Sorry, the poop fairy isn’t real
The horrible truth about dog poop and why you need to pick it up
Pssst… hey you… yes, you. I need to tell you about my morning. I really need to get this out and off my chest. I was on a lovely walk and came across the most repugnant pile of shit. Quite literally. Sorry about the language.
On a typical day, I’d just go for it, sniffing and enjoying the scent. But not today. I remembered what would follow. Mummy would force that horrid deworming medication on me. The poison! I can’t. I will not have it. No one wants to go through that every few months. It makes you lethargic and feeling ill for days.
I’ve been a good little girl praying to the poop fairy nightly. I’ve pleaded to be saved from all the nice piles of crap I see on my walks and the temptation they pose. But I’m not sure if the message has been heard in the cosmos. There’s still fresh dung each morning on our walks. So, what should a cute puppy like me do next? Sniff… sniff… please help me.
Hi I’m the servent/mummy/owner and all I’m about to tell you is based on my own experiences, so take it with a pinch of salt. You can find the table of contents below to jump quickly between parts or skip to the one you find most useful. I do always recommend the whole read for the moral support it will provide and the confidence in knowing that you are not alone in your doggy worries. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop in a line ;)
What this post is all about
Have you ever been disgusted by the heaps of dog poop on the roadside? Well, disgust is not the only problem. They pose a health threat to both you and your pet. Young puppies and children are particularly at risk. I will go through the most common parasites in dog poop, how they can also infect you, and the practice of training your pooch for calm poop pick up while on walks.
Table of contents:
Heads down
Can I be honest with you? I’ve had a tough time writing this. Not because of the lack of information on dog poop, but because of the utmost swell of emotion I have for it. I am angry! I am sad… And I am worried. I hate seeing my baby pug having to eat de-worming medication regularly. I’m worried when she feels lethargic for days, and gets sick from it. I get angry by owners not picking up their shit accumulating piles of it on walking paths. I get sad reading about the health threat to kids who play in these green areas and are at great risk of getting complications from dog parasites at such a young age. I’m just furious at people's ignorance and neglect.
But annoyance is not the solution. Instead, I’ve tried to be objective. The rest of this post is heavy with facts. So it should be. You need to know why we have to put a stop to dog poop and the belief that it’ll just “melt away” with the rains. Because parasites don’t just “melt away”! They stay in the soil and environment possible for years causing health problems to both dogs and us. Us being worse off, becoming an accidental host of parasites, resulting in tumors that require surgery, and even death. So turn your head down and pick up that poop!
Typical parasites in dog poop
I’m no veterinarian, but I do believe it is important for any dog owner to know at least about the most common illnesses a dog can catch. Just like you’d want to know what types of ailments your own child is easily susceptible to. Below I’ll list the most common parasites in dog poop. If you wish to know more I suggest you copy-paste the term into a search engine. Because the details can be quite gruesome and I don’t have a stomach for it. That’s one reason I didn’t become a veterinarian.
- Hookworms: “…[A]cquired either by puppies from their mother (when nursing) or by adult dogs swallowing the parasite’s eggs, or having the hookworm burrow into the skin.” (Staff, 2018) The eggs and larvae live in soil and are commonly gotten through contaminated soil that has once had infected dog poop on it and “melted away”. A dog usually ingests them through contact or through routine self-cleaning. After ingestion, they attach to the lining of the intestinal wall and feed on blood. A serious infestation, can result in major blood loss and have serious effects, especially on puppies and small dogs. The only real prevention is to keep the environment clean.
- Roundworms: Also known as nematodes or ascarids, this common parasite lives in the intestine feeding off of partially digested food. They are very common in dogs and can infect humans too. They are spread through infected droppings that contain microscopic roundworm eggs. Infection is even likely by just sniffing or licking infected feces. This can further be transmitted to humans when your dog licks you on the face. Interestingly roundworms can be spread by other animals such as rodents, earthworms, cockroaches, and birds that can be carriers. This means that they do not mature in the carrier, but if a dog eats this paratenic host it is able to continue its lifecycle. This parasite is most harmful to puppies because the common consequence of roundworms is growth reduction. In humans, the parasite acts like any accidental host invading tissues and become encysted in various organs. “Very rarely, liver problems may result from roundworm larval migration (visceral larval migrans). Even less commonly, the larvae can migrate into the eye and cause blindness (ocular larval migrans).” The only prevention is to keep the environment clean and deworming a dog monthly if cleanliness can not be quarantined. (Roundworm Infection in Dogs, n.d.)
- Tapeworms: Segmented tapeworms are found in dogs, cats, humans, and many other creatures around the world. They are ingested through eating a host that is harboring tapeworm eggs. In other words, these are not directly transmitted from dog poop. But feces is the means by which the cycle gets started. An adult tapeworm in the intestine is made up of segments. These segments contain eggs and break off ending up in the dog’s stool. They are then digested by a larval flea, develops into an adult flea, and is swallowed. This generally happens when self-grooming or scavenging for other potential transmitters of eggs include birds, rabbits, or rodents. To prevent the cycle control fleas on your pet, clean up after your pet disposing of poop in bags, and keep a dog away from dead animals and garbage.
