Girl blinded by dog poo! Did you know about the dangers?

[Kazz79]

I was really shocked to find this video on youtube. I know dog poo is a huge inconvenience, as I contstantly try to avoid it while walking my son to school, but shocked to see what a real danger it is.

I cant believe that people are willing to risk young children becoming blind just because they are too lazy to pick up after their pet!

I have seen this story on the news!!! Absolutely appalling. That poor baby and her family. Twice last year my ds walked in dog muck on the way to school and once on the wheel of my dds buggy. I was soooo mad that I had to clear the mess off ds' shoes because someone couldn't be assed, but this takes the biscuit.

I saw this story on MSN a while back. It's just horrible. Round where I live it's like a bloody minefield for dog poo. It's absolutely disgusting. The infection can even be fatal if it's not caught in time, and yet STILL people think it's ok to leave their dog's shit all over the place.

That is so awful, poor child. We have heaps of problems around our local park, you never actually see people leave the mess. I think they just ignore it if no one is looking.

I am fanatical about picking up after our dog, but hubby can sometimes be a bit slack because he does not want to carry the smelly bag. We invested in a brill dog poo carry bag and he now has no excuse. I highly recommend them.

can anybody explain why people pick the poo up in the bag tie a knot in it and then hang it from a bush or tree. - why not put it in the bin?

that poor toddler and mum :(

i always pick up our dogs mess. even dd1 does, she told her friend off she said she didnt clear up after her own dog.

yes - I had a friend who was :(

Round where we live there are no dog poo bins. Not one, not for two or three miles. So, if I am going for a dog walk and my dog poos and I pick up, I leave it hanging from a tree so I can take it home and not have to carry it with me for three miles. Presumably some people just forget to do this.

If I am walking out in the fields around our very rural, tiny village, it is simpler to push the poo off the footpath with a stick, or using a big dock leaf, into a stinging-nettle-filled ditch or bank, where nobody can possibly walk and where it will decompose along with the fox, rabbit, squirrel and badger poo. Seems a lot pleasanter for everyone to do this rather than stuff it in a bin where it will stink.

My dd saw a story about this on the news a few weeks ago and is a bit obsessed by it i.e. telling random strangers on the bus

It is awful but if dogs are wormed regulary there is no problem but all dog owners should pick up their dogs poo. I do

However fox,cats and other animals poo can also cause the same symptons and problems.

Our dog club belongs to a groups that says do one and bin two. So for every one of our own dog poo we pick up we pick up two of other dogs that have been left lying around. We hope that one day we may get to the end of the poo or other people will get the message. [sceptical]

Yes, human poo takes dog-disgusting-rolling-behaviour to a new low. Truly I don't know why we love them, sometimes.

I have flicked other dogs' doings off paths as well when I know said footpaths are well-used by children. Even large, reddish, smelly ones (poos, not kids) left by very big dogs who obviously are not being fed on premium food, if you know what I mean. Bleuch.

You can put the poo in normal bins as well, not just dog poo bins. Not best to leave the poo anywhere, due to the huge number of dogs we have it gets washed into our waterways and is an enviromental hazard

Do you ever say anything to people not picking up poo? I have wanted to a few times in our local park but have either been too far away (on other side of large park with toddler on swing) or have felt the person looked like he might have the potential to get aggressive. What is a good pithy way to say it without getting punched?

Google "toxocariasis" (the disease) and "toxocara" (the parasite that causes it)

kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/toxocariasis.html

www.medic8.com/infectious-diseases/toxocariasis.htm

Two posts from another forum (neither of them mine):

The "crap on the grass" argument is caused by the known bacterial and parasitic infections and infestations that can be carried by both dog and cat turds. You might think that by the time the turd has gone white and blown into the winds, they are no longer so dangerous, but Toxocara Roundworm eggs will stay in the soil. The "Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996)" was passed in order to cut down on dog mess in public places and an 'on the spot' fine of up to £1000 is payable if you're caught.

