StanleyandIris
Louisiana
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My sweet lab is 12 years old, getting a little senile and started eating cat poop from the litter box about a week ago. Why? He has never done this before and it is grossing me out.
He is also barking at nothing - constantly. Stares into space a lot but has learned to open the sliding glass door with his foot. Go figure - an old dog can learn new tricks. He worries about my other dog being outside, it makes him nervous and he barks until she comes inside. Strange, new behaviors. But the kitty poop thing has to stop.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Iris
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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Litter box may contain something that is sweet tasting? Just a guess. Perhaps something in that brand of litter that tastes good, perhaps something used to make it not smell bad?
He might just prefer a bowl of kitty litter, (test with about a teaspoonful, and see if he wanted to eat the cat litter as a treat) less the cat deposits, in which case I would say the dog is crazy, and eating the stuff because it is sweet taste. Put the cat box out of his reach. The cats will have to learn to jump for it!
Fred.
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Old-Biscuit
Across the USA
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Dog's version of 'Almond Rocha'
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Code2High
One hour past Nowhere, CA
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He is probably experiencing a lot of emotional distress. That comes from realizing that it took him TWELVE YEARS to discover the joys of CAT POOP! All dogs love cat poop, it's just that a few haven't learned that they love cat poop.... yet. Yours used to be in that category.... now he isn't. I suggest a baby gate and the kitty toidy in a room he can't go into.
On the senility thing, you'll want to see a vet and probably they'll want to get a look at his blood values, ensure that there's nothing going on (kidneys, liver, blood sugar...) that could be causing a problem. After that there are some meds you can try, and I'll say I've had some luck with sam-e in a senile old dog. Pheremones can also help with anxiety, and they make those in collars these days. Ten bucks at wallyworld..... might be worth a try.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
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eHoefler
ozark mountains
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Check with your Vet, there is a powder you can sprinkle on your cat's food to make the poo unpalatable.
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BCSnob
Middletown, MD
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Do you think there are changes in vision or hearing in your 12 year old and he is relying upon your other dog to compensate for these changes?
Mark
Mark & Renee
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amxpress
Clayton, NC
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Our treeing walker coon hound also likes to treat herself to the kitty litter box so we bought one of these:
Top Entry Kitty Litter Box
Seems to work well and the cat doesn't know the difference.
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Klueck
Florida
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It's what dogs do!
Our Lab ate cat poop all his life...no matter how much we yelled at him.
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Wills250psd
walnutcove NC
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I once had a CHOW that skipped the poop and went straight to the source, for some reason he hated cats. Maybe they picked on him when he was little LOL. I would change the cats food or litter.
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dturm
Munster, IN
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Charmin started doing this recently and we've blocked off the litter box.
The a few things you can put on the cat's food. Forbid is a brand name of a material but I've found that using MSG sprinkled on the cat's food works as well. Sprinkle like salting your food. MSG does not seem to have any side effects in most cats. (MSG either generic or Accent).
Doug, DVM
Doug & Sandy
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