Pesticide Treated Lawns... What Would Happen?

[Guest greytmiles]

I walk Miles ~4x/day in suburbia. Lately I've noticed that some lawns are sporting little 'pesticide-treated' warning flags with pictures of children and dogs crossed out on them.

 

I was just wondering what the dangers/symptoms of this type of exposure would be for my greyhound.

I'm sure there are some lawns that are treated and DON'T post a warning flag, so I'd like to be prepared just in case.

 

Thanks!

Erin

[Jiffer]

We wipe down feet after a walk with either baby wipes or a wet cloth if we know that they might have walked on a treated lawn. Though, more often than not we just avoid them (if their flag is up).

I also make sure to deter them from eating any grass on a treated lawn, which is to say, they are okay to eat the grass in their own yard, but no one elses.

 

I'm not sure what can happen if they ingest it, but I certainly don't want to take the chance

[Guest Energy11]

Symptoms would be hard to say, without knowing the chemical(s) used.

 

Might be worth getting a phone number or information IF there are any on those flags.

 

Vomiting, drooling, neurological symptoms like stumbling, seizures, could be some symptoms.

 

 

Organophosphate poisoning has some signs such as excessive salivation, "wet" respiratory sounds, diarrhea, slow heart rates and miosis (pinpoint pupils) which help to distinguish it from other conditions. To aid in the diagnosis it is also possible to test cholinesterase (ChE) levels in the bloodstream. A reduction of 50% from "normal" levels is indicative of problems and levels of 25% or less are very very suspicious for organophophate poisoning.

 

I'd keep the dog totally off these treated areas, and just to be on the safe side, wash his feet when you return home.

 

Good Luck!

[Maddiesmom]

I don't know the symptoms however, I just started having my lawn treated by Scott's Lawn Service. That was one of the questions I asked them and they advised that they are registered with the EPA and that it is commerical grade that they use. They do advise both Maddie and I to to stay off the grass for 24 hours or at least til dry (I err on the 24 hours or more) and they give me an invoice telling me not to mow for that long as well, along with, the weather conditions the day they treated, the way the wind was blowing and the temperature that day. So Mads and I do leash walking for the day that they treat and the day after just to be safe. and they put the flag out too for my neighbors. I leave that out 2 days after they treat.

 

When I was fertilizing the lawn myself I still took the same precautions and I hosed myself off before coming into the house and then showered immediately.

 

Maddie is not a gradd eater in our neighborhood so I am not worried about that and I also try not to let her walk on other's lawns- especially when the flag is up. We do have sidewalks in our subdivision that I try and get her to walk.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Maddiesmom

[NeylasMom]

I'm curious what amount would have to be ingested in order to make a dog sick as well. Also, there's a difference b/w acute illness from ingesting stuff in enough volume at once, versus a chronic illness that the dog develops later in life due to repeated exposure, which would be much harder to identify if it happens. In addition to the OP's question, I'm curious if anyone has info about this, or if anyone's had it happen to their dog.

 

Neyla and Tom Tom are both really into the grass right now. Unfortunately I saw the sign that the grass was treated only after Neyla was snacking. It was a tiny amount so I'm not worried, but I do worry about the long term exposure b/c they inevitably have to go in the grass to potty when it's been treated since I'm in a condo community. I definitely need to remember to be better about wiping their feet when teh grass has been treated. I really wish our community would just not treat the grass, or use something organic, but of course the latter would cost more money.

[Guest Energy11]

I'm curious what amount would have to be ingested in order to make a dog sick as well. Also, there's a difference b/w acute illness from ingesting stuff in enough volume at once, versus a chronic illness that the dog develops later in life due to repeated exposure, which would be much harder to identify if it happens. In addition to the OP's question, I'm curious if anyone has info about this, or if anyone's had it happen to their dog.

 

Neyla and Tom Tom are both really into the grass right now. Unfortunately I saw the sign that the grass was treated only after Neyla was snacking. It was a tiny amount so I'm not worried, but I do worry about the long term exposure b/c they inevitably have to go in the grass to potty when it's been treated since I'm in a condo community. I definitely need to remember to be better about wiping their feet when teh grass has been treated. I really wish our community would just not treat the grass, or use something organic, but of course the latter would cost more money.

 

 

You could probably find out the long-term exposure problems, etc. if you knew which pesticides they use. Might be worth a call to the local city or town government.... Good Luck! All products and chemicals come with a sheet called MSDS (materials safety data sheet) which includes the chemicals used, warnings for humans and animals, antidotes, etc.

