Having a dog at home can be a lot of fun. But you know what’s not fun? Dealing with dog poop! This isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you imagine your life with a beloved loyal pet. We humans find poop of any kind downright nasty, but if you have a dog you need to know how to deal with the poop properly.
If you don’t deal with this issue the right way then you can end up with even more problems. You may end up with ruined carpets because your pet hasn’t quite learned where to poop instead.
Also, handling dog poop can be dangerous for you. Dogs can transfer diseases to humans through their fecal matter. So if you need to pick up dog poop, you have to be very careful so you don’t get sick.
Zoonotic Diseases
This is the term that refers to diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. And there are quite a lot of them too. Zoonotic diseases that you can get from dog feces can include salmonella, giardia, and campylobacter. You can also get roundworms and maybe even hookworms.
Don’t pooh-pooh the problem by saying that your pet is perfectly fine. That’s because they can carry these diseases without actually getting sick. Salmonella is a prime example of this, as they can have the salmonella bacteria in their intestines. They can then shed the bacteria through their feces. But typically an infected dog won’t show any clinical symptoms that they have salmonella.
The proper way to cleaning up dog feces depends largely on the location. Here are some tips on what you can do to clean up after your dog depending on where the accident has occurred.
Outdoor Dog Poop
Consider yourself lucky if the accident is outdoors, as at least your furniture and carpets are safe. Your best bet is to train your dog to poop on grass or sand. This reduces the threat of disease transmission, plus it’s comparatively easier to clean.
Just use a thick plastic bag that won’t tear easily to cover and trap the dog poop. Turn the plastic bag inside out right away to trap it inside, and then tie the open end of the plastic bag together.
Just make sure that your plastic bag is new, thick and without tears. You may even buy special dog poop plastic bags for this purpose. They can be very thick with multiple layers, and easy ways like draw strings to close the open end.
What if your pooch pooped on an asphalt or gravel surface and it’s an area often frequented by people? This is a real problem if you have kids who like to play in that spot. For this location, after removing the dog feces with your plastic bag you may want to disinfect the area with water and diluted bleach. You can then use a metal brush to scrub the area.
If the gravel or asphalt area isn’t a place where people go, or if it’s a busy street, then using the bleach won’t probably be necessary. After you’ve removed the dog poop, the bacteria left on the spot will eventually die off.
Indoor Dog Poop
This can be quite frustrating when your dog poops on the carpet or on your favorite reclining chair. Pray that at least it’s solid dog poop, as this is much easier to deal with. Otherwise, you may need to call a restoration company.
For solid poop, you need to make a solution with equal parts of water and white vinegar. After you’ve used your plastic bag to get the poop, use the solution to wipe the area so the stain doesn’t brown as it dries. The vinegar in the solution kills the germs.
Once that’s done, use your brown hydrogen peroxide. Put on a spray nozzle on the bottle and give the area a nice mist. Just don’t saturate the area as that can leave a stain. The peroxide also prevents browning and it removes organic stains.
But what if your dog has diarrhea? This is more serious, but you can still probably deal with it. First scrape off as much of the dog feces as you can. Then let it dry overnight.
In the morning, scrape it up again and then use a solution of 16 ounces of water, 3 ounces of white vinegar, and 2 to 3 drops of dish soap. Pour this solution directly over the stain. Let it sit for about 3 minutes, then put a folded towel on top and blot out the stain as needed.
You may need to pour another serving of the solution afterwards to make sure that the spot has lifted. After that, use a dry towel to blot the area dry.
Poop Remnants on Your Pooch
If you notice this issue, then it’s time for your pooch to get a bath. You need warm water and dog shampoo, but a mild shampoo for human (like baby shampoo) can also work. The warm water and the soap can kill of the germs, and afterwards your pooch won’t smell like poop either. You may want to wear dishwashing gloves when you wash your dog, just to be on the safe side.
Conclusion
As the pet owner, part of your responsibilities is to make sure your dog is properly trained. They should know where to poop to minimize the bother and the threat of disease to the people around them. Your best bet is to teach them to go potty outside, in a spot that’s not a high traffic area.
It’s also your job to keep your dog healthy. By doing this, you also minimize the risk of having diseases transferred from your dog to your family through their feces. When they’re healthy, dogs have formed stools that are much easier to clean up after. So feed them with a high quality diet and make sure that their food isn’t contaminated. Monitor their fecal consistency so that you can keep tabs on their health. It’s best for you, your dog, and also your carpets and couches.
Call us, Got Poo, today and we’ll properly clean up your dog’s poop for you!
