Doggie Did Doo where my veg bed will be

[martynsread]

Hi

I've got myself my first garden and it needs a complete tidy up. I am very interested in making up a couple of deep beds (I am currently chitting potatoes as we speak). Problem is I've been very lazy and the dogs have been using the garden as a toilet. I've cleaned up after them on a regular(ish) basis, and now have barred them from the garden.

Will it be safe for me to put my veg beds where they used to wee and poo?

Apologies for the vulgar question.

Martyn.

[madderbat]

Hi MSR
Can't exactly answer your question, but have a look at the pests section where cat poo was discussed, and you may get more gen

I would imagine if you have removed deposits, and left it a bit, dug over and added well rotted etc you could be ok, but how about using something like ***** fluid to clean it up a bit if there is still a problem. I seem to remember that you can use a dilute solution on soil without harm. Maybe some of the wiser grapes can help.
Good luck

[martynsread]

Can't find poo anywhere!

Hi,

I looked through the pests section but I can't find anything that answers my question.

Anybody have any other thoughts and / or comments on the need to clean the ground.

Don't want cacky veggies.

Cheers,

Mart.

[Two_Sheds]

I wouldn't want to grow food on land regularly used as a dog's toilet...I can't find any advice on decontaminating the land, but have a look at this link, it might help:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/top...d/gen_info.htm

[Lesley Jay]

dexterdoglancashire had the same problem. She removed a layer of soil from her garden. Read through some of her posts see if they help.

[Snadger]

Armillatox..available at Garden centres and hardware stores is supposed to kill Toxicana Canis and Toxicana Felis which are the problem worms, as well as sterilising the ground!

Use as directed and you should be able to utilise the land soon after!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Sorry to jump in on your thread, but would you recommend a dose of Armillatox on our dug-but-bare allotment as we don't know if there are any nasties lurking?

[martynsread]

Armillatox..available at Garden centres and hardware stores is supposed to kill Toxicana Canis and Toxicana Felis which are the problem worms, as well as sterilising the ground!

Use as directed and you should be able to utilise the land soon after!

Thanks Snadger my fellow Tynesider, I'll get some of that Armillatox stuff I reckon.

I'm going to be putting a Squarefoot Garden raised bed over the sanitised area so I think I should be safe once I've done a spray of Armillatox and raised my bed.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Mart.

[srodders]

Do you think if I used Armillatox on the cats it would solve the problem?

[SueA]

Hi Mart, We used to have a lovely boxer dog who used our garden as a toilet & after she died I decided to get rid of the lawn & build a 'square foot' veg. bed. We just removed the turf, dug the ground over put weed membrane & gravel over some of it & then I built the raised bed, filled it with additional compost & chicken manure pellets & went ahead. Never had any problems & I'm still here after eating the veggies!

[rustylady]

There shouldn't be any problem with veg grown where animal poo has been. After all, we regularly use horse and cow s**t as fertiliser. The main risk is if you get the faeces on your hands and then transfer them to your mouth - this can pass all sorts of nasties on, including tapeworms, toxicara (especially dangerous to pregnant women).

[nick the grief]

You may find it difficult to get hold of the directions on how to use the Armillartox now as it isn't licenced for that sort of thing any more. But if you e-mail me I may be able to show you what my father did when it was legal

[nick the grief]

what to do with doo doo ....

"Borrowed" from the HDRA fact sheet

Composting Dog and Cat 'Manure'
Both cat and dog manures contain useful plant foods, and can make a valuable addition to the compost heap. Composting can also prove a practical way of dealing with dog faeces that are deposited around the garden, and with the contents of a cat litter tray. Cat manure can also be composted, though it is not usually such a problem as cats do at least bury their offerings!

IMPORTANT NOTE:
There can be health risks involved with the handling of these materials.
PLEASE READ the warning below for more details.
Dog manure
The analysis of this material is given below. The high phosphate levels come from the whole bones that are broken down by the animal's digestive juices. It makes a good compost heap activator, mixed with the usual compost heap ingredients. During the winter when there is not much that can be composted, the dog manure can be shovelled into a plastic dustbin between layers of soil (about a 50:50 mix). This can then be added to the compost heap the following season.

Dry Weight Analysis

Nitrogen (N) Phosphate (P2O5) Potash (K2O)
Dog manure 1.97% 9.95% 0.39%
Poultry manure
(for comparison) 4.2% 4.3% 1.6%


Cat manure
We do not have an analysis of cat manure. It can be treated in the same way as dog manure. The whole contents of a cat litter tray can also be added to a compost heap, along with the usual range of compost material.

Health Warning!!

Toxocara and dogs
Dog manure can contain the eggs of the parasitic worm, toxocara, which can also infect humans. This parasite should not necessarily prevent gardeners composting dog manure - if your dog is infected (and not all are) the soil in your garden will already contain eggs of the worm anyway - and these may survive for 10 years or so. There is no information on the effect of composting on these eggs - or on the maximum temperature that they will survive, but it is safest to assume that they will not be destroyed in the compost heap. In these circumstances the usual practices of good hygiene, such as washing hands after handling soil or compost, and washing all vegetables well, should avoid any risk of infection. As a further safeguard 'dog manure' compost should not be used on food crops.

The main danger arises where there are children present, as they are likely to eat soil, or at least not to worry about washing their hands. This danger applies whether the dog manure is added to the compost heap or not. If you do have an infected pet there is a real risk that the parasite may be passed on to children through the soil, or from close contact with the animal.

For more information contact:
Community Hygiene Concern (CHC), 32 Crane Avenue, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 7JL. Telephone 0181 341 7167.

Toxiplasma in cats
Toxiplasma is another disease that can be passed on to humans, this time from cats. The method of transmission is still not really understood, but it seems that it is less easy to catch than toxicara. It is caused by a protozoa, not a worm, and the resting stages of this organism can last up to 18 months outside a living creature. This means that composting the manure for 18 months or more should avoid any risks. It is still always wise to take care when handling cat faeces and the resulting compost. Pregnant women should be particularly careful as babies can be infected in the womb.

For more information contact:
The Toxoplasmosis Trust, 61-71 Collier Street, London N1 9BE. Helpline: 0171 713 0599. Or CHC - see above.

General note
The majority of this information was provided by scientists in a public health laboratory. They commented that good hygiene practices are important whenever gardeners are handling compost, or manure, or even soil. Other harmful organisms, such as tetanus, may well be contained in them. Making sure any cuts are well protected, and that hands, and vegetables, are washed well before eating are sensible precautions that should always be taken.

[srodders]

Reassuring to know that the odd bit off cat muck on the beds won't cause too much of a problem if I don't manage to get rid of it.

[chicky]

I have to say reading all these posts early morning has mae me feel sick. Have any of you ever stepped in dogs muck??? It stinks. And just like Nick the grief has pointe out there eggs stay around for a long time. Cant imagine why anyone wouldwant to add cat and dog muck to a compost bin! Horse manure actually rots/dog muck goes furry!(yuck!)also most horses depending on what sort of yard they are kept on have to be reguarly wormed unlike cats and dogs!!!!!!