What is public health? Wanna find out? Students in the USF Intro to Public Health class have chosen strategic areas in the Tampa Bay community that they feel represent public health in action. This blog is dedicated to explaining, understanding, and discussing what their interpretations of exactly what the heck is.... public health?!



Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Clean Up That Poop!

Nobody likes to step in dog poop! Not only is it gross, but dog poop can also spread disease and it’s bad for the environment. Dog feces may contain various organisms and parasites such as E. coli, tapeworm, and roundworm. They can all make people really sick. Small children are especially vulnerable so it's really important to clean it up! Common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloody stool, vomiting, and dehydration. A lot of times the only treatments for these conditions are re-hydration and letting the infection run its full course. People can also contract these illnesses through drinking water that has been contaminated by feces. If the dog poop is not regularly cleaned up it can seep into the water system. Contact with the feces of a sick pet can also make your pets sick. Additionally, because of the high levels of nitrogen in dog feces it is not a good fertilizer and is NOT good for your lawn or garden. The number one preventative measure that can be taken against dog feces oriented disease is using a dog poop bag to clean up after your pet. These dog poop bag dispensers are graciously placed in all parks, apartment complexes, and other locations with frequent dog pooping for your convenience and everyone's safety. Hence, we chose to highlight this public health concern because it is so often overlooked but it can have a significant impact on the health of our community and children. Even the president cleans up his dog poop so why shouldn’t you?

13 comments:

  1. Great post - you made a gross topic appealing to read about by using humor!

    Deidre Orriola, Instructor

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  2. I think this was a great post in regards to "This is Public Health" for it indeed reflects the perspective greatly.We know that a lot of times people fail to take correct measures which leads to health concerns especially in an environment frequent by children,they can really be susceptible.Another aspect of this that intrigued me was the fact that you mentioned the environmental aspect of it. The toxic components that dog feces contain, the effect on water system and contamination was a great briefing.One thing though, i would also classify leaving dog feces as a public health issue on the basis of littering, for if you dispose of something readily without the correct disposal isn't that littering? in this case the content being disposed is feces, because they provide at the park as you mentioned the formal disposal for this. People in general fail to adhere to such minor procedures and when one person does it and a few more the risks of illness and disease becomes greater. We sometimes overlook the smaller issues which in fact has a great impact on the behaviors we exhibit and so we need to take these things inconsideration and stop being oblivious with things that we think have no/minute consequences for;i say this because when people fail to put their dog feces in a bag, i think they are not aware of the harm it has, and once you are ignorant of the harms then your attitude of not caring whether or not you clean up after your dog is not your concern. So a lot of it has to do with ignorance. I don't know if it is already written where they place the disposal bags for the dogs, but what i would have written there is a concise warning and consequence so people are aware of the dangers it proposes to the environment and health.

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  3. As a long time dog owner, I admit to disregarding the seriousness behind not picking up my pet's waste. I also was under the impression that dog feces are similar in the fertilizing power of cow manure, but this post corrected my misconstrued belief. I agree that the lack of community effort in cleaning up dog waste is an overlooked public health issue. Thus, this is an awesome and creative post!

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  4. I think this post is hilarious and great all at the same time. For those who have dogs and do not pick up poo in parks and in communities, they just add to the destruction of the grass and the stink when someone tracks it into your house. I personally do not own dogs but have dog-sat many times and I still do it because it is sanitary and helps the overall public. I think these should be everywhere people walk dogs and along huge grassy areas in parks. Great post guys. Who knew about all the disgusting things that can occur from dog feces.

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  5. This is probably my favorite public health issue out of the ones posted because I personally, have stepped in dog poop several times. To say simply, its annoying, gross and unsanitary. Im glad you are opening peoples eyes to the real harms of leaving dog feces outside, besides it being "gross." It can really cause harmful effects to humans. Another reason I enjoyed reading this post is because it opened my eyes to realize just how often I see dog feces around parks and family oriented areas. I think these areas are extremely important because for families with young children no one wants their loved ones "playing in poop". As children they don't realize the harms and risks associated with feces and if they accidently are intrigued to touch it, this could lead to unnecessary health problems.

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  6. Great job guys! Your post was definitely very interesting and informational. I had no idea that dog feces could be so harmful to the environment and to people. I was under the impression that it worked as fertilizer. I know many pet owners who also have no idea about this. I've actually heard some of them say that they believe it's natural for dogs to go out in the yard and they feel that they shouldn't be forced to pick it up. I bet if they read your blog post they would change their minds. I'll do my part and let as many people as can know about the harm it can cause. Thanks for the interesting blog.

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  7. I love this post. Not many people would think of this as a public health issue, but it most certainly is. So many people don't even stop to think of picking up their pets waste. As a veterinary technician who owns four dogs, I can definitely see the benefit of this. Dogs can carry so many zoonotic intestinal parasite, and a pet owner may be unaware their pet is infected. That is why it is extremely important for a pet owner to remove their pets waste. Picking up a pets waste not only avoids the risk of spreading an infection, it is also considerate for other people. No one wants to step in dog poop.

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  8. I completely agree with you that people avoiding having to pick up there dog poop is overlooked. I also don't think people realize the problems that can arise from having poop just sit on the ground everywhere. Sometimes when I bring my dog for a walk on the beach the places where they are supposed to provide bags are empty. The government or whoever manages these stations need to do a better job in keeping them stocked. It would also be a good idea for them to have a sign posted saying what would happen if people don't pick up there animals poop.

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  9. I think that this is a very creative public health issue. Certainly dog poop is a health issue that is very common. I know that I have stepped in poop before and I hated it. I believe that if people are more aware of the health problems that dog poop could cause (the problems that you guys mentioned) they would be a little more responsible when it came time to pick up after their pets.

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  10. You did really a great job. I found your blog very interesting and very informative. I think your blog is great information source & I like your way of writing and explaining the topics. Keep it up. I'm going to follow your blog.
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