Someone who falls into or accidentally touches dog faeces could be at risk from a disease call Toxocariasis which can lead to abdominal pain, pneumonia, asthma and even blindness. And the problem doesn't go away the longer the dog faeces is left. Toxocara eggs can take up to two weeks to hatch." - quoted from the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council site.

=====

I'm one of the very small amount of people who have actually had Toxocara. I had it 30 years back, when I was around 19 years old. I was lucky, I told my Dad that I felt 'dazzled' in my right eye, he was an optician and within the day I was being seen by his Ophthalmic doctor who tested his patients eyes. Within hours I was in Neasden Eye Hospital. I remained there for 4 weeks, not because I was ill, but because they didn't have a clue what I had..and so every day they did a myriad of tests on me. They'd isolated the infection immediately, with steriods..so I was safe.

I lost part of the vision in my right eye, but soon learnt to accomodate for it. I didn't blame dogs for that, nor cats..not even houseflies...It simply happened. It's 'life'.

'You can put the poo in normal bins as well, not just dog poo bins.'

No bins of any kind in our village. Apart from in the playground, and I really wouldn't want to do that. I must admit I hate it when people put dog poo into normal bins. Someone does it in the next village, right outside the shop. It's smelly in the summer when people want to buy food.

Putting a plastic bag of dog poo into landfill (which is what happens if you bin it) turns a biodegradable product into something much harder to break down. I can't see that, even when the poo does break down in landfill, this is any better for the environment than leaving it carefully wrapped in a leaf under some brambles, where it can't be trodden in.

www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A11998461

It's a bit like people putting poo-ey nappies into landfill. Yuck.

these might be an answer

'Usually plastic poo bags end up in some sort of landfill. Once there the poo bag gets buried along with its contents and sits quite happily for many, many numbers of years. There are some biodegradable bags that claim to break down but even some of these need light and heat. Once buried the chance of light getting through to the biodegradable bag is very slim.

...any sort of organic matter placed in a plastic bag starts to ferment and sweat. With many councils now changing frequency of wheelie bin collections and some NOT allowing any sort of dog waste to be put in the bin whatsoever this can cause a problem both hygienically and socially.'

Whilst working on my new project i have done a great deal of research into the toxins in dog waste and i was horrified at what i learnt.
Dog Poo does not break down naturally. They are not a native wild animal like badgers and squirrels (and even badgers are culled to prevent bovine TB) and people who think they can leave dog feaces because it's kinder to the environment are simply making an excuse so they don't have to do a dirty job (blush). The toxins in dog poo do not breakdown with the feaces, they poison the soil get into our water system and are active for upto 10 years. It's not just the worms
I shan't bore you with loads of details here I shall just add a link ((www.dickybag.com/dicky-dog-blog/top-5-things-you-should-know-about-dog-poo.html)) to all the info for those who are interested. All i will say is the most profund statement i found when doing my research said
"IF YOU THINK STEPPING IN DOG POO IS BAD, TRY DRINKING IT!"

By the way i'm no dog hater, i have 2 of my own - but i do hate unenlightedned people making excuses for their behaviour.

~Sorry - new to this computer lark!!
here is the link (now i've found my square brackets)
ngs-you-should-know-about-dog-poo.html
mandy x

When I was a kid, one of the local mothers ran an anti-dog poo campaign - they went round the local park sticking red flags in all the dog poo. Was in the local paper & everything.

we have a long drive leading up to our farm however our drive is also a right of way . The gates of the drive are surrounded by a tiny village and the locals insist on using our drive as an alleyway for their dogs to deficate, it is utterly disgusting, not to mention illegal. I am so sick of asking people to also put their dogs on the lead around our stock and yet i have been met with the reply "my dog doesn't chase sheep". Do these people not get that this is private property and not a request but an instruction. My baby is due any moment and don't see why my child should be subjected to health risks on my own land. It is so sad that the offensiveness of the few blight my opinion on the many that walk responsibly.

PS. Am considering taking my dog to deficate on their gardens in the village twice a day to see how they like it. x