Yes, fertilizing your lawn is generally safe with dogs, provided you take the right precautions. Keep pets off the lawn while applying fertilizer and wait 24 to 72 hours (or until the granules dissolve and liquid sprays dry completely) before letting them back out.
When a Fertilized Lawn Is Safe for Dogs & Pets. Like children, dogs and other pets also enjoy playing and running through the grass. But after fertilizing, it's also best practice to limit their use of the lawn for 24-72 hours.
Safe Lawn Care Alternatives for Dog Owners
Organic fertilizers reduce chemical exposure risks significantly. Natural bone meal requires careful application amounts. Compost-based fertilizers support soil health safely. Poultry manure provides nutrients without synthetic chemicals.
Fertilizer isn't extremely dangerous for your dog when properly used, although exposure may cause a mild tummy ache. To be safe, most fertilizer manufacturers recommend that dogs be kept off the lawn for 72 hours. Never let your dog run on the lawn until the fertilizer has been watered into the soil.
If your dog eats some grass that had fertilizer applied to it, it rarely leads to serious poisoning; that said, more serious signs can be seen when the product is directly ingested (i.e., right out of the bag). If ingested directly from the bag, the results can include tremors and seizures.
It is common practice to wait at least 24-72 hours before letting your dog go back on the lawn. After this period, the fertilizer is absorbed entirely into the soil. Before letting your dog free again, it is also good to water the lawn.
Pretty much all fertiliser by itself is non toxic so safe. For all intents and purposes, they are mineral salts and at worst will sting if in contact with a cut. Due to their pelleted nature they also have a limited surface area for contact and settle deep into the turf pretty much out of reach.
Customers Ultimately Purchased
Many fertilizers contain bone meal, blood meal, or fish products. These scents attract dogs and can make them want to taste or eat the granules, even though they are unsafe.
Large Ingestions When recent large ingestions of fertilizer (> 0.5 g/ kg) occur, emesis is recommended in asymptomatic animals. At Home. Owners can induce vomiting at home with hydrogen peroxide (2.2 mL/kg body weight PO). If a significant amount of fertilizer is recovered, further treatment may not be required.
Canine Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is often called a “silent killer” because dogs with splenic forms of this disease usually do not show clinical signs until it is too late.
A good rule of thumb here is to allow 24 hours after rainfall or irrigation has watered in the fertilizer before letting kids or pets play on the lawn.
Dog poop isn't fertilizer. In fact, it can carry harmful bacteria and parasites like E. coli, salmonella, and roundworms that stay in your soil long after it's scooped. Unlike cow manure, dog waste is high in protein and acidity — meaning it damages your lawn, not helps it grow.
Dogs can go from perfectly healthy to dangerously ill within minutes after encountering a toxic substance. Recognizing the signs of poisoning in dogs quickly can mean the difference between a treatable emergency and a tragedy.
Fertilizers can have chemicals and other ingredients that are not safe for your dog to ingest. These can cause stomach upset, drooling, vomiting, and even more serious health issues depending on the amount eaten and the type of fertilizer.
Here are a few common fertilizers that are toxic to our pets:
Early Signs of Poisoning in Dogs and Cats
Symptoms of plant fertilizer poisoning include:
If you suspect that your pet has come in contact with fertilizer, bring them to the veterinarian to determine the level of toxicosis. In the case of a basic fertilizer exposure, the symptoms might be mostly gastrointestinal and may resolve within a day or two.
ASPCA Poison Control receives significant calls about pets eating lawn and garden products. Many fertilizers contain bone meal, fish meal or blood meal. Some even contain corn or corn cobs as a filler. Pets, especially dogs, find the contents of fertilizers quite tasty.
It is best to wait at least 24-72 hours before letting your pets outside. However, the answer depends on several factors, including the type of fertilization you use. Using Liquid Fertilizer: When you use liquid fertilizer on your lawn, you must wait for the fertilizer to dry before your pets can return.
Here are a few types of safe fertilizers for pets: Seaweed - Seaweed is rich in nitrogen. You can buy it ground up but it's more common as a spray-on liquid. Fish emulsion - While fish emulsion is a great fertilizer option, remember that this is a quick-release fertilizer and can burn plants if you use too much.
You can let your dog back on the lawn right after applying Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food, unless you choose to water immediately afterward. In that case, allow the lawn to dry before letting the dog out on it to help prevent the particles from being tracked back into the house.