thanks for that most interesting link Rune. It has worried me I have to say in terms of e-coli.

I worm my dogs every 12 weeks with Panacur for a period of 7 days each time because of their repeated giardia infections (caused by the disgusting practice of farmers spreading human sewage on the crops at the back of our house). They therefore will be free from nasties such as giardia, lung worm, hook, tape worms, round worms, or the other nasty parasites that dogs carry.

We also worm occasionally with Drontal to cover such things as e-coli. However, I am not sure now whether Drontal will kill the e-coli ... does anyone know? I have googled Drontal and e-coli, but couldn't find anything, which is worrying me.

Certainly, if I thought that my dogs were carrying e-coli in their guts and that could be transferred from their faeces into the sea water, then I most certainly would not be burying their faeces in the sand, however deep and however wet. E-coli is present naturally in the soil, so I can't see the harm in sticking and flicking though.

On the other hand, dogs in the USA are very different in terms of their flora and fauna than dogs in this country. For example, giardia is endemic in the States, and at the moment it is still rare in the UK (although will doubtless get worse if this practice of spreading human sewage on the fields continues). Dog owners in the States are not as good as we are in the UK at worming our dogs, so it is perfectly possible that there is a problem with e-coli from dog faeces over there which would not exist her in the UK - that is assuming that Panacur or Drontal does kill the e-coli bacterium.

But thanks for that very interesting article, I have read it and I found it very interesting.

Even on gorgeous days - yes, Devon in January was gorgeous this year - there were probably at the very most 30 people on this beach - 6 miles long!! And absolutely no children playing or digging in the sand. This beach has a large area of beautiful sand above the high tide mark, probably at least 30 feet even at the spring tides, so no way would anyone dig up my dog poo!!

No, the water does not bring the poo up - it is ground up by the action of the waves on the wet sand. I bury it deep!

O Lord, this is hard ...

Madison, I'm not, I am merely trying to illustrate how just because something is easier, or because everyone else does it, it does not make it right.

I had to giggle though ...

I agree completely, the easiest route isn't necessarily the best route in all circumstances ... but say for example, your poo burying on the beach caused the local council to ban all dogs from the beach no matter what the weather? this would not only affect yourself, but every other dog owner that uses that particular beach.

isn't the use of the beach worth biting your tongue over?

You seem to have missed salmonella out---how do you ensure they don't carry that? Test at the vets maybe?

rune

Something that has just occurred to me ... after the last giardia infection, my boys were tested for e-coli, staphylococcus aureus, campylobacter, and another one beginning with c, and they were all clear.

Yes actually!!! See my other post - I'd forgotten salmonella, and there was another "c" that I cannot remember.

They also take Metronidazole when they get a bad attack of giardia - that is a very very strong ab which kills everything known to man, so i think I can safely say they are as germ-free almost as much as dogs kept in sterile conditions.

How are the council going to know? Come on now, this is getting fanciful. From a distance, it would look like we were digging for worms. The only reason this man accosted us was because he actually chased us down the beach to catch up with us and tell us off!

Since when did sea water kill parasites? Has anyone informed all the salt water fish parasites of this?

Yet you drive 200 miles to a beach with you spade, or do you ride a push bike?