Pesticides Safe for Pets

A pesticide is safe for pets when use follows the label directions. Pets are exposed when they breathe in the product, absorb it through the skin or swallow it. They are safe after spraying once the label time ends, and granular lawn products need 24 hours or longer. Glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba and MCPP herbicides are risky for dogs. Permethrin, phenothrin, tefluthrin, bifenthrin and deltamethrin are unsafe for cats. Outdoor rodent and slug baits are not safe for pets. Signs of poisoning include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and seizures, so see a veterinarian right away with the product label. Integrated pest management is the safer alternative.

What Makes a Pesticide Safe for Pets?

What makes a pesticide safe for pets is use that follows the pesticide label directions. Pet pesticide risk depends on how much pesticide a pet meets. Toxicity of the pesticide to that specific type of animal matters too. Pesticides used around the home or on pets according to the label directions should pose little risk. Careful use of a pesticide can still harm a sensitive, ill or injured animal.

Pet owners lower the chance of a problem by following label directions and selecting lower toxicity pesticides. Minimizing the pet’s exposure during and after application helps too. The pesticide label lists any precautions specific to humans or domestic animals in its Precautionary Statements section. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a signal word on most pesticide products.

Philippe Berny reported in 2010 that dogs were the most commonly poisoned species in five European countries. Most cases in companion animals resulted from exposure to insecticides. Rodenticides, especially anticoagulants and strychnine, were a significant risk.

Francesca Caloni reported in 2016 that pesticides were responsible for 37.3% of 815 suspected animal poisoning enquiries. Dogs were involved in 71.1% of calls and cats in 15.8%. Pesticides are the most frequent toxicants in poisoning enquiries, and dogs are the species most often involved. Cats are generally more sensitive to pesticides than dogs.

Carbaryl is a human-made pesticide that is toxic to insects. Fipronil at 2 mg/kg/d caused clinical signs of neurotoxicity in a chronic study in dogs.

Are Natural Pesticides Safe for Pets?

No. Natural pesticides are not safe for pets by default, because nicotine and rotenone are organic but toxic. Citrus extracts such as d-limonene are toxic to cats, and pennyroyal is toxic to dogs. Natural here means plant-derived products or microbial products, and the two groups behave differently.

D Villar reported in 1994 that melaleuca oil applied to dogs and cats caused depression, weakness, incoordination and muscle tremors. Supportive care led to recovery within 2-3 days. Melaleuca oil toxicosis in dogs and cats mostly followed use of the oil at inappropriately high doses.

Tea tree oil is known as melaleuca oil and has grown in popularity with the use of natural remedies. It appears in gels, body lotions, shampoos, conditioners, balms, toothpaste and insect repellants.

In 2012 Allison G Genovese reviewed poison control records of 39 cats and 9 dogs. Of those 44 animals, 92 percent showed one or more adverse effects after plant-derived flea products. The finding rests on a retrospective review of poison control records, so the evidence is limited.

Iron phosphate alone is generally recognized as safe, because it is not well absorbed by the body. Iron phosphate products are often sold as dog safe, yet reports of iron poisoning in dogs exist.

Microbial grub controls based on Bt galleriae have low toxicity to people and pets.

Are Pesticides Labeled Safe for Pets Always Safe?

No. Pesticides labeled safe for pets are not always safe, because careful pesticide use can still harm a sensitive animal. An ill or injured animal is at risk too. Pesticides can cause serious problems when they are not used as directed. Sometimes they cause problems even when used as directed.

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, registration needs proof that use will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects. The data EPA requires for spot-on products do not accurately predict the toxicity seen in incidents.

Allison G Genovese of the College of Veterinary Medicine studied plant-derived flea products. The products were used as per label in 77 percent of 48 animals. Dogs and cats still showed significant adverse effects even when used according to label directions.

Pesticide label rules protect young animals. Products designed for adult cats or dogs are not used on kittens or puppies unless the label allows it. Pets differ in their reaction to the same product, so a first use calls for monitoring for side effects.

