To worry about dog shit on the pavement and my toddler?

[Bellyrub1980]

My one year old has started to love walking outdoors.

Took her out today along a path to a park. Her favourite thing was to walk in the muddy verge. Obviously she toppled over a few times and her hands got muddy. I wiped them off as best I could but not thoroughly. Properly washed them when I got home.

It now occurs to me, what if there was dog poo on her hands. She was rubbing her eyes and putting her fingers in her mouth when we were walking....

I know there's nothing I can do about it now, it was this morning and her hands have been washed countless times since including her bath.

We live in a rural farming village, there's LOADS of mud and animal poo around. My mum never followed me around with wet wipes and alcohol gel, and I don't want to become OCD about this, but seriously, dog and cat shit can cause toxoplasmosis and blindness right?! What if she HAD got it in her eye. Would there have been some kind of reaction that I would have noticed before putting her to bed??

It she lying there slowly going blind?

(I have PND and tendency to become anxious about silly things)

[Bellyrub1980]

*is she

[Needabiscuit]

I worry too, it makes me mad when I go past dog shit right in the middle of the pavement, once I saw some right outside a primary school,
I don't get why dog owners can't pick up after them, or at the very least, make them go in the road, so people don't have to shirt around

[Flumplet]

Yes some scumbag had let their dog shit literally right outside the primary school gate when we got there this morning it was no longer 'pick-up-able' (and believe me I would have done if I could have done as I'm a dog owner and therefore carry poop bags with me all the time) I dread to think what sort of state the school floors were in today. All due to one inconsiderate lazy selfish morons poor judgement. It boils my blood.

[schlong]

DS once got dog shit on his face!! Now my DD has hit toddler stage and once again the dog poo paranoia/angst begins again. Nightmare.

[hefzi]

You know what, I am sure she will be OK: you've washed her off, and she'd have let you know if she had something in her eye - it hurts, after all!

It's very poor that dog owners don't clean up after themselves, and of course, you should avoid it where possible: but I am sure you will notice if/when she gets it on herself, never mind into her eye. I grew up in rural England, with plenty of dogs, cats, horses and farm animals, and as a toddler, was regularly covered in unspeakable amounts of shit. I would have screamed blue murder if something went in my eye- just like I did when a fruit fly, a midge or hair washing water did, and I reckon your DC will be the same. (And grow up healthy and unafraid, with full vision, of course!) Just keep doing what you're doing, and being as hygienic as you can - she'll be fine.

[Hopefullyoneday1]

I'm sure she will be fine. I grew up on a farm and was forever falling in cow, horse, pig, sheep, chicken and dog shit. They all have their own risks. It wasn't nice but Ive got a super immune system now.

I'm certainly not saying falling in dog poop is ok, it's disgusting and drives me insane that owners let dogs shit all over the place but as others have said maintain being hygienic when you can and she will be ok

[Bellyrub1980]

Thank you, those replies have really helped ease my mind!

You're right, if she'd got anything in her eye she would have screamed. This this girl screams at the drop of a hat!

I probably will go out armed with wet wipes and alco gel from now on. And maybe put her in eye protection goggles. And sellotape her mouth up!

But besides that, she will have a completely normal childhood!!

[tomatodizzy]

I thought it was the worms in the poo that causes blindness? Might be wrong. Most animals are wormed these days. I would think you would smell the shit if she gets it on her and baby wipe it off, watch she doesn't put her hands in her mouth/on her face and wash really well when you find a place.

It happened to me when I was a child (hand in dog shit) and I just wiped it clean on some grass and I didn't go blind, makes me sick to think about that now though.

[Bellyrub1980]

They have definitely become intrusive from time to time. I've had talking therapies and done worry management.

(This was a classic 'what if', theoretical worry right?!)

After a year on sertraline I've now weaned off and this is probably the first time I've had to logically process a worry in a while.

Asking here helps because I know I'll get an honest response!!

I never really mastered not needing reasurrance though. Think that might just be 'me' regardless of the PND!!

[Bellyrub1980]

I was sniffing her hands like a crazy person. Am awaiting a call from social services as someone probably thought I was trying to inhale her fingers