[Time4ANap]

Back when we checked into this we heard every conceiveable opinion ranging from there being no health issue to the extremists who blame lawn fertilizers for every problem known to man.

 

At the time that we adopted Rocket we were using Tru Green for our lawn service. In most of the reading that I found, I decided that I didn't like the overall long term risk that the chemicals used by that particular service posed. I did not keep the info, just canceled the service and moved on. Of course, the company says that their products pose no harm to pets if directions are followed. We have friends who use them and have had no problems with kids or pets on the lawn as long as they stay off when directed. I also recall finding some things saying that Greyhounds were extra sensitive to pesticides but do not have those articles to reference.

 

I do fertilize the yard a couple times a year. Normally I use something to prevent crab grass and weeds at the beginning of the season, then switch to an organic fertilizer the rest of the year to maintain color. Our yard is not a showplace but it's good enough. I do not put any treatments in the fenced-in potty area - Rocket gets to fertilize and weed-kill that area on his own.

 

If we come across an area where we find the fertilizer pellets on the sidewalk or see the flags, we just wipe the paws when we get back from the walk.

[Chicocat]

Years ago a friend of mine unknowingly walked her little poodle on a lawn that had been treated. He started throwing up and became lethargic the next day....sadly he died.

 

I stopped treating my lawn when I got greyhounds.

[Guest karma98104]

I don't know... I'm sure there are odd cases where dogs might be made ill by this, but I think if you exercise common sense it's not an issue. I walk 10+ dogs a day, not including my own, and never gave it a thought, and we've all lived, as do bazillions of other dogs who are walked outdoors daily. If I see the flag or even a well manicured lawn(ie, unnaturally green for the season) I don't let the dogs on that lawn- not just because of the chemicals, but because it seems like letting dogs walk and relieve themselves on it would be rude. Actually - I don't let dogs walk on people's private lawns at all if I can help it. I don't let dogs eat grass or drink from puddles while on walks, or roll in grass outside of their own yard. I do not wipe paws unless they are muddy or one of the boys peed on themselves (lex pees on his front paws often )

 

BUT- I would never in a million years treat my own yard. I'm not even willing to spray chemicals in the driveway, even if it is safe, just in case, but also because it's just so environmentally unfriendly. I have a lot of neighborhood cats and wildlife and some of my neighbors don't leash their dogs and they roam onto it, I'd hate to do anything to harm them.

 

This weekend I'm going to try white vinegar on the weeds on my driveway - my neighbor says it worked for her.

[rschultz]

I play dodgem and walk in the street till i pass those lawns. I too, wipe her paws down. I am no expert but we had a dachshund and they are low to the ground. She had parathyroid disease which I was told from exposure to pesticides. I walked her a lot too, and years ago i wouldnt have thought of wiping down the paws. I think the smaller dogs are probably more at risk. Just do the best u can by wiping the paws down, and avoiding those lawns for 24 hours.

we only fertilize our front lawn, not the fenced in backyard where lexie roams and digs and lays..and plays..lol

Edited April 5, 2010 by rschultz

[Guest Scouts_mom]

The placement person for my first grey, had his grey almost die because the dog ate some grass sprayed with Roundup. So I never let my dogs eat grass unless I know for sure that it hasn't been treated.

 

As a placement person myself, I once screened a lady's home where the backyard was an absolutely perfect lawn--not a hint of a weed. She had had several mop-type dogs and all had died of cancer. I told her I would not approve her for a grey unless she stopped the lawn pesticide/herbacide service or went organic. I never heard from her again. The lawn was more important to her than her dogs.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Scouts_mom

[ahicks51]

The placement person for my first grey, had his grey almost die because the dog ate some grass sprayed with Roundup.

 

You sure about this? They've done feeding trials with dogs at 500 mg/kg/day for a year with no observable effects; that works out to 15 grams- half an ounce of the undiluted stuff, every day. The amount required for acute toxicity is huge. How did they know it was glyphosate?

[kronckew]

...They've done feeding trials with dogs ...

 

the best reason NOT to use it. any company willing to deliberately try to poison dogs would be on my poo list.

[RobinM]

I didn't read through the posts, I only read your question. We have a landscaper that comes once a week. My front yard gets treated but my backyard does not. It looks like crap but it would anyway because of the urine burn spots, digging and track marks. I wouldn't take the chance. We walk in the street and only go up on the strip of grass by the curb where there are no flags or of people we know have dogs themselves.