The Pet Cleaner's Club

Post by Zoe Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (canine/feline)

 Are you the designated pet cleaner up-er in your household? When your dog poops on the floor or vomits up some disgusting half-chewed up toy or dead animal, does everyone wave their arms in the air and wail, “Mom…Misty puked!” Or my all-time favorite: “Eww! Callie peed on the rug again.”  Everyone other than you is paralyzed in the face of pet elimination. They are enthusiastic about pointing out the mess, but then walk away in pride as if they’ve completed their job. You are left to deal. So, you close off all sense of smell and swallow that knot of disgust that’s churning your stomach and pull out the cleaners. Been there?  Have you ever had a rough day at work only to arrive home last and discover the pet disaster has been preserved just for you like a crime scene roped off with DO NOT CROSS tape? And, the mess is now crusted into an almost permanent new layer on the beautiful area rug.

Maybe we’re the strongest one in the family, the heroes that can deal with this. Or maybe we’re the chumps that somehow got roped into this disgusting duty. But I want you to know that you are not alone. I see us as the heroes. I’m here to give you a helpful list of tools to help you fix that mess and get rid of the smell. I've accrued this list over years of suggestions and trial-and-error because, trust me, I've had a lot of messes to contend with over the years.

Cleaners that work:

            URINE OFF - there is a formula for dogs and one for cats

           Anti-Icky Poo!

           Eco-88

Odor removers (to use after cleaning):

            F.O.N.

            Elimin Odor Feline

            Cat-Off Odor Concentrate

The list isn't long but that's it. They work. You will read many online that use some of the natural easily available products like Nature's Best, but unfortunately this product like many is very sensitive to temperature and can be affected by other cleaners that you use. So, I can't recommend it.

Got any other suggestions that you've discovered? Leave a comment! We members of the Pet Cleaner's Club need all the help we can get.