'Pick up your dog poo...it's not rocket science'
BBCA farmer has urged dog owners to pick up their pets' poo, as she warns of the "devastating" impact it has on livestock.
Clare Wise, who farms near Darlington, County Durham, said when cattle and sheep accidentally ingested dog faeces left on fields it could cause "nasty parasites, unpleasant cysts and abortions", leaving farmers with "huge financial losses".
She said it was a "real issue this time of year", particularly around areas with popular walking routes, like the coast-to-coast walks.
It comes as walker Jane Pendlenton witnessed a ewe dying from a disease in Kendal, Cumbria, after ingesting dog mess and said it was "very upsetting" seeing its new lamb trying to feed from it.
Wise, who is National Farmers' Union's north livestock board chair, said cattle and sheep moved their muzzles along the ground on grass, so "if even if there was a tiny trace of faeces, the animal could make contact with it".
"If livestock ingest it, it can cause particularly unpleasant cysts which travel in the intestinal wall and then multiply in the heart and nerve cells," she said.
She said the cysts developed over months, causing a "slow and terminal decline" for the animal.
"Those cysts are only found when the animal goes to slaughter, so the whole carcass is deemed as unfit for human consumption, leaving farmers with huge financial losses," Wise added.
Clare WisePendlenton saw the impact of disease spread by faeces while walking in fields above Kendal in April.
She came across a ewe "lying on the ground in distress", with its lamb sat by its side.
"I felt it was important to stay with her until the farmer arrived...it was very upsetting to see her in distress, trying to get up but being unable to.
"Her lamb was sitting next to her, and then tried to feed from her but was unable to."
She said she "offered what comfort she could" and added "all creatures all deserve respect and compassion".
Pendlenton was told by the farmer the sheep had ingested dog poo and there "was nothing more he could do" for it.
"I wasn't aware that dog poo could cause neurological disease," she said, adding that it was "another reason for dog walkers to be very careful and always pick up poo, even if they think it is a wild area where it might rot down".
Wise said dog poo also carried a "really nasty parasite called neospora which can cause abortion, miscarriage and problems with pregnancy".
"There are also tape worms, which are common in dogs but hugely impactful in sheep and cattle, especially when we're trying to reduce wormer use in the industry," she said.
"The main issue with it is that your dog might poo today, but the parasites can live in pasture for months and months.
"If a dog poos near hay or winter feed, it can also have devastating impacts on flocks and herds."
Wise said the issue was more prevalent in areas of high footfall, "for example, near the coast-to-coast routes".
"You love your pets, we love our animals. Just pick up after your dog - it's not rocket science," she added.
