Pets love to explore the world, and letting them do so in the relative safety of your backyard is a great way to keep them happy and provide enrichment to their daily lives – as long as your yard is pet-proofed and safe.
How to Create a Pet-Safe Yard (6 Tips)
1. Choose Pet-Friendly Plants
Curious pets like to explore the world with their noses and mouths, which puts them at risk of ingesting toxic plants. To keep your yard safe, check this list of plants from the ASPCA. Plus, be sure you clear the space of toxic plants and choose only non-toxic greenery for your garden.
2. Make Sure Your Fence Is Secure
Be sure your pet can’t open the latch on your gate and check the fence line regularly for holes or loose places where pets could escape.
3. Be Careful With Chemicals
Insecticides and fertilizers are useful tools in the garden, but they are usually considered toxic to pets. Be sure to follow the instructions properly and don’t let your pet out into the yard until the proper amount of time has passed.
Never leave poisons, like rodenticides, in places where your pets frequent.
4. Be Smart About Composting
Many of the food scraps that you might compost are toxic for pets. So, it’s essential that you keep your compost in a place where your pets won’t be able to get into it.
5. Choose a Safe Mulch
Certain types of mulch, such as cocoa mulch, are dangerous for pets. Just like chocolate is toxic for pets, cocoa mulch is a byproduct of cocoa plants and is dangerous for pets too. Plus, the sweet smell of this mulch will attract them.
6. Don’t Keep a Parasite Haven
Parasites like fleas and ticks live in brush and debris. Heartworm-larvae-carrying mosquitoes thrive in standing water. Keep your yard neat and puddle-free to minimize parasite exposure.
Outdoor Safety for Pets With Eastwaye Veterinary Clinic
Two big risks for pets when they’re outside are parasites and getting lost. At Eastwaye Veterinary Clinic, we recommend comprehensive parasite protection for all pets including protection against fleas, ticks, and heartworms. Additionally, we recommend that our clients have their pets microchipped. This form of permanent identification greatly increases the chances of being reunited with a lost pet in the event they go missing.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, we welcome you to contact our veterinary clinic in Goldsboro today.
