By: Dr. Gary Pusillo

During World War II, “bad” latrines and flies stopped Rommel’s attacks in Northern Africa almost as effectively as British bullets, bombs and blood. Mandatory obedience to the sanitary manual of 1926 gave the British the advantage over those German soldiers that just dropped their pants and let loose.

Rommel’s army did not have time to set up proper sanitary conditions. The Nazi’s poo’d in the desert and allowed the flies to contaminate their food with “Panzer poo.” British General Bernard Montgomery said “the German’s pooed everywhere; they were like city dogs finding the first patch of grass they have ever seen!” Montgomery said the Nazi’s were so indiscriminate with their toilet habits that most captured soldiers had fecal stains on their feet and pants.

In addition to inappropriate latrines, Rommel’s men were fed “MMP;” mystery meat products. British soldiers were fed tasty wholesome meals made from real food.

The taste and quality of the Nazi’s diets had a similar outcome as the badly constructed latrines; it affected overall troop morality. Soldiers can put up with a great deal of stressors in their environment as long as they can enjoy nutritious tasty food.

As the summer weather approaches, all dog and cat pet parents must be prepared to manage different sanitation problems associated with pet “poo”. Also, summer temperatures will have a significant influence on pet food and water. Here are some handy reminders:

1. Clean your scooper after each pooper. Picking up a recent deposit leaves a pooper scooper ready for flies and potential contamination of other places. I prefer to spray the pooper scooper with substances known to neutralize odors, and disinfect surfaces without harming the environment, pet or human caretakers.
2. Spray the splat right where it is at. Use a commercial or homemade spray that will prevent bacteria and viruses from spreading from the impact area of the waste material.
3. Wipe and go before they know. Dogs learn really quickly if you fiddle around with their backsides after leaving a deposit. Whatever personality you attribute to your dog, the least amount of distress during fecal material egress, is best. But, the kindest service you can give to your household furniture, rug, and human inhabitants, is a proper wipe of the dark side’s orifice.
4. Avoid haste; Isolate exposure to body waste. Properly dispose of wastes in approved containers and in socially acceptable manners.
5. Prevention and intervention. Wash your hands or use safe and effective hand sanitizers after dealing with a pet’s bathroom break.
6. Organize and prepare before they are there. Once a dog messes its environment and “dirties” its dark side, you should be prepared to respond accordingly. Organize a “search and destroy kit” for efficient cleaning and disinfecting after the target area for waste removal is decided by your pet.

When water, food and fuel were “strangled” by the environmental conditions surrounding Rommel’s troops, they suffered from all types of problems. Rommel suffered so much from the bad latrines that he developed dysentery and monumental stomach problems. Rommel’s personal doctors forced him to go back to Germany.

The importance of proper bathroom hygiene and tasty food will forever be a part of the defeat of Rommel; will it influence you in your decisions for proper pet care? If you believe that you do not need to wipe and go, and that all pet diets are wholesome and nutritious, then you should prepare for the consequences.

Perfect, protect, and disinfect your pet’s more critical environmental areas of interaction and you will enjoy their individuality and love without adverse consequences.