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Have You Gone "GREEN" with Your Pet Care?

By May 11, 2009 - 9:52pm
 
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You maybe considering going "green" if you have not already done it. But did you know that pets like cats and dogs often leave a surprisignly massive toll on the environment? The estimate annual cat and dog waste produced is about 10 million tons, jikes! Unbagged excrement can contaminate groundwater and soil with disease-carrying bacteria and parasite and bagged waste stagnates in landfills for years to come. Pets are also exposed to toxins through their food. A 2008 study showed that dogs and cats carry high toxic loads higher than those of their human owners. What do you do to take care of your pets and Mother Nature at the same time?

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Anonymous

Thank you for the comment! I have not ‘gone green’ with my Pet Care but this certainly makes me think about trying to do so. Since the ‘green food’ appears to be healthier foods, does this help with the “coming out” toxins? That would be very interesting.

Also, is there any other way to dispose of the feces without using the landfill?

May 16, 2009 - 9:44am

Hey Alysiak, you are ahead of the game. Tina, in answer to your question, first of all I have FOUR pooches. Two Giant Schnauzers and two Laso Apso. The big guys are big poop producers, my God! I have a great gardener that picks up most of that stuff and takes it to a special dumping place. He likes to leave a little around the grass as fertilizer. During the night, the big ones sleep in the garage and if they have accidents, I pick up the poop and place it in paper bags (I never use plastic) and save it for the gardener in the green bin.

The closest thing to going Green with my dogs has been feeding them with organic food brands. It is much more expensive but worth it as it will save me vet expenses later. The brands are "made in the USA" and are certified organic. They are very healthy and happy guys. Water is very important so we keep always clean bowls. I also make sure they eat fresh, boiled organic yams (2-3 pounds per week for the large ones and .5 to 1 pound for the little ones). Once a week they eat the cooked skin of salmon and I get fresh bones from the local grocery store weekly. They chew on those for ever!

The main challenge is when we put the Frontline on their coat to protect them from fleas and ticks. This is a strong chemical and do not like to have it around my husband during the first 24 hours of applying it. We do not use any other chemicals around the home not even ants or other insect sprays. The gardener uses non-toxic things to prevent exposure to these toxins for my hubby.

May 13, 2009 - 10:45pm
(reply to Coach Virginia)

We tried Tea Tree oil on our dog for anti-flea treatment, but I'm not so sure it was all that effective. This is one area where we can't take any chances, living in a semi-rural area and with all my allergies.

Haven't tried yams on our dog, but he sure loves green beans, LOL!

May 14, 2009 - 7:18pm

There is a receptacle you can use to "green" up the pooh (like a septic tank, but not usable if you have clay soil), and there are biodegradable pooh bags that can be deposited into special receptacles for conversion into methane gas used as alternative energy and eco-friendly litter made of natural products and paper. San Francisco has a methane production program for dog pooh collected in special bags.

We're not on a water table, so we can collect the dog pooh into a charcoal filled hole on a far side of our yard, then cover the pooh with more charcoal. The pet store carries an enzyme product that safely breaks down the pooh.

There are also more natural-based food products for your pets, and our dog absolutely loves thinking he's eating people food, LOL!

May 12, 2009 - 4:28pm

Coach Virginia, with a four-month-old puppy in the house, this is a great wake-up call. Any recommendations on how to go green with our pets? We're pretty good with the bagging part. Thanks.

May 12, 2009 - 3:42pm
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