Please watch out, there supposedly can be very toxic things in a heap in certain stages of the composting process. I’ll try to find out proper info and sources when it’s not hours after bed time but please watch out.
Do not worry too much. Ive seen my dogs eat deer ones which were severely decomposed already. And when it is not good for them or they ate too much they puke. It is natural to let the dog decide for it self though. But yes there could be toxic levels of some elements, if you have animal/human feecees for example. I’m curious on your findings @drk.
So, the words I definitely didn’t remember while in bed too late at night: Tremorgenic mycotoxins. Please note that I am in no way an expert in any of this, but as a fellow dog-owner I got very cautious when I read about someone actually losing a dog which ate from a compost pile. I found a source (link below) which highlights a few points, amongst this one that might be important:
"Mold growth, particularly Penicillium mold, and production of mycotoxins in food (walnuts, dairy products, pasta), animal feed, or food waste (compost) can result in tremorgenic toxin production. "
My compost pile definitely contains some of the above, but a pure garden waste based pile might not.
Another point worth highlighting as ‘vomiting’ is mentioned in this thread:
"After ingestion, the onset of clinical signs can occur in a few hours. Toxins ingested in lower concentrations appear to cause fine muscle tremors lasting for hours to days, whereas large tremorgenic toxin ingestions can cause seizures and death. Vomiting can be the first clinical sign and may help limit the severity of the intoxication. "
I suppose the size of the dog and the amount they ate from a pile all come into play here. Again, I am by no means an expert on any of this, just a (overly?) concerned dog owner. Please correct me if I’m wrong on any of this, and enlighten us all. If we promote composting in this community, and there is any danger to any member of your household whatsoever, I feel we should inform people and err on the side of caution.
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/mycotoxicoses/tremorgenic-neuromycotoxicosis-in-dogs
She sometimes puke after, so I figure I should let nature do it’s thing and educate her
Dogs are one of the easiest pests to deal with because they don’t climb or tunnel, and they are too big to fit through cracks and small holes.
OP you just have to protect your pile more. I suggest a hoop of metal cloth for something cheap and simple. Geobin is a similar idea and cheap.
I’m not saying a determined dog couldn’t break these down but they provide enough discouragement to make it unworthwhile for a well fed dog to mess with.
Healthy food for a healthy dog. Does the dog clean up afterwards?
A lot of human foods are not safe for dogs to eat. Onions and grapes come to mind and there’s plenty more. My food scraps are definitely not filtered by this criteria and it would eliminate some stuff.