Tea tree oil at 100% should never be used on an animal because of intoxication.

How Do Pets Get Exposed to Pesticides?

Pets get exposed to pesticides when they breathe in the product, absorb it through the skin or ingest it. Exposure occurs most commonly when pets are allowed on a treated lawn before the application has dried. Pets can absorb pesticide through their paws, lick it off their bodies or eat treated grass.

Children and pets meet pesticides when they touch or eat plants wet with spray. Shoes and clothes bring pesticides inside.

2,4-D exposure occurs when pets touch grass or other plants still wet from spray.

Dogs and cats can be at high risk for poisoning depending on their breed, age or health.

In a 2013 field study, Deborah W Knapp found lawn chemicals in dog urine. This held for 19 of 25 households after lawn treatment. Chemicals appeared in 14 of 25 households before treatment and in 4 of 8 untreated households. Pesticide residues were commonly detected on untreated lawns, suggesting drift from nearby treated areas.

How Long After Spraying Pesticides Is It Safe for Pets?

Pets are safe after spraying pesticides once the label time ends, and granular lawn products need 24 hours or longer. NPIC guidance gives that time while the granules dissolve and the area dries, and the label gives the specific instruction.

Treated areas stay off limits for the time on the label or until the spray dries, whichever is longer.

A treated area that gets wet again within one or two days needs to dry again before pets return.

The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) is a collaboration between Oregon State University and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. It provides objective, science-based information about pesticides, poisoning recognition, toxicology and environmental chemistry. The re-entry interval appears under Directions for Use in the Non-Agricultural Use Requirements. Without one, NPIC advises that sprays dry and granules are watered in and dry. Drying of liquids, incorporation of granules into soil or settling of dusts may take several hours.

P M Reynolds reported in 1994 on dogs and recent lawn treatment. Dogs on lawns treated within 7 days were over 50 times as likely to have 2,4-D at 50 micrograms/l. 2,4-D is an herbicide that kills plants.

Deborah W Knapp of Purdue University reported significantly longer herbicide residence times on dry brown grass than on green grass. Dicamba is similar to the herbicide 2,4-D. Residence times of 2,4-D, MCPP and dicamba were longer on dry brown grass. The length of time to restrict a dog’s access to treated lawns remains to be defined.

How Should Pets Be Protected During a Pesticide Application?

To keep pets protected during a pesticide application, start with removing them from the area before the application begins. Move pets and pet items out together, including toys, chew bones, food bowls and bedding. Keep pets inside or away until the product dries. Keep dogs on the sidewalk and away from treated yards on walks. Wipe a pet’s paws with a towel to reduce the toxic residue tracked into the home. Wash the towel on a hot cycle.

Indoor foggers move aerosol mist through all the air in the home. All animals leave and fish tanks are covered. Central heating or air conditioning can be turned off during indoor foggers because airborne pesticide can circulate.

Dog walking routes stay on the sidewalk and away from treated yards.

Lawn service signage states when the lawn will be safe for people and pets.

In 2013 Deborah W Knapp found chemicals in grass residues from treated and untreated lawns. Drift from nearby treated areas explains why untreated lawns carried residues, so protection extends beyond the treated yard.

Which Lawn and Yard Pesticides Are Risky for Dogs?

The lawn and yard pesticides risky for dogs are glyphosate herbicides, 2,4-D herbicides and dicamba and MCPP herbicides. Organophosphate insecticides such as chlorpyrifos and diazinon add skin absorption risk.

Herbicides target biological features unique to plants, so they are generally less toxic to mammals than insecticides or rodenticides. Common herbicides contain glyphosate, 2,4-D, MCPA, dicamba or triclopyr.

Glyphosate is the chemical in Roundup that kills grasses and broadleaf weeds. Pets exposed to high amounts of glyphosate show weight loss, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and salivation. Signs appear within 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Dicamba is a selective herbicide in the chlorophenoxy family of chemicals.

