The question most often encountered is whether pet manure is safe to handle and whether potential pathogens are eliminated when it is composted. There are few studies on cat feces but dog manure has been successfully used for composting. Dogs produce a large volume of dog manure; pollution from dog waste poses a serious threat to water quality and public health. Composting dog manure helps keep waste from landfills and protects wetlands and groundwater, while producing a usable soil amendment and fertilizer.

Composting dog manure is ideal for large kennels where the volume of dog waste is high. It takes usually 10-20 dogs to get enough volume of waste for composting. In 1 or 2 dog households it may be better to compost dog and human feces together, for instance in a composting toilet. If you still insist on composting 1 or 2 dog manure it is essential you use grass clippings to provide enough insulation to raise the internal temperature of the compost to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. That is because animals that eat meat have bacteria in their manure which if not composted properly can lead to fatal diseases in humans.

Method:
Prepare a sunny, well-drained site near the dog house or dog kennel. Add sawdust to dog waste, and then add water to make the mix moist. Continue adding ingredients until the compost heap is 3 feet deep. Turn the compost every two weeks, until a rich, black, friable mass is ready for use.

Cautionary Measures:
Yet extreme care must be taken while handling dog manure. When shoveling dog waste into a compost heap be extra careful. Although there is a plethora of potential pathogens, the primary agents for disease are roundworm eggs. Dogs eat these roundworms from the soil and they hatch in human intestines and travel to the main organs. Other parasites may also be a problem in different geographical regions.

Composting dog manure reduces its volume by 50% and renders it odorless. Dog manure is also rich in phosphorous if the dogs are well-fed with plenty of bones in their diet. Composting dog manure makes good sense for it produces soil additives that improve aeration, root penetration and water infiltration.

Compost Tea
Compost tea is an organic way of enriching any garden. It is nothing but soaked or steeped compost in water. Compost tea can be added to the soil or can also be sprayed directly on the plants. Types and methods of compost tea There are...

Build a Compost Pile
A Compost Pile will aid easy composting of your garden and household waste. A Compost Pile is a collection of various organic materials that serves as a habitat for a variety of friendly microorganisms. A Compost Pile is natural composting at the...

Beehive Compost Bins
The Beehive Compost Bin is an attractive alternative to oversized eyesore plastic bins and to an untidy and unwieldy compost heap. The Beehive Compost Bin is so called because it actually resembles a real hive with bees. Based on the famous...