Dog Poop should be kept away from the garden

It's not due to their food, unfortunately.

 

Although dog and cat manure both contain organic nutrients useful to plants, neither is safe to use in soil containing food crops. Both contain parasitic pathogens that are harmful to human health. Dog manure can contain the eggs of Toxocara canis (the common large roundworm), which can also infect humans. It's estimated that 90% of young puppies are infected with this worm-many are born infected-and up to 50% of all adult dogs.

Very Interesting.....

 

I would be careful with the "natural" pet foods.  I would ask your vet if they recommend any.  I went through the same thing (feeding my beloved animals unnatural foods) and switched both my dog and cat to organic brand foods.  My cat ended up with crystals in his urine and now has to be on a special diet for the rest of his life and my dog's stomach got destroyed and she has to have medicine and has to have baking soda in her water otherwise she can't keep food down.  The vet told me it was directly related to the food I was giving them.  Just because it is natural or organic doesn't mean that there are ingredients in it that aren't harmful to animals...I learned the hard way and ended up hurting my animals in the long run. Do lot's of research and definitely ask your vet before switching foods.

My wife and I feed our dogs an all raw diet of beef and chicken. We do our best to by them organic meat, however, it isn't always available. They are unbelievably healthy. I would not recomend using dog poop for a garden no matter what you feed your dog. Making your own compost for fertilizer is a good idea. Just do your homework, because there are certian things, like meat, that you should not put in the composter.

I had to switch my dog's food because she was developing allergies. I spoke with my vet and did some research. In the process I found the Web site: Dog Food Analysis. They review and rate just about every dog food out there and it was a great tool in helping me pick a new dog food. 

On the topic of dog poop as fertilizer, unfortunately you just cannot use it. Dana1981 is right, there are a lot of parasites that contaminate dog waste. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way after my dog contracted Whipworm when I first brought her home. My vet told me that its a parasite that can live up to 10 years in the soil if another dog has it and deposits their waste in your yard. Now we have Storm on a worm preventative that specially treats for whipworm because there's no way to really get rid of them in the soil. 

I think dog owners are becoming more aware of this now, but its still isn't something people tell you when you're deciding to bring home a dog. It's good to read up on the topic and know all the different problems pet waste can cause. This Clean It Up blog post gives a good overview and has a lot of great links to more articles written by other dog experts. 

Hi NinaE87, Welcome to the EcoHuddle!

You put up an excellent post with a couple of good links for everyone.

Doggy stuff on the ground is a constant source of irritation for everyone other than the owner. One might feel a bit silly carrying a bag of doggy do down the street until you can find a garbage can but is the only polite way.

It is not only an irritation but a helath hazard as is pointed out in this forum - for pets and people alike.

From the Compost Wiki: Dairy products, meat, dog or cat litter should not be placed in the compost pile.

 

we've made dog food before out of excess meat scraps and fat from deere and i agree with you in that our dog always seems much more energetic and healthy in general when we have this to feed him. I wish we could afford somethibng similar all the time for him, but generally it's only around hunting seasons we can do so. I also agree that compost is great for fertilizer but to do your research depending on the type you need, we have sperate areas for compost that can be mixed in around bushes and unedible plants and compost for gardenig edible goodies.

     

Thanks for nice information you should also check the Dog food chat

thats a great post I was just about to start doing that for my dying rose bushes.

 

 

Whipworms are a horrible health problem for dogs not humans-  they are spread by birds.  Raw dog feces is fine for ornamental gardens.  The danger to humans in using dog manure is Ecoli and other bacteria, so I boil mine outside for a good 10 minutes, then I dilute it for crap tea.  It works famously.