P M Reynolds of the Department of Environmental Health measured 2,4-D at 10.0 micrograms/l in 75 percent of 44 dogs. The dogs lived on treated lawns. The highest mean 2,4-D urine concentration was 21.3 mg/l in dogs sampled within 2 days after herbicide application.

A 2016 study by Francesca Caloni found herbicides in 14.2% of pesticide calls. Glyphosate was the main culprit in cases involving dogs and cats.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide. It affects the nervous system of people, pets and other animals the same way it affects the target pest. Organophosphates such as disulfoton, malathion, diazinon and chlorpyrifos are well absorbed through the skin. Ingestion is not needed for poisoning.

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide. Imidacloprid grub products have low toxicity as labeled, and people and pets stay off the turf until it has dried.

Do Lawn Pesticides Cause Cancer in Dogs?

It depends. A Purdue study of Scottish terriers linked herbicide-treated lawns to bladder cancer in dogs, but a cause-and-effect relationship is unproven. The case-control design compared 83 Scottish terriers with bladder cancer and 83 controls using an owner questionnaire.

In 2004 Lawrence T Glickman reported significantly increased cancer risk with lawns treated with herbicides and insecticides. Herbicides alone raised it too. Insecticides alone did not raise the risk significantly.

Scottish terriers are already about 20 times more likely to develop bladder cancer than other breeds. The level of risk corresponded directly with exposure to herbicides, so greater exposure meant higher risk.

The study conclusion states that a cause-and-effect relationship is unproven. The authors advise minimizing access to lawns treated with phenoxy herbicides. Further study is needed to assess herbicide exposure risks in humans and dogs.

Which Pesticides Are Unsafe for Cats?

The pesticides unsafe for cats are permethrin, phenothrin, tefluthrin, bifenthrin and deltamethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family that affects the cat nervous system.

Synthetic pyrethroids end in -thrin and include permethrin, phenothrin, tefluthrin, bioallethrin, bifenthrin and deltamethrin. None is safe on or around cats. Cats react to many chemicals differently than dogs and are generally more sensitive to pesticides.

Pyrethrins are pesticides found naturally in some chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethrins are found in over 2,000 registered pesticide products, and pyrethrins are not safe for cats.

Permethrin is safe to use on dogs but extremely poisonous for cats. It first causes over-sensitivity such as twitching and seizures, then paralysis. Signs usually appear within a few hours but can take up to 36 hours.

Permethrin is found in dog spot-on treatments, shampoos, sprays and flea collars and in household flea sprays and powders.

Dog-to-cat transfer of permethrin can result in a neurotoxic reaction. With a permethrin dog product in the household, a cat avoids the dog for 72 hours after application. The cat must not lick it. Products labeled for use on dogs only are never used on cats or other animals.

In 2008 P-J Linnett reported that permethrin toxicity in cats usually followed an owner applying a canine permethrin spot-on. Cats are at risk from grooming or contact with recently treated dogs.

In 2015 Rachel E Peacock reported on thirty-four cats with permethrin toxicosis. Cats given intravenous lipid emulsion (n = 20) had lower clinical stages earlier than saline control cats (n = 14).

Bromethalin-containing rodenticides are toxic to all animals, especially cats.

Are Rodent and Slug Baits Safe for Pets?

No. Outdoor baits for rodent and slug control are not safe for pets. Pets dig up buried baits and chew product containers. Outdoor gopher and rodent baits and many slug and snail baits can be highly toxic to pets. Pesticide baits are often prepared with food ingredients that can be attractive to pets.

In 2018 L Calzetta reported a study with 10.2 poisoning events per 1000 dogs per year in Italy. Anticoagulant rodenticides, organophosphate pesticides, metaldehyde and strychnine were the most frequent causes.

Francesca Caloni of the Department of Health found rodenticides in 27.6 percent of animal poisoning calls. Anticoagulant rodenticides were the primary cause. Molluscicides accounted for 11.5% of calls, with most cases involving dogs and metaldehyde. Of pesticide poisoning cases with a known outcome, 10.4% ended in death. Rodenticides and insecticides were among the ASPCA top 10 causes of pet poisonings in 2018 and 2019.

