Getting Your Yard Pet Safe This Summer

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APP Expert / Wednesday June 21, 2023

Introduction

A little sunshine is good for everyone, your pets included. Before you let Rex loose or give Fluffy the run of the yard, though, you should make sure you’ve given them a pet safe yard to play in. Keep reading for nine easy-to-follow tips to make sure your furry friends have a safe summer outdoors!

9 Tips To Keep Your Yard Pet Safe This Summer

1.  Keep up with standard summertime pet maintenance!

Even in a well-manicured yard, your pet may pick up something while playing outside. Take these steps to prepare your pet for the great outdoors:

• Make sure they’re treated for fleas and ticks! Your vet can get you topical medicine and pills that will protect them for months at a time.
  
• Your pet’s vaccines and periodic treatments should be up to date. This can protect them from parasites or other illnesses they could pick up while outside.
  
• Keep your furry friend clean with regular baths and brushing sessions. It’s extra protection against fleas and ticks, and can help you to spot any injuries your pet might’ve gotten right away.

2. Manage the areas your pet can and can’t access

Whether you’re trying to keep your pet on or out of your property, there are some simple steps you can take to manage access in your yard:

• First and foremost, a sturdy fence does wonders for keeping pets in or out of spaces. Make sure it’s tall enough that your dog can’t clear it in a single bound, and check it regularly for signs of damage. If you aren’t able to repair a fence, heavy features like decorations and furniture can be used to block weak points.
  
• Even smaller fences can potentially stop pets from entering spaces where they don’t belong, like gardens. Use shorter garden fences, stones, or wood to construct these barriers.
  
• Check your gates regularly and consider installing locks on them.
  
• Training isn’t foolproof, but it can go a long way toward keeping your dog out of the places you don’t want it to be.
  
• If you have a pet that likes to dart for the door, make sure to communicate this with any visitors, whether friends, maintenance, or contractors, before they arrive. Give clear instructions for opening and shutting gates and doors.
  
• For feline friends, consider a catio. A “catio” is a small outdoor space enclosed by a screen. Catios let your kitties enjoy the outdoors without all the added risks of having a cat outside. Once built, make sure to check your catio regularly – damaged or loose screens should be repaired, and you should be able to manage when your cat can go out, but not block them from coming back in.

3. Pets should have easy access to shade and clean water

Make sure there are spots in your yard where your pets can go to get out of the heat. The shade of an awning, covered porch, or tree is a great spot for your furry friend to relax.

Access to clean water is important, too. Don’t rely on a pond or pool as your pet’s only water source while they’re playing in your yard! Set up a bowl and be sure to clean, rinse, and refill it regularly.

4. Get your garden pet-safe

Did you know that many flower and vegetable garden staples are actually toxic to cats and dogs? Amaryllises, daffodils, tomato plants, and certain lilies, for example, are all harmful to cats, dogs, and horses – and that’s just the start of the list.

Keeping your pets away from potentially harmful plants is incredibly important to keeping them safe and healthy while they lounge and play outside. Here are a few things you can do to make your garden a friendlier place for your pets:

• Make note of all the plants currently growing in your gardens, and cross-check their toxicity on a list like the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control resource.
  
• Highly toxic plants should be removed or relocated to areas where the animal definitely can’t access them.
  
• If you don’t mind your pet nibbling away at things, you can plant safe items that they’ll enjoy, like green beans or catnip.
  
• Fencing, chicken wire, and mesh or netting can be used to block your pets from gardens holding plants that shouldn’t be on their menu. This can additionally help with keeping pests out.
  
• If you want to keep animals out, there are a few plants that will naturally repel them without being harmful. Rosemary and marigolds, for example, have scents that cats find unpleasant.
  
• Use hanging pots to keep your pets out of plants that aren’t good for them.
  
• Keep an eye on what’s growing outside of your garden, as well! Some weeds and fungi can be harmful to animals. Be sure to keep your yard clear of those, as well.
  
• If you think your pet may have ingested a poisonous plant, call your veterinarian or the local emergency vet immediately for assistance.

