Dog poo as manure?

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by marjoriesseedling, May 27, 2009.

  1. marjoriesseedling

    marjoriesseedling Apprentice Gardener

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    I have been using our dog poo as manure for our rhubarb, but the stems have been thin and lost vigour. Is it unsuitiable to use it in the garden?

    Thanks
     
  2. lollipop

    lollipop Gardener

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  3. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Not a good idea It contains too many nasties in its raw form.

    I wouldn't put it directly on flowers let alone edibles.
     
  4. Alice

    Alice Gardener

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    Marjorie, I wouldn't use excrement from any meat eating animal for manure. It contains too many nasties that get back into the food chain. So cats, dogs and humans are out. Cows, horses and sheep are in. It's up to you what you put on your food - but you did ask.
     
  5. Greenjeans

    Greenjeans Gardener

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    Dog and cat manure has been known to pass illness on to humans in the food chain. Very bad to use on anything you might eat later.........and I wouldn't want to have my fingers into the soil of a flower bed that was fertilzed with that manure because you might have trouble if you have a cut that could allow entry into your body.
     
  6. Dave W

    Dave W Total Gardener

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    Says just about all you need to know on the subject:gnthb: There are some qualifications regarding treatment of such products but in general the safe bottom line is 'don't use them'.
     
  7. Pro Gard

    Pro Gard Gardener

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    Your not serious, the thought of even coming into skin contact with it is awful but mulching food crops with it is unthinkable.

    Asside from the bacteria, any medication you give your dog eg wormers antibiotics etc will be entering the food chain.

    Don't risk it, get a manole cover with a decent handle so you can lift it easily and chuck the poo into the drain.

    It could be coincidence but Just this week Ive finally got over a stomach bug after four days of vomiting, coincidentally a day or two before I know that I had hit dog **** with the strimmer. Whilst I immediately alchol gel sanitized my hands and changed my t shirt I reckon some of it must have got past the visor onto my face.
     
  8. NewbieGreen

    NewbieGreen Gardener

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    So if a cat has crapped on your veg patch, it renders it useless? :(
     
  9. Paladin

    Paladin Gardening...A work of Heart

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  10. Dave W

    Dave W Total Gardener

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    If I manage to catch a cat crapping on my veg patch I'll render the cat useless:D:D
     
  11. Redwing

    Redwing Wild Gardener

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    Incorporate it into your compost heap......by the time the compost is ready to use the dog poo will be too by which time it will have become useful.....either that or bury it in a deep hole prior to tree planting.
     
  12. Canucks72

    Canucks72 Gardener

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    No, just pick it up and bin it straight away. Cat poo is quite dry, and as long as it's not raining it's easy to pick up and nothing will leach into the soil. If you don't leave it sat there for any length of time, it shouldn't cause harm. The OP is asking about piling loads of dog doo all over her rhubarb which is a different thing entirely. I wouldn't eat any veg that has been in direct contact with cat or dog poo for any time. If you have one cat tod on your soil somewhere, I wouldn't worry. Just get rid.
     
  13. Makka-Bakka

    Makka-Bakka Gardener

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    Gardening is supposed to be a pleasure, I cannot imagine why some off you want to make it appear difficult and dangerous.

    What with watering with ice cubes and using dog faeses in the garden, well!!!

    Cat and dog faeces should not only be lifted as soon as seen but also some of the soil were it has lain should also be scooped out and binned!

    Below is warning enough what can happen, play safe and enjoy the safe produce from you garden!

    Toxocariasis

    Toxocariasis is an infection of the round worm Toxocara canis5. It is a zoonotic6 disease that is spread via unwashed vegetables and dog faeces. Young children in particular are at risk due to their weaker immune systems and because they are more likely to expose themselves by ingesting the eggs. A puppy can pass as many as 15,000 eggs per gram of faeces, and they are a major source of environmental contamination.

    Each T. canis female can lay up to 700 eggs a day. These are passed out when the dog defecates and can survive for up to three years in soil. After two to three weeks of warm weather the eggs develop into an embryo state, containing larva - this is when they become infective to dogs and people.

    The larvae try to migrate through the human body as they would in a dog's, but the human body treats them as foreign material, which causes a reaction and tissue damage.

    There are two types of toxocariasis: visceral larva migrans (VLM) and ocular larva migrans (OLM).

    In VLM, the larvae reach the liver, causing inflammation and symptoms such as abdominal pain and pyrexia. Most people recover spontaneously.

    OLM occurs when a migrating larva reaches the eye. It causes a granuloma to form on the retina, causing significant visual impairment and in severe cases even blindness.

    There are about 12 new cases of OLM diagnosed annually in the UK7.

    Reduce The Risk
     
  14. youngdaisydee

    youngdaisydee Gardener

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    And what about the Flies and Maggots, and the smell.. Disgusting Idea...
     
  15. The horticulturist

    The horticulturist Apprentice Gardener

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    i feed my German shepherd a biscuit meal food - hardly ever any meat!
    I always put the package on the flower bed, since its made of biscuit based food the "package" renders down in a few days - i have shyed away from putting it near apple trees or any food for human eating - however my personal view on this is if it was in a society that didn't think about the hassles of dog poo (supposedly) dogs , cats in fact any animal would poo and i don't think it would make any difference, but as you see differing opinions on this , but my take on it is as i have just said.

    cheers
     
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