As a pet owner and animal lover, you’ll know how much pets poop. And how messy and smelly it can become if you don’t dispose of it. One logical deduction seems to be to flush it like you would human waste. But this isn’t always a good idea – and here’s why: 

DOG POO

The jury is still out on this one. Some experts say it’s fine (bagless of course), while other experts say you could be exposing human toilet users to a host of nasties and harmful pathogens. Dog poop could contain hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, parvovirus, salmonella, E. coli… This should be enough reason not to bring dog doo-doo into your bathroom. A bigger problem however is that many waste facilities are not equipped to process dog poo, i.e. Toxocara Canis (roundworm) survives super high processing temperatures. 

But if you have a septic tank that serves your house, don’t do it. In this case flushing dog poo will cause big damage. Animal excrement tends to contain a lot of rawhide, hair, grasses and other bits not very conducive to healthy septic tank processes. This could lead to a clogged toilet and eventually require expert plumbing services. So, if your toilet is serviced by a septic tank, always throw away or compost your dog poop. flush animal poo flush animal poo flush animal poo

HOW NOT TO DISPOSE OF CAT LITTER

If you don’t dispose of your cat poo properly, you could expose people to a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Municipal water treatment systems do not always kill this parasite. Toxoplasmosis can cause serious health issues for people, particularly pregnant women and people with weak immune systems. 

Wastewater treatment processes are also not designed to treat animal poo because they contain higher levels of nitrate content and a host of harmful bacteria. In general, the safest way to dispose of your pet poo is by placing it in a biodegradable waste bag or composting it. 

The cat litter itself also creates problems – it is too heavy to be successfully flushed away, clogging your sewerage pipes and complicating your life as far as it moves through your sanitation system. Cat litter contains bentonite that swells up to 15 times its size – it’s hard to imagine a more effective way to block your plumping.

And what about litter in a septic tank? You guessed it – same problem as dog poo. A septic tank is a delicate balance of good and bad bacteria – don’t mess with it. 

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU 24/7

So if you read this article too late and already have a smelly pet poo problem – don’t despair. 

We love plumbing. And we love making sure your plumbing stays tip-top. Drain Surgeon is the largest plumbing group in the Southern hemisphere. We will give you quick and professional service no matter what your specific plumbing and drainage needs may be.

Call us today and our plumbing team will take care of it – any time of the day or night. We’ve been in the business for a long time, and we’ve seen it all, so you can enjoy peace of mind in the knowledge that one of our expert plumbers will be with you soon. 

At Drain Surgeon we only contract security-screened plumbers and electricians, so your home and family are in safe hands when we perform work on your premises. 

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