5. Keep your gardening tools well out of reach of your pets.

Do you have a staging area where you keep things like tools, fertilizers, and seeds? Keep these areas tidy, and make sure your pets can’t access them. In particular, you’ll want to watch for:

• Most flower bulbs, like what daffodils spring from, are highly toxic to cats, dogs, and people if consumed. Keep bulbs and seeds well out of your pets’ reach.
  
• Dogs are often drawn to fertilizers because of their organic nature, and many contain additional chemicals that may be toxic to animals. Be sure to read labels and keep these products well out of reach of your pets.
  
• If you have a compost bin or heap, make sure your dog can’t get into it. For the most part, your biggest worry here is the mess they might make, but if you’ve got onions, tomatoes, or other potentially harmful food scraps composting in the bin, that makes the contents dangerous for your pet to consume.

6. Make the switch to organic gardening

The fewer chemical pesticides and fertilizers you’re using, the better for everyone, pets included! Here are some steps you can take to cut back on the amount of potentially harmful or irritating chemical additives you’re using in your yard:

• Start composting! Compost can replace some or all of the chemical fertilizers you’d ordinarily use in your garden. It’s environmentally friendly, pet safe (once the scraps inside are done composting), and a great way to cut down on the amount of trash your household produces.
  
• Try out companion planting. Companion planting is the practice of planting certain plants close to each other to reap benefits like pest control and overall productivity.
  
• Incorporate native plants in your garden. Native species grow naturally in a given area, meaning they shouldn’t need additional chemical boosts like fertilizer to flourish.
  
• Barrier netting can keep both ordinary animals and, if it’s fine enough, smaller pests at bay.
  
• Know which bugs are helpful, and let them be. Ladybugs and spiders are great garden pals that will take care of pests for you. Certain plants will attract these helpful insects and arachnids, so consider planting those nearby!

7. If you must use chemical herbicides or pesticides, read the label

Contact with herbicides and pesticides is harmful to pets and people. If you must use them, be sure to read the label before you let anyone outside to play. Most of these chemicals will have guidelines for how long you need to wait before it’s safe to let pets and kids back out into the treated area. Pesticide exposure can cause serious harm to your fuzzy friends, so follow those instructions closely.

8. If you have a pool, there’s even more to keep in mind!

If you have a pet and a pool, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep fresh water nearby for them to drink, and train them to prioritize that over pool or pond water.
  
• Do not let your pets in your pool unsupervised. When you aren’t around, make sure your pet does not have access to the pool. Even a well-trained animal can potentially panic in the water.
  
• Make sure that your pool has a ramp or steps your furball can use to get out. A ladder alone won’t cut it. Your pet should be able to easily leave the pool without human assistance.
  
• Never force a pet into the pool if they don’t want to be there.
  
• Any time your pet winds up in the pool, they’re going to be swallowing a bit of that water. A little bit won’t hurt, but don’t let them drink too much as it can cause health issues. Monitor how much time your pup spends in the pool, and make sure they’re taking frequent breaks.
  
• When applied in the correct amounts, chlorine and other chemicals in your pool should be diluted enough to be safe. However, the day you apply these chemicals, keep your pets away from the water.
  
• Be sure to store pool chemicals like chlorine tablets in a place your pets can’t get to.
  
• Rinse your pet off after a dip in chlorinated water. Be sure to also dry their ears with a clean towel.

9. Watch the Air Quality Index for your area

You’ve probably seen the photos, an orange haze settled over New York City so thick you can’t even see the full skyline. With wildfires blowing smoke across the US in addition to ordinary pollution, it’s important to be aware of your local air quality – both for you and your pets.

You can get up-to-date local measurements for your area at official sites like AirNow.gov and limit the amount of time you and your pets stay outside if the AQI is over 100.

Wrapping Up

By following the tips we’ve laid out here today, you should be able to let your pets romp and play worry-free. Looking for more summertime home tips? Head on over to our blog for tons of guides to everything from lawn equipment repair to kitchen clean-up.