{"id":13867,"date":"2024-11-27T22:29:45","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T03:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.protrainings.com\/blog\/?p=13867"},"modified":"2025-11-16T19:02:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T00:02:44","slug":"the-doggone-dangers-of-dogs-raiding-litter-boxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.protrainings.com\/blog\/the-doggone-dangers-of-dogs-raiding-litter-boxes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Doggone Dangers of Dogs Raiding Litter Boxes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kitty Candy<\/h3>\n

Some dogs just can\u2019t say no to opportunities to grab poop deposited by the family cat in the litter box. There is the obvious reaction from many of us \u2013 yuck! Gross! And, definitely, we do our best not to be on the receiving end of a doggy kiss, right?But coming up with an effective way to prevent your dog from accessing your cat\u2019s litter box just may save his life.<\/p>\n

For starters, the poo could contain intestinal parasites that could cause infections. Keeping all pets in your home up to date on their needed parasitic preventives can reduce the risk of infection from roundworms and salmonella.<\/p>\n

Far too many dogs and some cats who overgroom can face health consequences from swallowing clay-based litter. This litter can clump inside the body, causing the animal to choke and even suffer from abdominal obstruction that may require surgical removal.<\/p>\n

Oliver’s Clump<\/h3>\n

Take the case of Oliver. He is my sister\u2019s goofy schnoodle who came for a visit to my home about a year ago. He loves playing with my dogs, Kona and Emma, and has a lot of respect for our four cats.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the doggy gate leading into our mud room where litter boxes are was not completely closed, Oliver snuck in for a cat litter snack. He had litter pieces on his muzzle. Within hours, he was acting punkish. He turned down dinner and his abdomen became tender to touch. He also vomited.<\/p>\n

We realized we needed to take him to the veterinary clinic pronto. We bagged up and brought his vomit that confirmed he had swallowed litter. X-rays confirmed the presence of a litter clump inside him. Because it was caught soon, veterinarians were able to give medication to Oliver to enable him to push it out his rectum. But, had we waited, he may have faced surgery to remove the mass.<\/p>\n

This was a serious lesson learned by all of us. We are much more vigilant and have added a higher gate with a small hole for our cats to access when they need to use a litterbox.<\/p>\n

Signs Your Pooch has Been Snacking on Kitty Snickers<\/h3>\n

If you have a cat-dog household, be alert for these other signs that your dog may have raided the litter box:<\/p>\n