Garden tips for the green paw
If you like spending time in the garden, there’s a chance your pet pal might also consider themselves a green paw. Here are tips on garden maintenance to help you spruce up the green life and keep your fur friend safe and happy.
- Know your garden: Become familiar with the different varieties of plants and flowers growing in your garden. Many common garden plants, such as lilies, azaleas, and tulips, can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested. If in doubt, pull it out or create boundaries for your pet.
- Garden boundaries: Flowering plants, bushes and trees are beautiful when in bloom. If you’d rather your pet stay away from these flowering beauties, create fencing or other barriers to ensure your pet stays away.
- Fertilisers: Our plants need good food to grow and thrive, and fertilisers are commonly used to help this process. Consider using pet-friendly organic fertilisers and pesticides that don’t pose a risk to our pet pals when they’re wandering through the foliage.
- Train and praise: Just as you might use the backyard to teach your dog to ‘sit’, take the opportunity to teach them boundaries. Train them to stay aware of certain areas in the yard, praise them and reinforce good behaviour with treats.
- Tidy up: Make sure you tidy up shovels, garden forks, sprays and other garden maintenance items to ensure your pet doesn’t come in contact with sharp edges or toxic liquids.
If you are concerned your pet may have ingested something harmful while in the garden, seek advice from your vet immediately.
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