Fence off that compost bin!

While I commend you for composting (it’s a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle!), make sure that you are fencing off your compost – for your dog’s sake and for the sake of the wildlife in your neighborhood! The same goes for your garbage can too… otherwise, you’ll be faced with cleaning up a tremendous mess, sometimes strewn across the entire house. More importantly, moldy garbage or decaying compost is very toxic to your pets.

Mycotoxins, the toxic component contaminating certain moldy foods or compost, can result in serious poisoning. Even very small quantities may cause illness. Mycotoxins can be found in moldy dairy foods, moldy walnuts or peanuts, grains- such as corn or wheat, hay, clover, cotton seed, moldy bread, moldy blue cheese, moldy spaghetti, compost, and other food substances. If your pet gets into this, you’ll typically see clinical signs within 2-3 hours of ingestion. Clinical signs include vomiting, tremoring, full grand-mal seizuring, an increased body temperature, increased salivation or drooling, a depressed respiratory rate, and an increased heart rate. If you notice any of these signs, bring your pet immediately to a veterinarian for treatment. More importantly, as soon as you realize your dog has raided the compost or garbage can and before signs develop, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline as soon as possible. There are preventative steps to be taken in order to limit toxicity, and it may be less expensive to treat while yielding a better prognosis (and speedier recovery)!