B120
Cleaning-up Feces

Introduction: One of the most important tasks required of any dog owner is the responsibility of keeping the dog’s environment clean and free of feces. This requires washing the dog’s bedding, cleaning up any chewed or shredded objects the dog has destroyed and, most importantly, cleaning up the dogs stool or feces after a bowel movement. In many parks and public places, cleaning up after a dog has a bowel movement is required by law.

Zoonotic Diseases: From a public health standpoint, removing dog feces from grassy areas, parks, and playgrounds is of utmost importance. Some of the parasites and organisms that infect animals, such as roundworms and hookworms, can be spread to humans (this is called a zoonotic disease). For example, transmission of roundworms from a dog to a human occurs when people accidentally swallow roundworm eggs. Mature worms in the dog lay millions of eggs that are passed in the dog’s feces and contaminate the environment. Humans touching the ground or soil that contains these eggs can then touch their mouths and swallow the eggs. This occurs primarily in children that pick up and eat contaminated dirt. Young puppies are also a major source of environmental contamination. Adults and children that handle the puppies’ litter and bedding can accidentally ingest the eggs.

The fecal material from dogs may not only infect humans, but can also infect other dogs and animals. For example, a dog with parvovirus or coronavirus can readily shed the virus in its stool or diarrhea to another animal.

Prevention: Proper hygiene and veterinary care are the keys to preventing worm infestations in both humans and dogs. Clean up dog feces on a daily basis to prevent egg contamination of the ground. Avoid allowing dogs to defecate in playgrounds and school yards. If this occurs, clean up the feces immediately. Keep children away from areas that may be heavily contaminated with eggs, such as kennels or the litter areas of young puppies. Adults and children should wash their hands with soap and water after handling dogs and before eating. Adult dogs should be routinely tested and treated for intestinal worms. All newborn puppies should be assumed to have roundworms and treated following the veterinarian’s guidelines.

Summary: Because of the potential for infection and spread of disease, all feces from dogs should be picked up and then properly disposed. The following segment of video demonstrates how this can be done using a plastic bag.