Every spring, when the snow starts to disappear, it's always the same problem: pet droppings in city parks, on sidewalks and even in a bus shelter. It is very important to clean up after dogs -- the contamination of the environment with animal feces can be very risky to people's health. The internal parasites that pets carry are shed in their fecal material and are not visible to the owner. Roundworms are the most common internal parasite, and are most likely to be transmitted to humans by contact with contaminated soil and accidental ingestion of the eggs. This soil is in one's backyard or in the parks and pathways where people walk and there can also be parasite eggs on the haircoat of pets, namely dogs. These eggs hatch inside the human intestinal tract and can travel to the eye or brain and cause serious infections, especially in children or people with a weakened immune system. The Companion Animals Parasite Council recommends yearly fecal analysis for one's pet, regular deworming as often as monthly for pets that are outside and in contact with other animal feces (raccoons) and cleaning up pet feces to reduce the contamination to the environment. Pet owners should become responsible for cleaning up after their pet -- to reduce the risk of children becoming infected with parasites that can cause serious disease. I sincerely hope this message is clear to pet owners out there, especially the irresponsible ones! Source: ottawacitizen.com