Can You Flush Dog Poop If You Have a Septic Tank? Vet-Verified Facts & Info

It only seems intuitive, right? You poop in a toilet, flush it down, and never look at it again. During the training phases or end stages of your dog’s life, they’re going to be having accidents in the house. Wouldn’t it be so much more convenient if you could just flush your dog’s waste down the toilet as well? After all, what could be the harm? However, you shouldn’t flush your dog’s poop down the toilet if you have a septic tank.

In this article, we aim to explain the safety risks of flushing dog poop so that you can be extra cautious.

Why You Shouldn’t Flush Your Dog’s Poop

Whether you are on a city water system or have a septic tank for your house, you shouldn’t flush dog poop. This is because dog waste has certain elements that human waste does not. These elements, such as hair, grass, or other indigestibles can cause potential clogs and damages to your pipes. Dog poop also has a different bacterial makeup that could mess up your delicate septic tank environment.

This can lead to a failure to break down or it could cause your septic system to fail, potentially leading to drain field or tank issues which can be expensive to fix.

So, while it might seem like the most sensible thing you can do, it certainly has its fair share of repercussions.

Ways to Dispose of Stinky Poops

Stinky poops might be one of the worst things about our pups. However, there are better ways to manage it than just sticking it in your trash can and calling it a day. In this article, we want to give you some alternative ideas that you can use when you are disposing of your dog’s waste.

Compost

Composting your dog’s waste is a great way to get rid of it and to give back to nature. If it’s composted correctly, you can put your compost on your non-edible plants to help them thrive. For successful composting, it’s important to follow a recipe.

Recipes will typically use things such as sawdust, grass clippings, and egg shells so everything breaks down as it should. Remember that certain dog waste can be problematic even in these scenarios. If you feed your dog an all raw diet, it can transmit certain bacteria to the forming soil. If your dog has been ill or has recently taken medications, you’ll want to avoid composting this type of dog waste as well.

The only thing that we will mention about this particular way of disposal is that it can’t be used on edible plants. Dog poop can still transmit bacteria and we wouldn’t want any cross contamination.

Use Doggy Poop Bags

Doggy poop bags can be great on the go, but they can be equally beneficial at home. Why only reserve your dog poop bags for the park? You can have them to clean up your very own backyard.

You can get doggy poop bags essentially anywhere! Both online and in store options litter the shelves. You don’t even have to go to a doggy specific store to get them. We recommend double or even triple bagging them if you plan on putting them in your kitchen trash can.

However, if you’re just going to chuck it in the outdoor trash can, it’s a really clean and easy way to dispose of things.

For a less expensive source of dog poop bags, look to your stash of grocery bags. Most of us seem to have a never-ending supply of these bags which will work as dog poop disposal bags as well, they just may not contain the smell as well as other methods.

Buy a Pet Genie

Pet Genies are literally designed to get the job done. If you have a Pet Genie, it can take care of all those poopy messes without the overwhelming smell associated with it. They might be a bit of an investment up front, but when you use them for the right reasons, it can certainly pay off in no time. Pet Genies are so discreet that you could have them in your home and no one would even know. You can have a Pet Genie hanging around and it will contain all of the smells from the waste inside of the container.

Conclusion

So now you understand the ins and outs of why you really shouldn’t flush your pet’s waste if you have a septic tank. While it is unfortunate, it’s not the only option that you have, so don’t get discouraged! You can try all sorts of different options, some of which we described in the article, so give one a try!

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Featured Image Credit: woodHunt, Shutterstock

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