind. The Gardening Know How website has a great post on Creating a Dog Friendly Garden and Sunset Magazine included an article titled How to Landscape a Dog-Friendly Garden.  Both are great articles and include some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  Maybe your dog will even help with the digging. (just kidding)

In an emergency practice, of course, we see cases where animals have gotten themselves in trouble in the great outdoors, including the backyard garden.  So whether you are planning your spring planting, or your next major landscaping project, here are some additional things to keep in mind to keep your pets safe.

Thorns
First, consider the roses.  I love roses, but as I was pruning some this weekend I was reminded of my love/hate relationship with all those thorns.  If you plan to have roses, or other bushes with thorns, consider putting them behind a fence or up against the house where there is less likelihood of "Lucky" getting some nasty scrapes on the snout or in the eye.  The thorns can scratch the cornea causing permanent injury, infection and potentially loss of sight; thorns can also get embedded in the skin and form an abscess.

Mulch
In dry Colorado many plants do better with mulch to retain some moisture. Be aware that "Cocoa Mulch", which consists mainly of cocoa bean shells, is potentially dangerous to your pets.  The cocoa bean shells contain theobromine, a substance similar to caffeine that is not easily metabolized by animals.  Theobromine can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures,  ataxia (unsteady on their feet), and in serious cases, even death.

Lawn Edging
The metal demarcation between lawn and garden is supposed to keep the grass where it belongs.  Unfortunately,  it is a dangerous knife in the grass waiting for a soft paw to step just right and cause a serious injury.  Choose a plastic edging material, treated wood, or other natural material for your yard to eliminate this danger.  In a study done by Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the 60 dogs injured by lawn edging in the study, 85 percent of them needed surgery, and 18 percent required extensive surgical repair of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle, tendon, or fascia.  We see multiple lawn edging injuries every year.

Wood Chips or Rock
Creating a rock walkway or zero scape area is pretty common and usually a great option in landscaping design.  But, if you have a dog that likes to eat wood chips or rocks it could become a daily hassle.  Some dogs, more so the large breed dogs like labs or golden retrievers, have a fetish for eating rocks or wood chips.  If it's just one or two rocks or a couple wood chips, no problem, it all comes out the other end.  But, if for some reason the dog gets stressed out or is overly bored and decides to eat lots of rocks or wood chips, you could be looking at a foreign body obstruction that requires surgery.  So consider your pet's habits when you choose a landscaping material or you may be saying "no, don't eat the rocks" many more times than you'd like.

Poisonous Plants
It's always good to review the lists of poisonous plants.  Unless they smell especially tasty it is unusual for the common plants found in most landscapes to be consumed by pets, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.  The fact that we had Peony's for years and our cats and dogs never touched them would be little consolation if yours decided to take a sample.

In the end, there is more likelihood of lots of enjoyable hours with your pet in the garden and your troubles could be as small as an occasional hole, stolen vegetables, or a squashed flower.  Just keep these few tips in mind and we wish you lots of happy gardening.

After the Vet Visit: The At Home Care Instructions

Imagine with me...it's 2 am and you  just got home from an emergency visit to the veterinary hospital.  "Lucky", your 2 year old black lab, was running in the yard and cut a tendon in his leg on the lawn edging.  You make it back home with his fresh bandage, e-collar, and a bag with pills in it and all you want to do is fall into bed.  When you wake in the morning your late night saga comes rushing back and you vaguely remember that "Lucky" needs a dose of medicine.  But you can't quite remember what to do.

Does that sound familiar?  Perhaps a different scenario, but the part about being confused about medicine or bandage changes, follow-up visits or food restrictions might resonate with you.  It can be confusing, and maybe even overwhelming, to get a sick or injured pet back home and be responsible for his/her care.  The important thing is to make sure before leaving the hospital that the instructions are written down and you ask questions.  Then never hesitate to call your Veterinarian's office if you don't understand the instructions.

Here are some typical home care instructions and why it is important to follow them:

1.  Medication instructions:  Most medications have a very specific amount and administration frequency to ensure the best outcomes for your pet.  It is important that you follow those instructions.  For instance, check if it needs to be refrigerated, whether the medicine should be given with food or on an empty stomach.  Read all instructions on the bottle and/or in the written instructions from your veterinarian.  If you are unsure, please call for clarification.  Also, if it appears your pets condition is not improving or you think the medicine isn't working consult with your veterinarian before increasing the amount or frequency of dose.  Increased doses could be harmful to your pet.

2.  Restrict Activity:  This is a tough one, but can be vitally important.  Fractured bones, deep or large cuts, stitches, neurological problems, etc are all conditions that may require one or more days of confinement for your pet so that healing can take place.  If your pet gets too active too quickly there is a greater possibility of added injury or longer healing time.  A crate, small room with a door, or quiet companion can all help to keep your pet from getting too rowdy.

3.  Bandage Instructions:  If your pet is sent home with a bandage the instructions will most likely include something like:

- Keep the bandage clean and dry.

- Check the toes twice a day for swelling. 

- Check the bandage for slippage, loosening, pain, limping, bleeding, heat, foul odor, etc.

- Check for rubbing or pressure sores at the top or bottom of the bandage/cast.

- Keep your pet from chewing at the bandage.

- The bandage should be checked by a Veterinarian in 3-5 days to reassess the wound and decide if the bandage needs to be replaced.

All these instructions are important to decrease the risk of infection and to increase the chances for healing.  If you are unsure call your vet and say "I don't know if this is a big deal or not, but".... and describe what is happening with the bandage and the area where the bandage is applied.  It's always better to ask.

4.  Elizabethan Collar or E-Collar:  We like to call them their "party hat"!  Not many pets like their party hat, but it is important to keep it on.  Pets have a propensity for chewing on bandages or ripping out sutures if left with access to the wound.  They may also try to lick a painful area excessively which can aggravate and cause additional problems.  So the longer they can wear the party hat the better.

5.  Diet Restrictions or Changes:  Often, if an animal comes in for vomiting and diarrhea the veterinarian will recommend restricting access to food or water for a short period.  This can help the pet feel better and can also be an indication of underlying causes should the conditions continue.  Other types of diet changes may include feeding a bland diet of rice or boiled chicken or perhaps adding some sort of fiber to the diet.  These instructions are important and should be followed as close as possible.  

6.  Re-check:  If you take your pet to an animal ER it is always good to call your family veterinarian to let them know about the visit and make sure they got a copy of the medical record.  You might also need to follow-up with bandage changes, staple or suture removals, or additional diagnostics.  Your family veterinarian can help with the follow-up care.  Re-checks and bandage changes are important to ensure a safe and full recovery or to find out sooner than later that maybe additional or different medications are needed or that the wound needs additional care.  Be sure to get back to a veterinarian if a re-check is recommended.