You probably don’t want to think about it, but the dog parks where you allow your precious pup to roam freely for exercise and socializing are a hotbed of disease waiting to infect them. Giardia, hookworms, parvo, and kennel cough are lurking, just to name a few. The one we’re talking about, however, is roundworm. Of all the areas in the dog park, from the obstacle course to the water fountain, there is one where your dog is much more likely to contract roundworm than any other: the entrance.
According to researchers from Trinity College in Dublin, dog parks are riddled with Toxocara canis, aka, roundworm, and they’re most concentrated near the entrances, because, evidently, that’s where dogs are most likely to poop.
Roundworm, if left untreated, could lead to blindness and seizures, but it usually presents asymptomatically. Unless your dog is especially young or old, you may not even be aware it’s carrying this parasite.
Around 11 percent of dogs worldwide are thought to be carrying roundworms. Not an exceptionally high number, thankfully, but considering how easy it is for a dog to accidentally interact with or just straight up munch on another dog’s poop, it makes every dog visiting a dog park susceptible to these parasites.
The study was rather small and focused only on 12 dog parks throughout Dublin. But no matter the park, and no matter the differences in roundworm density from one park to another, there was one constant throughout the results: entrances were always the most riddled with roundworms.
When you think about it, entrances being a festering pit of roundworms makes some sense. As many dog owners could attest, put a dog in an area with a high concentration of other dogs’ scents and it’ll poop right away. The entrances are teeming with dogs’ scents, instantly telling a good dog that it’s time to unleash its bowels right then and there.
Entrances are also high-trafficked areas that every dog in the park is guaranteed to have to pass through. One dog might ignore the obstacle course, and another one might ignore the water fountain, but they all have to get through the main gate. If you’re wondering, yes, humans can also get roundworm, though it’s much more likely to be killed off by our bodies.
The researchers say it’s best to regularly deworm your dog. You can do that with medications that kill a wide variety of parasites, usually with a single monthly pill that can be easily slipped into your dog’s meals or treats.
More than anything, please, pick up your dog’s shit and properly dispose of it. Don’t, for a single second, believe you are above picking up dog shit. You are exactly on the level and maybe even a little bit below picking up dog shit. Besides, it’s just common courtesy. It’s the least you could do.
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