My dog eats cat poop. What are the risks and how can I stop it?

Question

So my dog keeps getting in the litter box and eating cat poop. We have a small house and there's not too many places we can put the litter pan where the cat has 24 hour access to it. We've tried putting up a baby gate, and she either jumps over it or wiggles underneath it. And I cannot afford an automatic litter pan. What are the long term affects of her doing this? And how can I get her to stop? And why is she so addicted to eating poop???! Pet's info: Dog | Black and Tan Coonhound | Female | spayed

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, dogs love eating poop! They find it tasty, and while that is completely gross, it's not uncommon. My own dogs try to treat the cat's litter box like a buffet. Eating the poop can at most cause them some GI upset in the form of vomiting. You can try elevating the litter box so your cat can jump up to it, but Farrah can't reach it. You can layer baby gates on top of each other, one with the bottom touching the ground and the other right on top of it. That should prevent her from wriggling under the gate and jumping over it. You might also consider keeping the door shut to the room where the litter box is, and installing a cat door in the door. That way, your cat can get in the room, but your dog cannot. I hope one of these suggestions help.

My dog eats cat poop. What are the risks and how can I stop it?

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