If you share your living quarters with a dog, you naturally make amendments inside the house to make sure the dog stays safe. For example, you likely tuck away foods that could make your dog sick and make sure medications are out of reach. While keeping your dog safe may start indoors, there are also risks to watch out for when your dog goes outside. In fact, if you have certain trees on your property, the trees can pose a direct threat to your canine companion. Take a look at a few tree species that can be dangerous to dogs and why they may need to be removed.
Black Walnut Trees
Black walnut trees are one of the most common tree species found in the eastern and central parts of the country, such as in Kentucky, Missouri, and the northern part of Florida. The trees can grow sporadically but are most often found in clusters in one area or location. While the tree itself is not a major threat to canines, the nuts the tree produces can be. When a dog ingests black walnuts, it poses a significant health risk because the walnut shells can contain fungal neurotoxins that are toxic to a dog's system. If you can't be vigilant about removing the nuts as they fall, you may need to have a tree service remove the tree.
Horse Chestnut Trees
Horse chestnut trees can be found growing throughout North America. These massive trees are undeniably pretty to look at, but almost every part of the tree can be dangerous to a canine. The bark, flowers, and leaves can all cause fatal symptoms when a dog ingests them in large quantities. Further, early in the fall, the horse chestnut tree drops a nut that is encased in a spiny conker. When this shell rots away enough that a dog may try to pick up the nut in its mouth, it can also be exposed to the poisonous toxin. Therefore, if you have a curious pup that likes to chew on random objects found in the yard, the horse chestnut may need to be removed by a professional tree service.
Cherry Trees
Cherry trees are obviously valuable to humans because they produce edible fruit. However, this fruit-bearing tree can be dangerous if you have a dog that spends unsupervised time outdoors. The pits, leaves, and stems of a cherry tree contain the well-known poison, cyanide, which can be lethal when consumed in large doses. The pits found inside the cherries can also pose a risk even without cyanide ingestion because they could cause blockages in the digestive tract.
Contact a tree service to learn more.
