When you have a beautiful lawn you’re looking to maintain, you want to give it the royal treatment. This will be especially true if you’re trying to keep your grass beautiful against the activity and bathroom breaks of your pup.
So, when considering options for lawn care chemical treatments, you may ask yourself, “Will TruGreen hurt my dog?” Yes, TruGreen will hurt your dog. Although the company states that your pet will be fine after the product dries for an hour or two, there are many things to evidence the contrary.
Will TruGreen hurt my dog?
Since TruGreen doesn’t fully disclose the ingredients of their lawn care chemicals, their products can hurt your dog. Their statement about dogs being fine after an hour or two assumes all dogs are the same. Any owner knows this simply isn’t true.
Some dogs are more prone to cancer, while other dogs are sensitive or have allergies, even to cigarette or incense smoke. While some dogs could be fine, there’s no way to know beforehand.
How does TruGreen hurt dogs?
According to a 2005 study by Toxics Action Center, 53% of TruGreen’s pesticide products contain potential carcinogens, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Also, 41% contain banned or restricted ingredients from other countries.
All 32 of their pesticides have constituents posing a threat to the environment like non-targeted insects, water supplies, and aquatic organisms. We don’t know everything contained within their pesticides since there isn’t much regulation on inert ingredients.
However, according to Community Action Networks, based on the 2005 study, was able to glean that TruGreen’s products contain:
- 2, 4 D: a corrosive weed killer that can cause irreversible eye damage
- Atrazine: an herbicide and pesticide that can cause eye damage, organ failure and is toxic to aquatic life. A study from the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirms that Atrazine causes feminization and chemical castration among frogs.
- Bifenthrin: an insecticide that can cause skin irritation, lung infections, respiratory issues, gastrointestinal inflammation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea. Prolonged exposure can damage the central nervous system.
- Carbaryl: an insecticide that can be toxic if inhaled, swallowed, or comes into contact with skin. This includes eye, skin, and organ irritations, along with it being carcinogenic.
- Carfentrazone-ethyl: a carcinogenic herbicide that can cause respiratory damage, permanent eye damage, gastrointestinal issues along with pneumonia, and vomiting.
- Clopyralid: an herbicide that’s harmful if inhaled or comes into contact with the skin; it can cause serious eye damage.
- Cyfluthrin: an insecticide known to be particularly harmful to dogs; it can be fatal if swallowed and acutely toxic to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
- Diazinon: an insecticide that can be harmful when swallowed, toxic when inhaled, and may cause cancer.
- Dicamba: an herbicide that causes eye irritation and is toxic when swallowed or absorbed through the skin.
- Dithiopyr: an herbicide causing serious eye contamination.
- Ethylbenzene: a hazardous pesticide that’s harmful when inhaled and causes skin and serious eye irritation. It’s also potentially carcinogenic, causing respiratory irritation, organ damage, and can be fatal when swallowed.
- Fenoxzprop-p-ethyl: a chemical used in pesticides that can cause allergic skin reactions and is incredibly toxic to aquatic life.
- Glyphosate: an herbicide and pesticide known to cause cancer and food allergies along with skin and eye irritation.
- Imidacloprid: a pesticide and insecticide that can be toxic when swallowed or inhaled. It is a potential carcinogen and can damage organs, especially with prolonged use.
- MCPP: an herbicide that’s corrosive to the eyes and very harmful when swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
- Myclobutanil: a fungicide that causes eye irritation and is harmful when swallowed or absorbed through the skin; toxic to aquatic life.
- Naphthalene: a pesticide chemical that can cause eye irritation and skin sensitization.
- Pendimethalin: a weed-killing chemical that is very toxic if inhaled and causes allergic skin reactions, and may be fatal when swallowed or enters airways.
- MCPA: an herbicide that has a serious risk of damage to the eyes, respiratory system, and skin exposure; it’s toxic to aquatic life and harmful if swallowed.
- Prodiamine: a granular herbicide that can be harmful when inhaled or when in contact with the skin; very toxic to aquatic life.
- Quinclorac: an herbicide that’s harmful when inhaled along with causing eye and skin irritation.
- Trichlorfon: a chemical used on lawns that can be harmful when swallowed and irritating to the skin and eyes. It’s very toxic to birds and aquatic life. It can also cause headaches, weakness, excessive sweating, vomiting, and salivation.
- Triclopyr: an herbicide that can cause serious eye damage, skin irritation and can contaminate groundwater.
- Trifloxystrobin: a fungicide that can cause allergic skin reactions and is very toxic to aquatic life.
What will happen to my dog if they come into contact with TruGreen’s products?
The most common thing that people report occurring with their dogs is lymphoma. Once this type of cancer takes hold, it’s only a matter of time before they die. Other reports indicate they suffer from severe eye and organ failure along with severe respiratory diseases.
To learn more about the chemicals and how they can harm people and pets, search for the Material Safety Data Sheets. These provide detailed information about the risks. Although most things indicate contraindications for aquatic life, birds, and humans, it also means they can affect your dog.
Conclusion
So, unfortunately, TruGreen lawn treatment chemicals can very much hurt your dog. There are a host of other natural, and organic things you can use that are just as, if not more, effective. Although TruGreen seems to have more recent options that seem healthier, they simply aren’t forthcoming about their ingredients.
If you must hire a lawn treatment service, be sure to inquire about the ingredients of their products. Look up the Material Safety Data Sheets on each chemical you don’t understand or know about. If the company refuses to give that information, look elsewhere until you do find an honest company that doesn’t hold back about what they use.
