• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Vet shares grim reason why you should never flush animal poo down the toilet

Home> Entertainment> TikTok

Published 20:32 16 Oct 2023 GMT+1

Vet shares grim reason why you should never flush animal poo down the toilet

This is the reason you should never flush your cat or dog poo down a toilet.

Mia Williams

Mia Williams

This is the reason you should never flush your cat or dog poo down a toilet.

Veterinary surgeon, Ben, shared on TikTok exactly why you should never dispose of your pets poop down the toilet, and the answer might surprise you.

Ben said it is due to extremely strong chemicals in an animal's poo, that could be harmful to humans - especially children.

In the TikTok video, he said: “This is because of the presence of toxocara, a worm parasite in animal faeces, which is tolerant to the high temperatures and harsh conditions found in the final stage of processing used water.

Advert

“The reason toxocara is a worry is because it’s zoonotic, we can pick it up and children are particularly susceptible.”

Toxoplasmosis is the disease that can be passed through human contact with animal faeces, and Ben explained that we are an ‘immediate host’ for the dangerous chemical.

Yikes.

"We can pick it up and children are particularly susceptible."
Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash.

He added: “It means we don’t develop the adult worms in our intestines - but what happens is that we accidentally swallow the eggs (in poo particles) which hatch into larvae and these move around inside our bodies.”

Advert

Really lovely thoughts for you there.

We can also develop an infection from the same situation, which is called visceral larva migrans.

Ben said: “It’s where the larvae move around inside internal organs like the liver.

“Another form is ocular larva migrans where the larvae move to the eye and cause damage to the retina, potentially leading to sight loss.

“There’s also evidence that exposure to toxocara in childhood can reduce cognitive development and IQ.”

Advert

And whilst this all sounds very concerning, Ben did take a moment to clarify that these conditions are ‘thankfully rare’.

However, there are other ways you can prevent your furry friends from producing this.

"Worming your dog or cat regularly will reduce the chance of them shedding these eggs."
Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash.

Ben continued: “Worming your dog or cat regularly will reduce the chance of them shedding these eggs.”

People in the comments section were baffled by the new information, and were concerned as to why they had never heard this before.

Advert

One person said: “Why is this not more advised?

“I’ve been doing it for a year or more since having one cat and then adding another and now a dog.”

Another said: “I had a vet tell me this once. I used to do it when my dog had accidents but after he told me about it, I stopped immediately.”

But others were outraged that people would even think to dispose of their pets' waste in this way.

One wrote: “I’ve had dogs and cats my entire life, I’m actually traumatised about the number of people saying flushing their animal’s waste down the toilet is a regular routine.”

Featured Image Credit: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images/Getty Stock Images

Topics: Dogs, Cats, Animals, TikTok, Hacks

Mia Williams
Mia Williams

Mia is a freelance writer for LADBible, and an award-winning trainee journalist at the UK’s No.1 journalism school, News Associates.

X

@mia_francessca

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

9 hours ago
10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • 9 hours ago

    Twins who played Ross and Rachel's baby share life update as people can't believe what they look like now

    Alexandra Conley and her twin sister Athena starred in the US hit sitcom

    Entertainment
  • 10 hours ago

    Richard Hammond reveals the one thing that helped him get the job on Top Gear

    Making a good impression in an interview isn't always about what you know

    Entertainment
  • 10 hours ago

    Charlize Theron, 49, reveals she recently slept with a 26-year-old leaving fans in shock

    The actress explained her thoughts on dating during a recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast

    Entertainment
  • 11 hours ago

    What racketeering conspiracy means as Diddy is found not guilty of most serious charge

    Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied all the charges against him

    Entertainment
  • Worrying truth behind flushing animal poo down the toilet as vet warned pet owners against it
  • Grim reason you should never use a hand dryer in a public toilet
  • Pelvic floor expert shares reason why you should never wipe more than three times when going for a poo
  • Car salesperson says you should ‘never ever’ test drive a car at a dealership for one reason