wrote in message
oups.com...
"Any decent veterinarian will explain to you how Scotts 4-step
program,

especially "Step 2" is believed to be extremely bad for pets. "

You mean like this vet from the Univ of Illinois, College of
Veterinary
Medicince? Here's what he has to say:


"However, for pet owners who want to spruce up their yards and
prefer
to use lawn care
products, reading the label and using the products properly is the
key
to keeping pets safe.
According to Dr. Petra Volmer, veterinarian and toxicologist at the
University of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana, problems usually arise
only
when people apply
lawn care products incorrectly or when a pet is accidentally sprayed
or
allowed on a freshly
sprayed lawn too soon.

Most lawn care products fall into three categories: fertilizers,
insecticides, and herbicides. "If
you use these products correctly and read the label, most really do
not
cause a problem,"
says Dr. Volmer. "In general, most residential-use products have low
toxicity."


Or how about this from the good old ASPCA:

"4.What about pesticides and fertilizers that might be in the garage
or
tool shed?

Make sure your pets do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with
fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until the time listed on the
label by the manufacturer. If you are uncertain about the usage of
any
product, contact the manufacturer for clarification before using it.
Always store pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides in areas that
are
inaccessible to your pets.

The most serious problems resulting from fertilizer ingestion in
pets
is usually due to the presence of heavy metals such as iron.
Ingestion
of large amounts of fertilizer could cause severe gastric upset and
possibly gastrointestinal obstruction.

The most dangerous forms of pesticides include: snail bait
containing
metaldehyde, fly bait containing methomyl, systemic insecticides
containing disyston or disulfaton, zinc phosphide containing mole or
gopher bait and most forms of rat poisons. When using pesticides
place
the products in areas that are totally inaccessible to your
companion
animals. Always store pesticides in secured areas."


Seems neither the veterinarian from the Univ of Illinois vet school,
nor the ASPCA think typical lawn products are "extremely bad" for
your
pet. Now don't get me wrong. I try to limit how much
herbicide/pesticide I use for a number of reasons. And I make sure
to
follow the label directions and keep pets off it for a reasonable
amount of time after application to minimize exposure. I exceed
the
recommended minimum times to stay off. That makes sense.
Alarmists
who think anyone who applies any chemical to a lawn is a "thug", in
my
view, are just as whacko as people who use these products
needlessly.

I guess we just disagree. The vets from Tufts Veterinary near Boston
are some of the tops in the country, and I trust them, as well as my
own personal vet (ha ha, no jokes please! )
Personally, my dog likes to roll in and eat grass, and I would never
jeopardize his health. As a new homeowner, I don't feel it's ethical
or appropriate to load more neurotoxins and chemicals into our
environment. Researchers pretty much agree that as a society, one of
the primary reasons we are getting sicker with higher incidences and
prevalences of many disorders, diseases, and health problems is
because of all the toxic chemicals and pollutants in our environs. As
a person with a neurological disorder myself, I can tell a significant
difference in my health (medical, physical, and mental/cognitive) when
I am exposed to chemicals. I don't even use Lysol in the house! Sure,
my grass with it's organic treatment does not look nearly as nice as
my neighbors who use Scotts'/ChemLawn or other services, but I feel
good about it and what I am *not* putting into the air/water/ground,
etc. A dear old friend of mine was a Ph.D. chemist, and boy did he
have some horror stories about what is really in some common
household/garden products! Thanks, but no thanks! I am not completely
"green", but I try. PS- I never called anyone a thug, and don't
consider myself an 'alarmist'. And trust me you don't want a clinicial
definition of "Whacko!"

Jo