What to do if your Dog ate Cat Litter?
If your dog has ate a bit of cat litter, more than likely there is no need to worry. It will potentially irritate his intestinal tract but it should pass through with time. If you notice a large amount of discomfort from your dog, here are a few recommendations:
- Offer him milk: We find that cow’s milk can be help pass things through a dog’s digestive system.
- Administer 1 tsp of Miralax every 24 hours: Mix this into dog’s food once a day until irritation has passed.
- The best option may be hairball control for dogs which costs $29 on Amazon.
Related article: What to do if your dog ate an extension cord
Dog Ate Clumping Cat Litter?
If your dog ate clumping cat litter, the problem might be a little harder to solve. This is because clumping cat litter contains a high level of bentonite which quickly absorbs large volumes of liquid. Obviously this can be a concern if the clumping cat litter gets stuck inside the body.
The best way to help a dog that ate clumping cat litter is to get it out of your dog’s system as quick as possible. There are usually two ways you can do this.
The quickest way is to give your dog a lot of water or a dog safe laxative. This will help your dog pass the litter quickly through their digestive system. You can also try to force your dog to throw up the litter. You should not force your dog to vomit if they ate the litter more than twenty minutes ago.
If your dog ate cat poop, you should check out my article on how to clean dog’s mouth after they eat cat poop.
Hairball Medication We Recommend If Your Dog Ate Cat Litter:
Organic Pet Grass
Yes, you read that correctly. Pet grass is an all natural plant that your dog or cat can eat as a digestive aid. This is perfect for cat litter and for hairball control. The plant contains high concentrations of Folic Acid and Fiber which moves oxygen into the blood stream and produces hemoglobin. This helps remove blockages caused by cat litter and hairballs. The grass contains wheat, oats, and barley and only takes 4-7 days to grow. We used Pet Grass for our dog that was struggling with hairballs and it worked really well. Its also is very cheap, and can be bought from Amazon for $15.
How to stop dog from eating cat litter
One of the most effective ways to stop your dog from eating cat litter is making sure the litter doesn’t leave the box. The best way to keep the litter from spreading through your house is to invest in a cat litter mat. It captures and collects the cat litter that is left on your cat’s feet when it walks away from the litter box. For a limited time, you can purchase this Cat Litter Mat for only $15 on Amazon.
Dog Ate Cat Litter: What to do
If your dog ate cat litter and irritation continues beyond a few days or your dog shows signs of a loss of appetite at any point, it is recommended to have your dog evaluated by a vet. Your vet will likely start with a physical observation to asses the severity. The vet might need to perform an x-ray to see what is causing the continual irritation in your dog’s digestive system . In rare circumstance, this may require a surgery to get the blockage through the gut.
If this becomes a common occurrence it may begin to take a permanent toll on the dog’s digestive tract and you should find a solution for the sake of your dog’s health. In order to avoid occurrences in the future, we would recommend moving the kitty litter box to a more discrete location and potentially blocking it off with a baby gate. If you put the litter box in a tough to reach area of the house, this should block your pup from getting to it.
If it is a one off occurrence, the worse outcome will more than likely just be some brief intestinal blockage and bad breath! You should feel good that you are not alone. We hear many reports of dogs eating cat poop and getting into the litter box, and almost all symptoms are cured within a few days.
Is cat litter toxic to dogs?
No, cat litter is not toxic to dogs.
While cat litter is not toxic to dogs, it is very hard for them to properly digest it. Therefore, most dogs will either throw up cat litter, or it will cause them to have diarrhea.
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Why Do Dogs Eat Cat Poop?
Simply put, because it tastes good to them. Yuck is right, but this is because cats are carnivores with high protein diets and their poop often contains digested meats. Also, as we all know, puppies love a small sample of everything! Your daughter’s prom shoes, your car keys, your brand new sofa, and yes, even cat poop can seem appetizing to a newborn puppy. The scented odors in cat litter may also be at the root cause of your pups interest.
Luckily cat litter itself is non toxic. If your dog is acting weird and you suspect something else, you should check out why do dogs whine at night to learn about other issues that may be bothering your dog.
In the future, you can protect your dog by using Tofu Cat Litter. Since tofu is 100% biodegradable, it passes safely through your dog’s digestive system if eaten.
Also, if your dog ate something very toxic, you should check out our article on how to make your dog vomit without hydrogen peroxide?