I’m a vet – the gross reason why you should never flush dog or cat poo down your toilet
A VET has revealed the gross reason why you should never flush your pet’s poo down the toilet.
Vet Ben uploaded a clip sharing what can happen in your water system if you do, and people have been left horrified.
On his @ben.the.vet account, he explained: “This is the FAQ section of the Anglican Water website.”
He clicked on the question about flushing dog or cat poo down the loo and revealed: “They say no, you cannot flush any type of animal faeces down the toilet.
“They say 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.
“The reason toxocara is a worry is because it’s zoonotic.
“We can pick it up, children are particularly susceptible.”
Ben explained that humans are an “intermediate host” for toxocara.
He continued that this “means we don’t develop the adult worms in our intestines but what happens is we accidentally swallow the eggs (in poo particles) which hatch into larvae and these move around inside our bodies.”
The larvae can move around our bodies and cause damage.
Ben added: “There’s also evidence that exposure to toxocara in childhood can reduce cognitive development and IQ.”
However, there is no need to start panicking about the UK’s tap water.
The vet reassured: “These conditions are thankfully rare but worming your dog or cat regularly will reduce the chances of them shedding these eggs.”
Many people were quick to take to the comments, and many said they do already flush their pet’s poop.
One wrote: “Done it a million times while my puppy was potty training.”
Another commented: “I’ve had dogs and cats my entire life, I’m actually traumatised about the number of people saying this is a regular routine.”
A third said: “I do it! My downstairs toilet is right next the back door. Think i better stop.”