Wednesday, June 19, 2019

All the Things Your DOG can Compost

It's June and your compost pile is probably getting hot and turning your organic waste into garden gold.  I've talked about compost in a number of posts before but today I want to point out things that your dog can compost.  That's right, your dog can contribute to the compost bin just like every other member of the family.

Before we talk about the things your dog can compost, it's important to point out what your dog can't compost.   There one thing that you should never compost and that is your dog's poop.  Never put dog poop into your compost whether you are going to use it in your garden or just on your lawn.  Fecal matter is rife with bacteria that won't be killed in your home compost pile or tumbler because it just doesn't get hot enough.  So there you have it, never try to compost dog poop.  You can use a Doggy Dooley for your dog poop and you can read more about that here.  You can actually compost poop from rabbits and any animal that is a herbivore and it is supposed to be an excellent addition to your compost.

So what can your dog compost?  Good question!  If you cut your dog's hair or brush your dog you can go right ahead and add that hair and fur to your compost.  Just like human hair, dog hair and fur is very good for your compost and breaks down quite nicely.  If you trim your dog's nails that is another thing you can add to the compost.  Like human nails, dog nails are made of keratin and keratin is great for compost.  When we trim our dog's nails we call it a pedi-pedi, get it?  If you use tissues or cotton balls to clean out your dog's ear go ahead and toss them into that compost.  Do you have expired dog food or is your dog a picky eater who leaves food uneaten?  If you feed your dog dry food or kibbles as we call it, you guessed it, put those kibbles into the compost and the bacteria will thank you.

There you have it.  Your dog can be a productive member of the family with it comes to composting waste.  Don't let your dog feel left out, make sure to let him compost what he can.  You're welcome.


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