Why Is My Puppy Eating Cat Poop?

Two days before Thanksgiving 2020 a stray cat had been left on my doorstep. They always say if you feed a stray it will never leave..but I could no more turn away a hungry animal than I could a friend. And since we live in the country and have a buffet of mice in our horse barn I figured why not just keep him he might help my female cat Bella keep the population down. He had been hanging out on my enclosed back porch in hopes of more food and Bella was in the yard. Since they had been hissing at each other off and on all morning I just left him on the porch while I ran quickly to town.

When I came home and opened the back door I realized “new cat” didn’t know how to get out and had pooped somewhere on the enclosed porch. As soon as I let my Dachshund’s Rosie and Annie out to do their business – Rosie my 11 month old when straight to the puppy bed and found the evidence – he had even covered it up. Before I could catch her she had grabbed a piece.. yuck!

So I decided to take a few minutes and research what makes dogs do this. I want to share what I learned in hopes it will help others going through the same situation.

Why is my puppy eating cat poo?

Let’s face it: Some dogs will eat anything— Which is one of the main reasons I don’t like when dogs lick me on the face. Who knows where their mouth has been?

While you might think cat poop smells gross, it probably smells like cat food to your dog. The veterinarian said that the dog with it’s hypersensitive nose can smell the delicious leftovers, if you will, in the poo.

They also said not much you can do about the dog eating feces except to get it picked up as quickly as possible.

Is It Normal for a Dog to Eat Cat Poop?

You will have guessed the answer by now and it is of course very normal for a puppy to eat cat poop. To them it is a treat and if they get the opportunity, then they will treat this like a tasty snack. The puppy works on a simple philosophy of waste nothing when it comes to food.

They will take any opportunity to snack. Cat food is mainly meat and if they smell any undigested, or partly digested food in cat poop, then they will want to eat it. Dogs are by nature scavengers and if they sniff food, then they will want to eat it.

 You should feel good that you are not alone. I’ve read many comments of people saying that their dogs were eating cat poop and getting into the litter box, and almost all symptoms are cured within a few days.

Will My puppy get sick?

Puppy’s can pick up disease’s from eating cat poo. While many puppy’s eat cat poop, and they’re fine, eating any poop carries the potential for the puppy to contract harmful bacteria and parasites. Some of these bacteria, like salmonella, for example, can be transmitted to humans.

Your puppy could get intestinal parasites from eating fecal material. Hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and Giardia could be transmitted from coprophagy (the medical term for eating fecal material). These parasites can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, weight loss and anemia. Be sure to keep your puppy on monthly heartworm prevention, as that also prevents most intestinal parasites, and if the cat goes outside, be sure to have him on preventatives, as well. Theoretically, a puppy could also get sick if they ate a large amount of cat litter, since it absorbs moisture and could cause constipation or an obstruction.

What Should I do AFTER my puppy ate cat poo?

If you find that your dog has ate a bit of cat litter, more than likely, this isn’t something that should be overly worrisome. 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 about $29 on Amazon.

But if he appears to have difficulty pooping, does not poop, or if his poop is abnormal, you should call your veterinarian.

What Can I Do To Make My Puppy Stop?

No one specific thing works for breaking the puppy from doing this but here are some suggestions that’s been found successful over the years. Basically, as with everything else, it all comes down to two things: prevention and training. That being said, make sure you’re feeding your puppy a high-quality puppy food. That means no artificial flavors/colors, no meat by-products, no sugar, corn or wheat. Meat should be the first 2 ingredients on the label. Consider adding a high-quality supplement to your puppy’s food. Sometimes kitty treat sneaking is a sign of nutritional deficiency.

9 Ways to Stop Your Dog from Eating Cat Poop Once and for All

1. Teach Your Dog the ‘Leave It’ Command.
2. Keep Your Dog Busy.
3. Use Fences to Keep Them Away.
4. Clean the Litter Box ASAP.
5. Get Dog Proof Litter Boxes.
6. Add Black Pepper or Hot Sauce in the Litter Box.
7. Give Your Dogs Proper Nutrition.
8. Buy Stool Deterrents — Like For-bid or NO POO treats and feed it to your cats. It’s an enzyme that your cats won’t taste but the dogs will when they eat the poop. It makes it taste so bad that they will stop eating it.
9. When all else fails – Use Tofu Cat Litter to protect your dog. Since tofu is 100% biodegradable, it passes safely through your dog’s digestive system if eaten.

8 Of The Best Cat Litter Boxes

Best Overall	Catit Jumbo Hooded Cat Litter Pan – “This litter box is super simple to clean and refresh with new litter.”
“Best Budget:	Van Ness High-Sided Cat Litter Pan – “Reviewers enjoy the affordable price point and design.”
“Best Splurge:	Litter Robot Litter-Robot 3 Connect at Litter-robot.com – “Scooping waste will be a thing of the past as the Wi-Fi-enabled self-cleaning litter box sifts out clumps as soon as your cat exits.”
“Best Automatic:	PetSafe Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box – “An automated litter box that’s easy to maintain.”
“Best Design:	IRIS USA, Inc. Top Entry Cat Litter Box with Scoop – “The IRIS Litter Box proves that litter boxes can look sleek and stylish.”
“Best Hidden:	New Age Pet ecoFlex Litter Loo – “Your guests won’t know the ecoFlex Litter Loo is actually your cats’ litter box.”
“Best Disposable:	Nature’s Miracle Disposable Litter Box – “A hassle-free way to keep your litter box clean and fresh.”
“Best Self-Flushing:	CatGenie Self-Washing Self-Flushing Cat Box – “You never have to touch or change litter again.”

Tell us:  Has your pup been snacking on cat poop? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

Share Now!