Overview

Most standard garden fertilizers are mildly toxic to dogs and cats, causing gastrointestinal upset such as drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. However, the danger increases significantly if the fertilizer is a combination product that also contains insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or iron. Iron-heavy fertilizers (such as moss killers) can cause iron poisoning, which affects the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Bone meal and blood meal fertilizers are particularly attractive to dogs - a dog that eats a large amount of bone meal can develop a cement-like obstruction in the stomach. Cocoa mulch (made from cocoa bean shells) contains theobromine, the same toxin found in chocolate, and should be avoided if you have dogs.

Symptoms

Drooling, vomiting, diarrhea

Typical onset

1-6 hours

What to do

Monitor at home for mild ingestion. Seek care if fertilizer contains insecticides, herbicides, or iron. Bring the label.