PETS & POOP PATROL!
Ever feel like you are on the perpetual poop patrol for your pets? Well, join the club! Most of our roles as caretakers involve taking care of those basic needs. What on earth could be said about this lovely topic? Lots! There is a whole lot of information and even some legal regulations regarding this topic; many pet owners don’t even know about them.
Whether you have a fabulous feline or a crazy canine there are some little tidbits you should be aware of related to their elimination habits! If you take your animals out in public or just let them meander, you are responsible for picking up the poop! It is the law and it is important to do for other reasons than getting a simple fine for breaking the rules!
Poop patrol is important for regulating the health of your pet, the environment, and others. Leaving your pet’s land-mine behind creates problems beyond being unsightly and a hazard to someone’s clean shoes. Parasites and disease are transferred through fecal matter. During rain runoff this risk can be transported far beyond what you thought, and to creatures you never anticipated.
Transfer of disease to wild critters and to humans is possible. Wild canids and other species such as raccoons, etc., can suffer the consequences. In addition, if you do not pick up the poop you are making sure that you create a better breeding environment for fleas. Besides being able to pass tapeworms to other animals, these guys can pester humans, pets, and wildlife!
Outdoor cats often hunt and eat their prey. Because they eat at home, they create havoc in the natural balance of nature and can endanger the valuable wildlife in the area. Eating these animals puts them into the category as carriers for transferring the disease called toxoplasmosis; it is passed through their fecal matter. Most pregnant women fear encountering this disease and putting their fetus at risk. In fact, a majority of women who encounter toxoplasmosis do so through gardening because of the naughty toileting habits of strange cats--not their own!
You have a legal responsibility, dictated under trespassing laws, to keep your animals out of someone else’s property; your neighbor could take action if they wanted. This means you are responsible for keeping your pet’s toileting habits under control and out of the neighbor’s garden, yard, and sidewalk. If you are careless in a shopping center, beach, or park you are being just plan disrespectful to the environment and others; hefty fines could belong to you!
Poop patrol helps you to monitor the health condition of your precious pet. As horrid as it might seem to analyze those feces, sudden changes in elimination habits could signal something physically wrong with your pet. In many cases, you can spot abnormalities quickly and take action to prevent more escalated veterinary problems or death. Having a good rapport with your veterinarian is important, so are regular check ups for your pet.
Litterbox avoidance, strange marking behavior, more frequent or less frequent toileting can be some of the signs you could see if something is wrong. There are many little things you could look for. By paying attention consistently, you will know what is normal and what is not. Telling the difference in abnormal consistency from too rich a diet and illness could be useful.
Food quantity or brand changes can make some differences in stool consistency. If your pet has a sudden change in the type of food fed, or an increase in quantity, the stools could be loose, or they could be very hard if you have just given your dog a raw bone or two. Remember that changes in diet or routine can influence your pet, so don’t panic the first time you see something different!
Blood or mucous in the stool could be something to follow up on by visiting the vet. Always check with your veterinary medical doctor if you suspect anything wrong. Seeing such things as white flecks in the stool may suggest tapeworms, have a fecal exam to rule out other worms too. If you have any sort of flea infestation they contribute to the problem, so get that under control too.
Remember, as a good pet owner your poop patrol duties include:
-keeping toileting areas clean for the health and welfare of your animals, family, and the other critters nearby
-cleaning up the public areas your pet soils
-being responsible enough to make sure your pet does not create a nuisance in the neighborhood by inappropriately eliminating or marking your neighbors property, and cleaning up after your critter if it does.
-monitoring the condition of your animal through paying attention while on poop patrol (remembering that any drastic changes in toileting habits may be a sign of something wrong)
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