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Animal Poop Facts
Animal waste is not only gross and smelly....
Bacteria & Parasites
Dog and animal feces can contain bad bacteria and parasites, which can harm not only your pets, but the people around them.
A ounce of dog poop can contain many different types of bacteria, including Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) and Salmonellosis (Salmonella). Bacteria can spread by contact with the infected poop and accidently ingesting it. (not washing hands after touching infected poop, or an animal who touched infected poop.) These bad bacteria can cause stomach cramping, vomiting, low fever and diarrhea.
Animal poop can also contain many different parasites.
Hookworms- Animals and humans can catch this parasite. Puppies and kittens have a huge chance of having hookworm infections. An infected animal's poop contains hookworm eggs, which hatch into hookworm larvae. Hookworm larvae burrows into the skin of its host. This causes the skin to be irritated and itchy. Hookworms can also cause abdominal pain, discomfort and diarrhea if ingested by host. Animals can catch hookworms by eating or coming into with contaminated poop, ingesting larvae by accident while cleaning themselves (if they came into contact with the larvae), walking or laying in contaminated soil, eating other animals or nursing from infected animal. Humans can even catch hookworms by walking barefoot in contained soil or poop.
Roundworms - Dog's poop that are infected with roundworms contains roundworms eggs. Dogs that accidently ingested these eggs (eating infected poop or coming into contact with infected poop then licking themselves) can catch roundworms.
Whipworms- An infected animal's poop contains whipworm eggs. If a dog accidently ingested these eggs (by eating contaminated poop or licking themselves after laying in contaminated soil) they can become infected in whipworms.
"The best way to protect people from hookworms and roundworms is for all of us to pick up pet feces in a public environment and on a daily basis in our own yards, and to follow a veterinarian’s recommendation regarding fecal examinations and deworming. "
-PetMD.com, Jennifer Coates, DVM
Insects
Animal Poop naturally attracts many flies and other insects.
Lawn Care
To top it all off, Dog poop can make brown patches on your yard.
Dog poop contains high amounts of proteins and other nutrients that burn and discolor the grass. This is what is called a "hot spot" in the landscaping world.