Farmers issue plea urging public to pick dog mess up due to infection worries

Parasites found in some dog faeces can result in the abortions of cattle and death in sheep
Parasites found in some dog faeces can result in the abortions of cattle and death in sheep

Fears that cows are losing unborn calves due to infections from dog mess on farmland has led farmers to issue a plea to the public on social media to clean up.

Parasites found in some dog faeces can result in the abortions of cattle and death in sheep.

Denbighshire farmers John and Stephen Tudor had to cull some of their herd thought to have been infected from their feed.

The pair have now taken to social media to ask the public to clean up after their pets.

They said tests showed the cows, which lost their young in late pregnancy, identified 'neospora caninum' as the cause.

They tweeted: "Unfortunately, infected cows had to be culled as they will continue to abort every year.

"We have no issues with people walking their dogs along the footpaths, and know that some do clean up after them, therefore, this is an appeal to those who don't."

Neosporosis can cause abortions in cattle and is thought to be responsible for the highest percentage of all cattle abortions reported in the UK.

Neospora eggs are produced by infected dogs and excreted in their faeces. Cattle will then become infected if they eat food, i.e. grass, or drink water contaminated with the eggs.

Faeces from infected dogs can contaminate pasture and animal feed, water or bedding. There is currently no licensed vaccine or drugs available for these diseases.

The NFU has also called on the public to clean up after their dogs and to keep them away from animal food to stop the disease from spreading.