Anticoagulant rodenticides cause signs that are not always obvious and can take up to 5 days to appear. Many rodenticides stop the body’s ability to clot blood.

Brodifacoum is a highly lethal 4-hydroxycoumarin vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant poison. Dogs and cats are very susceptible to rodenticides such as brodifacoum, as these products are formulated to kill mammals. A pet that eats a poisoned rodent is poisoned secondarily. Pets can be poisoned by eating poisoned prey.

Zinc phosphide is most commonly available in gray pellets. The pellets are stored in containers designed for subterranean placement to control gophers and moles. Zinc phosphide signs can take more than 18 hours to appear.

Bromethalin is a neurotoxic rodenticide that damages the central nervous system.

Metaldehyde poisoning occurs when pets eat metaldehyde-containing slug or snail bait off the ground or from the storage container. Metaldehyde slug bait is highly toxic and attractive to dogs and cats, and signs usually appear within minutes to hours.

Iron phosphate slug baits appear to be less hazardous to dogs than metaldehyde-containing products.

In 2008, EPA issued a risk mitigation decision for 10 rodenticides, its final decision on their reregistration eligibility.

Are Flea and Tick Pesticides Safe for Pets?

It depends. Flea and tick pesticides such as spot-on treatments are generally safe for pets when used as directed. Over-application and pet-to-pet contact can cause excessive exposure.

The EPA review of spot-on products found they could be used safely with extra restrictions. Most incidents were minor, and skin, digestive and nervous systems were affected most. EPA recorded some deaths and major incidents. The United States Environmental Protection Agency assesses all pet pesticide treatments, including spot-on products.

Small breed dogs were affected more than larger breeds for some spot-on products. Pet weight matters in choosing the dose. A product meant for a larger breed is not divided into two doses for a smaller dog.

P-J Linnett wrote in the Australian veterinary journal about permethrin toxicity in cats. It usually occurred after the owner applied a canine permethrin spot-on. Permethrin is used in spot-on treatments for dogs. No carbaryl products are currently registered for use inside homes or on pets.

Fipronil is an active ingredient in ectoparasiticidal products, including a spray and a spot-on application for dogs and cats.

Flea and tick collars protect for 3 to 8 months, compared with 1 to 2 months for spot-on treatments. Residues remain in the pet’s fur. After a spot-on product, owners check the site for redness, swelling or hair loss.

Allison G Genovese, in a 2012 study, found significant adverse effects in dogs and cats from plant-derived flea preventatives. Use per label did not prevent them. Natural flea products are therefore not safer by default.

Are Counterfeit Pet Pesticide Products Dangerous?

Yes. Counterfeit pet pesticides are dangerous products, because they are designed to look like legitimately registered pesticide products. A counterfeit may contain a different pesticide, lack child-resistant packaging and carry no precautionary statements. Every EPA-registered pesticide product has an EPA registration number on its packaging. For individual consumers, there is no penalty for purchasing a counterfeit product.

Warning signs of counterfeit pet pesticides include a missing EPA registration number and directions not in English. A dog product found in a package meant for cats is not used. Some dog products are toxic to cats. P-J Linnett described cat poisoning from canine products in the Australian veterinary journal in 2008.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) lets the EPA regulate the sale and use of pesticides. In 2004 EPA issued stop sale, use and removal orders to retailers and distributors of counterfeit pet products. An owner contacts the local solid waste agency for disposal, and a household hazardous waste program may take the product.

What Are the Signs of Pesticide Poisoning in Pets?

The signs of pesticide poisoning in pets include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, uncoordinated walking and seizures. Pesticide-exposed pets show the signs below, and onset varies by pesticide group. Key signs include:

• Drooling or excess salivation: This is an early muscarinic sign of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. Dogs fed extremely large doses of pyrethrins have experienced drooling.
• Vomiting and diarrhea: These are digestive signs after many pesticide types. Phenoxy herbicide poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness and dizziness.
• Tremors and muscle twitching: These are nervous system signs, typical for pyrethroids in cats. Signs of permethrin poisoning in cats usually appear within a few hours but can take up to 36 hours.
• Uncoordinated walking: This is loss of balance and an unsteady gait. Phenoxy herbicide poisoning causes unsteady gait.
• Seizures: These are a severe nervous system sign that needs emergency care. In dogs and cats, central nervous system stimulation from organophosphates usually progresses to convulsions.

