soil contamination

Question
i realize this sounds somewhat like a medical question. but i assure you it is not my dogs most recent fecal exam had whipworm i am currently worming her but i need to disinfect the soil to prevent future re-infection. i was going to use DE on the soil but  my research has come up with a negative on that i guess that it will not kill the eggs so i was thinking that possibly burning a fire over her area would kill them off . any advice and  suggestions would be great
Thank you
Dawn

Answer

Hi Dawn,

Diatomaceous Earth does indeed kill whipworms. Be sure to only buy food grade DE, NOT the kind soild at pool supply stores. Sprinkle DE over the lawn. Wear a pair of rubber gloves and a dust mask, even though DE is not toxic it can cause throat, nose and eye irritation. Use a garden rake to distribute the DF over your yard. Reapply after a hard rain, and on a monthly basis. Read more about DE here:

http://www.bugrepel.com/diatomaceous_earth.htm

If your dog were to receive a once a month heartworm preventative, she would also be protected from whipworms, and also roundworms and hookworms. Once your dog has been checked out to confirm she's worm free, you should talk to your vet about using a heartworm preventative. You need only use the heartworm preventative until the first hard frost, but you will need to start treatment again in the spring.

Whipworm eggs can live in the soil for months, so if you want to prevent re-infestation, you've got to remove and properly dispose of feces from your yard every day. When you walk your dog, keep her on a leash to prevent sniffing and eating of old fecal material on the ground. Along with those preventative measures, powdered agricultural lime  can diminish or eliminate whipworms in the soil if used during the warm season when the larvae are close to the surface of the soil. Sprinkle enough lime over the infested soil's surface to cover it thoroughly in a layer about 1/2 inch thick then work it in with a rake, and reapply one more coating of lime to the top. The treatment doesn't work unless your soil stays dry for at least two weeks, which is why it makes sense to give your dog the heartworm preventative. Rain or lawn sprinklers will prevent the lime application from killing whipworm eggs.

Best of luck,
Patti