Peat moss in your garden might be bad for your dog
Peat moss is used by gardeners as compost to retain moisture in gardens and potted plants. Peat moss is partially decomposed sphagnum moss.
Description
Peat moss, used by gardeners, is commonly treated with pesticides and other chemicals during processing. Generally cleaned of all chemical residue, commercial peat moss may contain traces of harmful elements. In general, however, peat moss is listed as nontoxic.
Digestive Irritant
Dogs often eat odd things, and decayed, water-saturated peat moss may be appealing. Although peat moss is nontoxic, it can cause gastrointestinal irritation. The symptoms of peat moss ingestion are nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Contact your veterinarian for care advice.
Skin Irritant
If a dog rolls in peat moss it may cause skin irritation. Rinse your dog's coat and skin with clear fresh water.
Eye Irritant
Peat moss can cause eye irritation and infection. If your dog gets peat moss in the eyes, hold the dog's eyes open one at a time, reaching from behind, and rinse with clear water, saline or dog eye wash solution. Repeat until the eyes are well irrigated. If you have trouble cleaning your dog's eyes, seek veterinary assistance.
Inhalation
Peat moss is a breathing irritant. Limit your dog's exposure to fresh peat moss that might be in the air, especially during initial application.
Treatment
A dog that has had extended exposure to peat moss or that has ingested peat moss should be seen by a veterinarian. Some brands of peat moss may contain traces of harmful chemicals used in the process of killing microorganisms; peat moss may cause intestinal distress.
Related posts
Don't let dogs eat the flowers in the garden.Creeping myrtle (Vinca minor) may be better known by its alias, periwinkle. Creeping myrtle is a mounding groundcover plant that only grows a few inche...
Tri-colored dogs often possess multi-colored pigmentation.Skin discoloration in dogs can be as simple as differing natural pigmentation, and as complex as a symptom of disease, parasite infection,...
Symptoms of Lymphoma in DogsCanine lymphoma, or lymphosarcoma, is cancer of the lymph nodes that accounts for about 20 percent of malignancies in dogs. This disease is not gender specific, but som...
A dog may develop a secondary, bacterial, infection to a yeast infection.Dogs can develop internal or skin infections from contact with yeast or bacteria. While yeast infections are not contagious...
Many conditions can cause your dog to sleep too much.A good dog owner will usually take notice and start to worry when her dog begins to display any abnormal behavior. However, not all strange can...