Organophosphate and carbamate poisoning shows signs usually within minutes to hours. Onset may be delayed for more than 2 days. Determination of AChE activity in blood and brain is an important diagnostic aid for organophosphate poisoning. Chlorpyrifos induced delayed neuropathy in the cat.

Zinc phosphide causes spontaneous vomiting, with or without blood, very rapidly.

Rachel E Peacock of Murdoch University described a clinical staging system for permethrin toxicosis in cats. It ran from Stage A with no abnormalities to Stage F with grand mal seizures.

In 2012 Allison G Genovese of the College of Veterinary Medicine reported common agitation and hypersalivation in cats. These followed plant-derived flea preventatives. Lethargy and vomiting were common in dogs.

What to Do If a Pet Is Poisoned by a Pesticide?

To help a pet poisoned by a pesticide, start with a veterinarian visit right away with the product label. Follow the label first aid directions, because a suspected poisoning calls for prompt action. Prompt action helps the pet survive. Keep the animal warm and quiet. Identify the chemical and likely exposure, and save vomit for analysis. Bathe the pet to remove surface residue when advised. Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or the Pet Poison Helpline. Report the incident to NPIC after medical care.

Life-threatening signs call for a veterinarian or animal poison control center at once. They include difficulty breathing, bleeding, tremors, seizures, convulsions and unconsciousness.

Pet Poison Helpline takes calls at 855-764-7661 and chats, and a consultation fee may apply. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is a resource for any animal poison emergency. It runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its number is 888-426-4435.

A hotline caller gives the species, breed, sex, age and weight of the animal and the name of the pesticide.

Rachel E Peacock of the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences tested intravenous lipid emulsion in cats. Cats with permethrin toxicosis given it improved to lower clinical stages earlier than control cats.

A study by Allison G Genovese came from the College of Veterinary Medicine. It found 50 percent of 28 animals with known outcome recovered with bathing alone. Others received intravenous fluids, muscle relaxants and anticonvulsive medications.

Metaldehyde ingestion calls for decontamination, bloodwork monitoring, intravenous fluid therapy, liver support and medications to control clinical signs.

Brodifacoum has a half-life of up to nine months in the body, so pets need prolonged antidotal vitamin K treatment.

Pralidoxime is often used with atropine, a muscarinic antagonist, to reduce the parasympathetic effects of organophosphate poisoning.

What Are Safer Alternatives to Pesticides Around Pets?

Integrated pest management is the safer alternative to pesticides around pets, because it layers several controls. The safer alternatives to pesticides around pets include:

• Integrated pest management: This is layered control that uses sanitation, exclusion, trapping and less toxic pesticides.
• Snap and sticky traps: These replace rodenticides and sprays and form part of trapping in integrated pest management.
• Cultural lawn care: This reduces lawn weeds through proper fertilizing and watering, aerating, a higher mower height, mixed turf grasses and hand pulling.
• Microbial grub control: This uses products such as milky spore powder, which controls only Japanese beetle grubs. Reducing irrigation in July and August makes turf less attractive for egg-laying.
• Flea combs and hot-water laundry: These remove fleas and eggs without chemicals. Frequent vacuuming and hot-water washing of bedding and fabrics remove flea food, larvae and eggs.

A 2012 study by Allison G Genovese from the College of Veterinary Medicine linked plant-derived flea products to adverse effects.

Healthy plants need fewer pesticides. Cultural practices that promote healthy plants reduce the need for pesticides in the lawn and garden. A count of 10 to 12 grubs or more in a square foot patch of turf means significant injury. Treatment is then needed.

Diatomaceous earth consists of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled microalgae. These remains have accumulated over millions of years.