It was the longest 24 hours of my life...
I sat watching helplessly as the veterinary assistants scrambled to get IV fluids into Bishop. Confused and scared, he wouldn't let them touch him unless I was right there, stroking his head, telling him he was a good boy and they were there to help.
At one point, I started crying, and this only made him more upset. Even in the midst of constant vomiting and obvious pain, he was still more concerned that Mom seemed sad.
I was devastated to find out that Bishop was poisoned. The culprit: my favorite floor cleaner.
I'd grown up around dogs my whole life. At one point, I was even a dog trainer. How did I not know?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t alone. Over 100,000 dogs are hospitalized every year due to cleaner induced toxicity. A statistic that, with a little bit of diligence, doesn’t have to happen.
5 toxic cleaning ingredients are found in almost every home:
Ammonia. Found in degreasers for ovens, glass, and stainless-steel cleaners.
Chlorine. Used in disinfectants, toilet bowl cleaners, and automatic dish detergent. Also used to bleach coffee filters.
Glycol ethers. Found in glass cleaners, carpet cleaners, and spot removers.
Formaldehyde. Used in many soap products, even some pet shampoos!
Phthalates. Used for fragrance in household cleaners and deodorizers, cosmetics, packaging, toys, food, and many other products.
Many of these chemicals leave unsafe traces regardless of thorough rinsing. The residue can in turn cling to our dogs’ fur or paws which can then be absorbed through their skin or worse, ingested as our dogs try to lick the irritant away.
What to use instead:
Read the labels and look for cleaning alternatives that do not contain the above items. Your veterinarian, pet products retailer or local doggy daycares or boarding facilities can offer recommendations.
Unscented and fragrance-free are different things. Fragrances are often overlooked even in products marked “pet safe”.
Our dogs’ noses are somewhere between 10,000 – 100,000 times better than humans (depending on the breed). While many assume that unscented means no fragrant chemicals are added, this is not the case. Chemicals can be added to neutralize scents or at levels lower than our sense of smell can detect.
How Porch Potty keeps our dogs safe:
Lingering pet odors is a common complaint among dog owners, especially when it comes to accidents in the home, dog runs or dog potties like Porch Potty.
TURFtastic is an enzymatic cleaner designed to combat odors caused by urine and stool by attacking odor-causing bacteria and proteins with powerful but safe enzymes.
TURFtastic is safe for both animals and humans, even in the event of accidental ingestion. Because we designed it to use with Porch Potty, we understand the importance and sensitivity of our dogs’ sense of smell, and it's one of the few products on the market that contains no added fragrances or harsh chemicals.
Safe for your Porch Potty, carpets and upholstery, TURFtastic not only keeps your Porch Potty smelling fresh, it’s also great for cleaning carpets, furniture, dog runs and other areas that dogs may soil.
How to clean with TURFtastic:
Porch Potty fans have kept pet odors to a minimum by spraying down their Porch Potty grass (either synthetic of live sod) or dog runs once a day. Remember to wipe down the base and resin-wicker because our dogs aren’t always accurate with their aim. No rinsing is required since it is 100% safe for everyone, including our planet.
Regions with high humidity may find it necessary to treat their Porch Potties with TURFtastic more often, dryer areas may require less.
For indoor accidents, blot the area to soak up as much urine as possible, liberally pour TURFtastic on the area, then blot again with a fresh towel. Because it destroys urine on a biochemical level, it does take time. You keep your dog away from the newly cleaned area until it is completely dry, so your dog won’t be tempted to resoil the spot.
Keep your Porch Potty smelling fresh while making sure everyone stays safe and healthy with TURFtastic.
