Environmentally friendly ways to clean up after dogs

Q: We have four large dogs and cleaning up after they have done their business is an issue. Currently, we use bags to clean up after them in the yard and during walks. But then we place those bags in the garbage and off to the landfill they go. We are hoping you can offer a greener solution. — Mario Campo, Chicago

A: This is what I did when I had a houseful of eight large dogs. I created a “dog potty” in my backyard that was basically a large square gravel bed that I trained my dogs to relieve themselves on. Next to this spot I buried one of those Doggie Dooley’s, which is basically a bottomless trash can that is buried in the ground with a tight-fitting lid. Every day I just picked up the poop off the gravel and dropped it in the Doggie Dooley, where it disappeared into the depths of the ground.

I must confess that when I took my dogs for walks through the neighborhood I just bagged it and tossed it in a garbage can. Most poop bags sold in pet stores are considered to be biodegradable and do break down in time. The bags made of corn are more expensive but do break down the fastest. With small dogs, most owners use Wee-Wee pads indoors then just flush the poop in the toilet, which is a fine solution.

Dog poop should never be composted and used as fertilizer for vegetables meant for human consumption, because there may be pathogens in the dog poop that we do not need in our vegetable gardens. The heat generated in your average compost pile is not enough to kill all pathogens such as E. coli.

Q: There is a cat lady on our block that feeds the stray cats in the neighborhood and it seems like it attracts raccoons. My question is if I have to worry about my Yorkie as we let her out into the yard at night and some of these raccoons are three times her size. — Samantha Miller, Orlando, Florida

A: If you asked me this question two months ago I would have said a raccoon that is well-fed on cat food would most likely not bother with a dog — even a little dog like you have. Coyotes are the ones who cause major drama with household pets.

However, I just went through a horrible experience that changed my mind about what raccoons are capable of. For 15 years we had a pet Tasmanian black swan named Giselle that lived freely in our backyard.

We have a neighbor that also feeds stray cats and the resident raccoons are so well fed that they do not even bother with opening the trash cans anymore. We also have no coyotes in this area.

The other night poor Giselle was killed by a raccoon and I have no idea why or how it happened. I never would have thought a raccoon could overpower such a strong bird like a black swan or bother her when there were bowls of cat food only 50 feet away.

So my point is to never underestimate what a raccoon can do. Be sure your dog is vaccinated for rabies and keep flood lights lit in your backyard when the little dog is out at night.

Q: We have a ferret and a Pomeranian and they are great friends. The ferret does go to the dog’s dish and helps himself to the kibble when he has the opportunity. We were wondering if this is OK for him? — Eva Smith, Evanston, Illinois

A: A small amount of dog kibble here and there is not going to hurt a ferret, but do not let the ferret eat so much that its appetite gets satiated. Ferrets need a lot more protein and fat than dogs do and too much dog food can send the ferret’s metabolism out of balance.

Another issue is their teeth. Ferrets have very thin teeth that break easily. Crunching on hard dog kibble can cause a ferret to break off an eyetooth, which can cause an abscess.