Can dog poop make you blind? Is it dangerous for pet parents?

Hello there! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is highly unlikely that you would get hookworms from that type of contact. The most common route of transmission is fecal-oral. Meaning ingesting fecal material. This can happen unintentionally if small particles are on your hands and you put them to your mouth. Theoretically, if Leo has some fecal material on his paw, that got on your eye and you wiped it away and then put your fingers in your mouth or on your lips you could possibly get hookworms. But again pretty unlikely. But it is important to point out that you wash your hands thoroughly after picking up his bowel movements to prevent this. Make sure to follow your vet's recommendation for the deworming protocol for these types of worms as they most often need more than 1 dose. I always recommend a follow fecal test after the treatment to make sure he is negative and the infestation is cleared. I hope you found this helpful and helps put your mind at ease. I wish you and Leo all the best!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Your children would have to get Max's stool in their mouths or mucous membranes. As long as you pick up his stool and cleaning up after any accidents that usually prevents any infections in children. Kids can also get it from eating contaminated dirt. They should always wear shoes and sand boxes should be covered to prevent cats from using it as a litter box. I hope this helps! https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/gen_info/faqs.html

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes! Cooper could get the roundwroms from your friends dog if he eats her stool. Hopefully that won't happen. If your puppy is on heartworm prevention then he is also getting dewormed as well. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Koga has roundworms. The eggs of intestinal parasites are shed in his poop not from his fur. You need to clean up the stools as soon as he goes to prevent contamination of the environment. Your son should be ok as long as he isn’t eating the poop. Just make sure to wash his hands after he plays with the puppy or before he eats. You will need to treat Koga twice (3 weeks apart) and the you should be all set. Good luck and kisses to Koga!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that little Billy has roundworms, but with just common sense precautions, your family will be fine. Parasites are sometimes a part of pet ownership, so as long as everyone remembers to wash their hands after playing with Billy, & especially before eating, all will be fine. It was a good idea to crate him until a fecal analysis can be done, but once the appropriate wormer is given you can relax. Take care.

Yes, there are certain types of worms that can be passed from dogs to humans. These worms are contracted from exposure to dog feces. The eggs (microscopic) are passed in the feces and will become infective in the environment. However, you would have to get close enough to ingest or inhale the eggs for it to infect you. Hookworms, however, will actually penetrate the skin if you are exposed to them. The good news is that you can help prevent them from being infective by cleaning up the feces soon after your dog defecates. If you clean it up within 24 hours, then it will reduce the likelihood of the eggs/larva being infective. Also, it's best not to go barefooted around the dog poop. If there is any contact, you can prevent infection by simply washing the contaminated area. Generally, worm eggs and larva like warm (not hot) and humid environments. The southeast U.S. tends to have the biggest issues with them. I hope that helps.

Thank you for your question. If you have treated Dot with a dewormer for roundworms from the pet store, are cleaning up her fecal material and washing hands, then you are doing about everything you can do. That being said, fresh fecal material is not infectious. It takes 30 days for the eggs to become infectious. So if you have not had Dot this long, it is not a concern, but that is why you don't want to leave the feces laying around. Also, I recommend you bring in a stool sample to your first veterinary visit so they can check for parasites. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.