Pet Safety / Compounds / Glufosinate-ammonium

Is Glufosinate-ammonium safe for dogs and cats?

Moderate risk for pets

Dogs can be exposed to glufosinate-ammonium by ingesting herbicide-treated vegetation, licking treated grass, or accessing containers. ASPCA APCC cases include dogs experiencing GI signs, lethargy, tremors, and ataxia after contact with applied areas. Acute toxicity in dogs is moderate; reported LD50 in canine-relevant species suggests a similar sensitivity to rats. Seizures are the primary life-threatening sign at high exposures, reflecting glutamine synthetase inhibition in neural tissue. Treatment: decontamination (emesis if recent exposure; activated charcoal), seizure management with benzodiazepines, supportive care. Prognosis is generally good with prompt veterinary treatment. Re-entry intervals on product labels should be observed before allowing pets in treated areas.

What is glufosinate-ammonium?

The IUPAC name is azanium 2-amino-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphoryl]butanoate.

Also known as: azanium 2-amino-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphoryl]butanoate, Liberty, Finale, Ignite.

IUPAC name
azanium 2-amino-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphoryl]butanoate
CAS number
77182-82-2
Molecular formula
C5H15N2O4P
Molecular weight
198.16 g/mol
SMILES
CP(=O)(CCC(C(=O)[O-])N)O.[NH4+]
PubChem CID
53597

Risk for dogs

Moderate risk

Dogs can be exposed to glufosinate-ammonium by ingesting herbicide-treated vegetation, licking treated grass, or accessing containers. ASPCA APCC cases include dogs experiencing GI signs, lethargy, tremors, and ataxia after contact with applied areas. Acute toxicity in dogs is moderate; reported LD50 in canine-relevant species suggests a similar sensitivity to rats. Seizures are the primary life-threatening sign at high exposures, reflecting glutamine synthetase inhibition in neural tissue. Treatment: decontamination (emesis if recent exposure; activated charcoal), seizure management with benzodiazepines, supportive care. Prognosis is generally good with prompt veterinary treatment. Re-entry intervals on product labels should be observed before allowing pets in treated areas.

Risk for cats

Moderate risk

Cats may be exposed to glufosinate-ammonium through contact with treated lawns and gardens — grooming residues off paws and coat. Given their smaller body weight, dermal/oral dose per kilogram can be significantly higher than for dogs. Cats' limited Phase II metabolic capacity may reduce clearance of glufosinate metabolites. Clinical signs in cats are similar to dogs: GI disturbance, ataxia, tremors; severe cases can progress to seizures. The delayed-onset neurotoxicity (hours after exposure) means symptomatic cats may not be immediately identified as herbicide-exposed. Owners should prevent cat access to treated areas until dry and consider the re-entry interval stated on the product label. Any cat showing neurological signs after possible herbicide contact warrants immediate veterinary evaluation.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Glufosinate-ammonium. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / EPA OPP—Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic in Humans
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 6.4A (Category 2A) (score: high)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter glufosinate-ammonium

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Glufosinate-ammonium:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is glufosinate-ammonium safe for pets?

Dogs can be exposed to glufosinate-ammonium by ingesting herbicide-treated vegetation, licking treated grass, or accessing containers. ASPCA APCC cases include dogs experiencing GI signs, lethargy, tremors, and ataxia after contact with applied areas. Acute toxicity in dogs is moderate; reported LD50 in canine-relevant species suggests a similar sensitivity to rats. Seizures are the primary life-threatening sign at high exposures, reflecting glutamine synthetase inhibition in neural tissue. Treatment: decontamination (emesis if recent exposure; activated charcoal), seizure management with benzodiazepines, supportive care. Prognosis is generally good with prompt veterinary treatment. Re-entry intervals on product labels should be observed before allowing pets in treated areas.

What products contain glufosinate-ammonium?

Glufosinate-ammonium appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

See Glufosinate-ammonium in the pets app

Look up products containing glufosinate-ammonium, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (3)
  1. US EPA: Glufosinate-ammonium — Registration Review Preliminary Problem Formulation (2016) — regulatory
  2. EFSA: Review of the Existing Maximum Residue Levels for Glufosinate-ammonium — Conclusion on Peer Review of Pesticide Risk Assessment (2005) — regulatory
  3. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Glufosinate-ammonium Herbicide Toxicosis in Companion Animals (2021) — report

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →