Is Scotts Fertilizer With Halts Safe for Pets?

The Good News

• The fertilizer part of Scotts Fertilizer with Halts is safe for pets. Some of the main ingredients, urea, ammonium phosphate and potassium sulfate, for instance, are found in a variety of common household products. Urea is often found listed as an ingredient in hair conditioner and lotion for dry skin. Baking soda contains ammonium phosphate and potassium sulfate is commonly found in soap and food. However, you should not allow pets in the yard while you are spreading the fertilizer to avoid getting it in their eyes, and you should not let them eat it, but you can let them in the yard immediately after application.

The Not-So-Bad News

• The “Halts” part of Scotts Fertilizer with Halts is pendimethalin. It is a preemergent herbicide that kills weeds such as crabgrass by preventing seed germination. The Environmental Protection Agency states that “Pendimethalin generally is of low acute toxicity…” Confine pets while applying the Scotts Fertilizer with Halts, but it is safe to allow most pets on the grass after you apply it and the granule dust settles into the lawn.

There is Always a But

• A connection has been established between herbicide exposure and bladder cancer in some types of dogs. Scottish terriers, which already have a greater predisposition to developing bladder cancer than other breeds, are more likely to develop the disease after exposure to herbicides. Wire hair fox terriers, Shetland sheepdogs, West Highland white terriers and beagles are also predisposed to developing bladder cancer, although the risk is not nearly as great for them as it is for Scottish terriers. All of these types of dogs, however, have a seven times greater risk for developing bladder cancer after exposure to a lawn treated with an herbicide.

When in Doubt, Play It Safe

• Scotts Weed Prevent is a good alternative to Scotts Fertilizer with Halts when pets use the yard every day for play or to relieve themselves. It is 100 percent corn gluten, a natural by-product of corn processing. Corn gluten is edible and often used in dog and cat food. It is a natural preemergent herbicide and provides nitrogen to fertilize the grass. Scotts Turf Builder with Halts has a 30-0-4 fertilizer ratio while Scotts Weed Prevent has a 10-0-0 ratio. When you apply Scotts Weed Prevent to the lawn twice each season, it may not supply as much nitrogen each time but it does provide more than adequate amounts for most grasses to thrive.