As originally published in the April 12 issue of The Mountain-Ear newspaper.

Deb D’Andrea, Nederland.

Poop is something many of us run across when hiking, or deal with on a daily basis if we have dogs or pets in general. When I hike, I try to carry extra bags with me, so I can pick up random poop here and there, along with my Girls poop. I understand sometimes when your dog is running around you may not witness them pooping, thus random unclaimed poop piles appear. I figure I’ve missed a couple piles here and there of my own Girls poop, so will pick up random poop when I see it.

When handling poop during hikes or walks, plastic bags provide a clean hands removal method; and for cleaning poop in your yard, shovels can be your best friend in removing the yard debris. Always be sure to wash your hands after to help reduce potential transmission of zoonotic diseases, diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people. Contaminated dog poop can contain salmonella, campylobacter, giardia, roundworms or even hookworms. This is extra important as winter comes to an end, and springtime warmth unveils the poop frozen throughout the yard.

If your dog has gotten into something and you awake to the lovely aroma of poop in the house, or diarrhea, cleaning it up can be a bit more cumbersome than a nice stiff pile of poop outside. I’ve found that scraping diarrhea up with a cardboard box piece or something where you can lift it up off the carpet or floor without rubbing it in deeper works best for the initial clean up phase. Then I put a towel over it to let it dry. Yeah, sorta gross, but after it dries, diarrhea is much easier to clean. I sanitize the area and vacuum away. Then use a mix of 2-3 drops of Dawn dish soap, 3 oz. white vinegar and 16oz. water, and pour it over the area. Let it sit for two to three minutes and using a folded towel, clean and blot as needed. The vinegar will help kill the germs, along with non-toxically cleaning the area.

If your dog has butt clingers, a warm bath is in order to remove any poop remnants from that area. My Bear girl has long fur and rarely she’ll get a poop ‘cling on’ holding on for dear life. Fortunately, she loves baths and when I bathe my dogs, I use a very mild shampoo as warm water and soap will kill off most bacteria.

Poop is a good way to monitor dogs’ health; with different colors, different firmness, and any change from normal or in smell being a signal something is going on internally that you need to be aware of. So, while this is a poopy subject, poop is linked to good health and a great indication of how your pets are doing.

Till next time. Deb D’Andrea, founder of 4TheLuvOfDogz & the Caribou Dog Ranch, is recognized by the State of Colorado as a Certified Canine Massage Therapist, and will visit your home or Vet’s office to work with your dog. Canine Agility may be offered at the Caribou Dog Ranch in 2018 if there is interest. Deb currently has limited availability for new Pet Nanny Clients; and bakes up fresh dog treats & doggy birthday cakes per order. Contact Deb at 720-675-7078 or email: info@4theluvofdogz.com.