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Dear Abby,
We have two cats; our male cat is 12 years old and our female cat is 5 years old. One of them has started to use the carpeted basement family room as a bathroom. It started out as only an occasional #2 in the corner of the room and has gradually become more frequent. In the past it was only #2, but over our recent week-long vacation, we came home to cat pee smell in the basement and it has been recurring daily since then. First, I’m not entirely sure which cat it is, but I have my suspicions that it is the older cat. I have seen the younger cat using the litter box but not the older cat which he used to paw around in the litter and I haven’t noticed that recently. When this first started happening we changed the litter box to a new one with lower sides (thinking perhaps the older cat was becoming arthritic), but that didn’t change anything. We scoop the litter at least every other day if not every day and have used the same brand for years. How do we remedy this problem? Please help!
Missy B
Dear Missy B-
I am very sorry to hear of your cat’s inappropriate elimination issues. Unfortunately, this is a very common problem. I hope that some of the suggestions I have will help.First, I recommend you take your cats to your veterinarian for exams, fecal floats, and a urine evaluation. There are certain underlying medical issues that can cause cats to go outside of the box (ie urinary tract infections, parasites, etc.).
There are many things that you can do at home that may help the situation. Veterinarians who are animal behaviorists recommend that owners have one litter box for every cat plus one. In your situation that would be three litter boxes. I suggest you try putting a different type of litter in each box. My cat, Ray, really likes the pine litter from the Animal House. You can also try the Cat Attract Litter (http://www.theanimalhouse.net/products/Cat_Attract_Litter_20lbs-72-15.html). It is recommended that you scoop every day & change to a fresh litter once a week.
Sometimes inappropriate elimination will stop when owners add Rescue Remedy to their pet’s water. I would put 4-8 drops in the water once a day. If you live near Damariscotta you can find this at the Rising Tide.
Finally, you can find extensive information on inappropriate elimination at www.veterinarypartner.com.
Good luck, Missy!
Abby Strobbe, DVM -
Dear Abby,
My five year old Cocker Spaniel has been on a restrictive diet of Duck and Potato kibble for over 3 years due to her skin allergies. She has developed an annoying habit of getting into any available waste basket and eating tissues and tearing up paper.
Even after securing waste baskets out of her reach she has now attacked the toilet paper and is eating that right off the rolls. She also eats any remaining grass clumps left over from mowing, whether dry or wet. This is really becoming a problem both as a behavioralissue, and I am afraid she will create a digestive blockage of some sort. Is there a dietary deficiency, or is this a behavioral problem? I would really love any suggestions you might have.Thank you,
Cheryl EDear Cheryl-
I am really sorry to hear that your Cocker Spaniel is so driven to ‘help’ with taking out the trash. I have a hunch that she is too smart for her own good & could use a little more stimulation. I would suggest that she receive at least one meal from a treat dispensing dog toy daily (Tug a Jug, Treatstik). She will have to use her 007 detective skills to learn how to get her meal out of the ball. She will spend more time working for her food & less time looking for paper to shred.Also, dogs who receive two leash walks a day tend to be better balanced. I am guilty of letting my dogs out to run around in the yard as I do our farm chores a majority of the time. It is pretty amazing to see their eyes light up when I break out the leash for a real walk. There is something to be said for that connection you get with your pet as you are working together as a team for a good walk. If you can only squeak out five minutes twice a day it will really make a difference in her life.
It is difficult to determine if your dog is being destructive due to a dietary deficiency. My suggestion would be to ask your veterinarian what foods would be ‘legal’ to feed her as a snack. She may appreciate a few more veggies in her diet since she is really searching out the grass clumps. Even though she is on a restrictive diet there are some veggies etc that are allowed. If you stick with cooling veggies and fruits (ie lettuce, celery, cucumber, watermelon, banana) your dog is less likely to have a flare up of her skin allergies.
As you seek additional options for your pet you may find yourself thinking about your diet etc. I would recommend you consider getting the book Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. I came across this book during my acupuncture training, and it has been an eye-opener.
Good luck with your dog, Cheryl. Keep us posted on her progress.
-Abby Strobbe, DVM
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Dear Abby,
I actually have a real question…this totally grosses me out but I’m sure there’s an explanation for why it happens.We have two male labs…Sam (yellow, 10) and Kernel (black, 8). I keep the yard picked up regularly (daily, if not more), but without fail Sam finds pleasure in eating Kernel’s poo. Why does he do this? Other than standing immediately behind them while they’re doing their business (which is not always possible anyways), what can I do to prevent this? It even happens right after they eat a meal. YUCK!
Thanks Doc
-AaronDear Aaron-
I am sorry to hear about Sam’s offensive taste buds. Coprophagia is a fairly common problem in dogs, and can be caused by a variety of conditions including a behavioral issue, poor digestion, or an underlying medical problem.If you would like to try training Sam to not eat Kernel’s feces there is a really good training exercise explained on the website www.veterinarypartner.com. A simple ‘poop eating’ search will get you into the canine behavior series on the website.
There are food additives that make the feces taste unpleasant. You can feed Kernel SEP (Stop Eating Poop – Solid Gold) or Coprophagia Deterrent (NaturVet).
Sometimes a change in diet can help, and based on Sam’s current issues I would suggest considering switching him to a grain-free food. Aubrey, Dan, and their fine employees at The Animal House can help you pick out an over-the-counter brand that Sam & Kernel would enjoy.
Lastly, I would recommend a good check up with your vet including a senior blood panel and a fecal sample to rule out intestinal parasites, hypothyroidism, and other internal medical conditions that can cause dogs to seek more calories – no matter how repulsive we may find their snacking habits.
Best of luck, Aaron!
-Abby Strobbe, DVM
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