- Whipworms: Very common intestinal parasites in dogs acquired by licking or sniffing the contaminated ground. Attaching to the mucosal lining whipworms can cause serious complications in large numbers. They lay their eggs in the large intestine and are passed into the dog’s stool to infect the environment. The eggs mature outside and infect a host in 10-to-60 days. Ingested they hatch and start the cycle again. A whipworm infestation can be dangerous to puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with compromised immune systems. Because of the hardiness of whipworm eggs, they have a high level of reinfection and are hard to get rid of. In some environments, they can last for up to five years!
- Coccidia, Giardia, and Spirochetes (non-worm parasites): These also live in the intestinal tract and are particularly dangerous because they might not show any symptoms. One might notice only after stress or another immunity-compromising factor arises. “Coccidia are single-celled and found more frequently in puppies, where they may acquire it through their littermates or mother. Spirochetes can live in the bloodstream, as well as in the intestine, and can cause Lyme disease, syphilis, and other serious diseases. Spirochetes are generally passed by urine into surface waters, but all body fluids in an infected individual should be treated as a biological hazard. Giardia … [is] pervasive protozoa (one-celled organisms that often cause their host little to no harm) and is generally gotten through contaminated drinking water. The best way to prevent Giardia is not to allow drinking water from areas where other animals have left their feces. Transmission of all these parasites can come from infected soil, water, feces, food, other animals, and more.” (Staff, 2018)
As I hope the above makes amply clear, with all parasites, diligent sanitation practices are important to prevent spread. Keeping outside areas clean, by picking up your pooches poop is critical. It not only protects animals but yourself and your dog from getting them.
How they can infect humans
As we’ve now hopefully learned through this COVID-19 crisis it’s not uncommon for diseases and parasites to be transmitted from animals to people (called zoonotic diseases). Most parasites from our pets are transferred to humans because of a lack of sanitation practices. Hands should always be washed directly after coming from outside, picking up poop, and handling soil. Bear in mind that hand sanitizers are ineffective against most parasites. Avoid touching your face when outside with your dog and keep your pet’s paws and fur clean with regular grooming. Dogs like to self-groom and if they have worms it’s likely they can infect you when you allow them to lick your face. This might result in accidentally swallowing feces from your dogs. They licking their butt, then licking you and you lick your lips. No joke! It can happen.
Here’s a table going through the most common parasites talked above and if they can infect us:
For anyone in the US or Canada, there is a nice online map that shows the prevalence of the most common parasites in each state by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) found here. For Europe, there’s a map, but it’s missing data from some countries here. I couldn't find any for the rest of the world, but do let me know if there are any in the comment section below.
The 3 “M”s to prevent parasites
The American Kennel Club talks about the three “M”s to prevent dog parasites (Staff, 2018):
- Medicate with preventatives to ensure that your dog is not plagued with squirming, burrowing, or biting pests. Always ask a certified veterinarian for their recommendations on internal, intestinal, and external parasite preventives for the particular needs of your dog.
- Monitor with annual screening tests and watch for behavior changes in appetite or water consumption. These can alert you to a potential problem.
- Maintain a clean environment with bedding, food, water dishes, coats, etc., washed regularly. Pick up dog poop on walks, don’t allow them to go through garbage, sniff and touch dead animals, or go near dogs/cats who may be infected.
Why you need to pick it up
Now I’ll go to the scary bit just to make it extra clear why it’s important to keep streets clean from canine poop. For a start, “one worm [in a dog's intestinal track] can produce more than 100,000 eggs per day, which are then passed in the pet’s feces and spread throughout the area the pet roams” (The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), 2002). This leads to exponential exposure to other animals and humans in the environment if infected dog poop is not picked up. The eggs can be spread even further by soiled boots, paws, and wild animals.
