Our furry friends are a large part of our world. Most families have and enjoy a furry friend. However, they can be time consuming and dirty. So it is important that a responsible person is able to help maintain any furry friends. There are many things that can happen to our furry friends. From accidents to sickness, it is important to be aware of these things and handle them to the best of our ability. What should we do in certain situations? When it comes to the accidental introduction of dog poop to our babies, do not panic and follow these few steps.
UGH! Factor
It is important to quickly get over the ugh factor so that you can spring into action. Thinking of our child potentially consuming dog poop is a really gross though. This is why it is so important to get over that though quickly and spring into action.
Don’t Panic! Wash Your Baby.
The very first step is to wash the baby. Get your child into the tub and scrub them from head to toe, especially in between there fingers and around there mouth. Clean them up and get them away from the source of poo. Also, clean up the poo and disinfect the area that it was. Use good soap and warm water to be sure that there is no poo or bacteria left behind on your child’s skin or the location where the poop was.
Watchful Eye
It is super important to keep a watchful eye on your child. Typically, our bodies are able to produce a natural response to poop bacteria and we are able to fight off any ickiness that is introduced. However, in some children, especially ones with compromised immune systems, it is possible that they could get very sick. Also, if they accidentally inhale the dog poop rather than eat it, it could be very traumatic and cause major problems. This is why it is so important to just keep a very close and watchful eye on your child if they have consumed dog poop.
Calls
If you start to feel like your child is having problems or if you just need some additional reassurance, you can always call poison control. Although dog poop isn’t necessarily a ‘poison’ they can be very helpful in reassuring you that you are doing the right thing. They can also help you decide if the way your child is acting warrants a trip to the doctor or not. Poison control is available 24/7 and they will never make you feel crazy. They are also free. So they are a good starting point if your child has eaten dog poop and you are nervous about problems.
If you are extremely worried about it, put a call into your pediatrician. It never hurts to take them in for a checkup and be sure that they are not developing signs of other problems. Things to look for are breathing problems, vomiting, and pale or blue skin. If your child is exhibiting any of these, then it is very important to take them into a doctor or hospital to be seen immediately.
Avoid the Poo
Although these situations are not always avoidable, it is important to consider if you can do things to help keep your child from having contact with animal poop. First of all, potty training your dog is super important. From the time they are a puppy, it is important to train your dog to go potty outside. This will help you to avoid poop being introduced to your child via an indoor accident. Another similar idea is to build a dog run. Create an area of your yard that is just for your dog when they are outside. If you fence it off, then your dog will potty in there and not in the grass that your child will be walking and playing in. Also, be sure to scoop the dog poop regularly.
Also, make sure that everyone has there own space. Crate training is really great for dogs for many reasons. They have a place that they can be and feel comfortable and you have a place to put them if you ever need them to be separated from your children. Sometimes, certain dogs can only handle so much time with a two or three-year-old child. Giving them there own crate that is their space to be safe and have a break can be great for keeping dogs from having accidental bites. Even the nicest of dogs get tired of children at some point.
Why Do Baby’s Eat Dog Poop?
Children need ways to explore their world. Children explore through touch. But also, small enough children explore by putting things in their mouths. Although this doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, there are certain things that are not safe to be put in there mouth. There are lots of nerve receptors on the face and tongue. So smaller children are attracted to put things in their mouths in order to explore them. This is super common but can be super dangerous. One way to avoid this happening is by keeping a close eye on them.
Conclusion
A child accidentally consuming dog poop is a horrendous thought but not necessarily the end of the world. Taking the right steps and not panicking is the first step to getting through it. Keeping a close eye on your child to ensure that the child doesn’t suffer any side effects is very important. Also, being sure that your child is able to have space from the dog is important as well. Taking a few precautions to lessen the potential of the child coming into contact with dog poo is very important. Also, realizing that touch is a way that children explore their environment is super important in ensuring that you help them avoid putting unsafe things in their mouths.
PS If you have a cat as well, please be advised that cat pee is very dangerous for babies.
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