Another serious reason is that the nasty habit of poop eating (scientifically called coprophagia) is prevalent in dogs. Research done by Hart et al. (2018, p. 113) found that one in six dogs are “serious” stool eaters (caught in the act six times or more) and 23% were observed eating feces at least once. Eating feces is also natural behavior at some canine life stages. For example, licking puppies to help them eliminate and eating their poop to clean up is common by mothers for the first three weeks after a litter is born. Young dogs will also engage in the behavior of eating their own poop (autocoprophagia), that of other dogs (allocoprophagia), as well as from cats and other animals. Most appealing seems to be hard stools or frozen ones that dog owners have coined “poopsicle.” We already know that consuming contaminated feces can lead to serious parasite infections. So it’s a no-brainer that the key prevention would be to pick up your dogs' poop. No one wants to be “that owner who leaves shit around” to be eaten by the next animal that comes along. (Staff, 2020)
Training ‘wait’ or ‘stay’ while picking up dog poop
Training for ‘wait’ and ‘stay’ are key skills in any dog's arsenal, but vital if you’re in the city for a walk. It becomes important when you need to pick up that poop without your dog going all crazy pulling to continue the walk. When I started training Mishti I was confused with the difference between ‘wait’ and ‘stay’. To me they seemed like the same thing, but no. Stay means stay in place until I return and give you a treat and release you. Wait means stay until I tell you the next command to do something else. Still confused? Don’t worry this video explains it really well: https://youtu.be/npUvRIDp8pw
Another challenge when picking up dog poop is the distractions from other dogs, walkers, runners, bikers, cars, etc. You get the picture. So your dog needs to get really good at ‘stay’ and ‘wait’ under these distractions. A high reward treat is key but also training up to these high distractions. You need to start with low distractions and work your way up. At home expect a stay adding duration. Then add distance and finally distractions, rewarding for a kept stay. I love watching Zak Georges videos on dog training and following his three ‘D’s; duration (focus on you), distance (listen further away), and distractions (listening in an exciting place). Here’s a great video to train your dog to become a master stay ninja: https://youtu.be/GAziMECDxD0
Best poop bags I’ve tried and tested
There are a lot of poop bags on the market. This is where it gets fun! You can go wild and crazy with scented ones, colored ones, one’s with cute quotes and slogans. But avoid plastic bags and go green. Currently, plastic dog bags fill almost 4% of landfills and they’ll stay that way for up to 1000 years with the poop still inside them! So opt for other solutions.
Personally, I like to go for compostable or biodegradable poop bags. That way I can be environmentally friendly and dispose of it safely in a personal compost or if your municipality allows it in the collection biowaste. I’ve tried the Toozey Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags, but they ended up being quite thin and taring. I’ve also used the Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags, but these have been extra tough to open. I’ve actually cursed them to the bone when walking in -22C and trying to open one for 5 min without gloves. Update: I ended up writing to Earth Rated and Victoria from their side got back and was extra helpful. Her tips have worked. She said, “with colder weather and dryer hands we noticed our bags can be a little tough but I’d be more than happy to share some handy tricks to help open those up! My go-to is always the snapping method, simply place your thumb and index/middle finger on the corner of the bag then drag your fingers against your thumb, just like a snap! If this doesn’t do the trick, my backup is the shimmy where you start in the middle of the bag, put your thumb on one side and the rest of your fingers on the other and start shimmying!”
I just bought the Give A Sh!t Compostable dog waste bags and feeling hopeful with all the great reviews. I also love the 10% that goes directly to the Soi Dog Foundation, whose mission is to improve the life of dogs and cats in Asia. Since I don’t have a yard I haven’t tried any of the flushable bags. These are poop bags that you can flush down the toilet taking it down the same sewer system that our own waste gets processed through. The brand I’m eager to try in the summer when visiting parents in the countryside is Flush Doggy because they are earth-friendly and donate 10% to ASPCA.
You can do a fashion statement with bag holders or just go practical and understated. There are holders your dog can carry themselves. I prefer ones that are easy to use and versatile. I’ve currently been using the simple bone shaped one I got with Toozey Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags. But I’ve also got the Jroyseter Dog Poop Bags Dispenser in the car with a flashlight on it. For Christmas I got Mishti the OneTigris Eureka K9 Dog Backpack that is a poop bag holder, backpack, and harness all in one.
While writing this I’ve also found fun ones like the 💩 holder that is shaped exactly like the emoji. Also, the Glow-in-the-Dark holder would be practical as it’s visible while walking after dark. Finally, the Flexi Retractable Lead Accessory, Multi-Box for Poop Bags or Treats is something I’ll be getting when Mishti has mastered leash training and able to walk on the Flexi in distracting city environments.
References
Hart, B. L., Hart, L. A., Thigpen, A. P., Tran, A., & Bain, M. J. (2018). The paradox of canine conspecific coprophagy. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 4(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.92
Jenkins, E. J. (2017, December 3). If your pet has this tapeworm, it could kill you. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/if-your-pet-has-this-tapeworm-it-could-kill-you-87929
Roundworm Infection in Dogs. (n.d.). VCA Animal Hospital. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/roundworm-infection-in-dogs
Staff, A. (2018, January 22). Dog Parasites. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/parasites/
Staff, A. (2020, May 13). Why Dogs Eat Poop and How to Stop It. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/why-dogs-eat-poop/
Stoewen, D., Panning, A., & Ward, E. (n.d.). Coccidiosis in Dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals. Retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/coccidiosis-in-dogs
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). (2002). Pets & Parasites: The Pet Owner’s Parasite Resource. Pets & Parasites. Retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://www.petsandparasites.org/
