Can Dogs Get Sick or Die From Eating Cat Poop? The Truth
Having your dog eat cat poo can be a really disgusting habit. They might do it regularly and maybe even leave little presents for you around the house. This can be quite annoying, especially if you have guests over and they see this.
One main concern that a lot of dog owners have is “can a dog get sick or even die from eating cat poop?”. The short answer to this question is a shocking YES. Keep reading to know how this is possible and what you can do to prevent your best friend from getting sick or worse…
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How Cat Poop Make Dogs Sick?
It’s no secret that poop is dirty, but just how dirty? The answer is shocking. Feline feces contains many toxic parasites that not only harm your canine, but also humans!
T. Gondii Parasite
The main concern is a parasite called T. gondii parasite. This parasite is extremely dangerous and can cause toxoplasmosis. Some of the symptoms that may be exhibited by a dog that is infected are: seizures, muscle weakness, lack of coordination, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss.
The symptoms are treated with antibiotics and the good news is that most of the time dogs will have a full recovery.
Giardia
Giardia is a protozoan organism that comes out in cat poop as a cyst. This parasite can make your pet very ill if it gets in his system.
All it takes is one sniff of infected cat crap and the cysts will get into his nose and possibly into his intestinal system. From there it can survive for a long time and cause all kinds of issues with your dog’s health.
The good news is that it can be successfully treated with medication and they usually have a full recovery. Dogs with suppressed immune systems or older pets might have a harder time recovering.
Escherichia Coli and Clostridium
These are some other common parasites that can be found in your canine’s favorite snack. They can potentially cause food poisoning type symptoms when dogs are affected by them.
Worms in Cat Feces
There are a few different types of worms that can be found in cat poop. It’s important to educate yourself about the symptoms of a dog with worms.
Roundworms
Cat leftovers can contain round worms. Any cat that has this gross kind of worm will end up pooping some of them out. This is very bad news for our poop eating puppy, as they can ingest these worms and even become a host for the roundworms if they ate the eggs.
It’s even possible for the worms to enter the dog’s body through other ways. One way is if they lick their paws after walking over a site where a cat has buried their scat.
Hookworms
This gross type of worm is spread through the skin. So the main concern here would be if Fido has a disgusting habit of rolling around in his little presents. The worms in the poo could get inside him through the skin where they then wreak havoc on his health.
Whipworms
Whipworms, on the other hand, get into the K9 through ingestion. This can happen through ingestion or licking any area with them on it.
Cat Litter Toxicity
While most cat litter brands these days aren’t using a huge amount of toxic chemicals, there might be some smaller, less reputable brands that cut corners during the manufacturing process.
Litter that is manufactured outside North America might not be subject to the same laws and regulations. This means some litter brands could contain toxic chemical leftovers. It pays to get a good brand to avoid this.
Poop Can Make Dogs Gain Weight
This might sound silly and gross, but poop does, in fact, contain calories. If Fido is ingesting enough cat treats, it could contribute to obesity which would cause other health-related issues.
How Cat Litter Can Kill Dogs – MUST READ
There are some dogs that like to eat fast. You’ll know if your pooch is one of these. The problem is when your pooch eats poop, they also eat some litter along with it. This might seem harmless but can actually be fatal.
Gastric Distention
There are types of litter that clump to make it easier to scoop out of the cat box. The main component of this litter is bentonite and old dirt. When these ingredients come into contact with moisture they can basically turn into a cement-like substance.
It’s possible for an eager pooch to eat a bunch of clumps too fast and end up choking on them. This could end up causing something called gastric distention. Here’s something lots of pet owners aren’t aware of. Clumping litter grows up to 15 times its original size when it absorbs the liquid.
When the litter gets to the their stomach or intestines it will come into contact with liquid and swell massively. This could cause a MAJOR blockage which would require VERY expensive surgery in order to save your best friend from a fatal gastric rupture!
Any dog that has a serious intestinal blockage has about 4-36 hours to get veterinarian help before it’s too late.
Venous Strangulation
Another possible problem caused by the clumping cat litter is venous strangulation. This is when blood keeps getting pumped into the intestine, but the cat litter blockage prevents it from flowing back out. The result is that fluid leaks into the abdominal cavity and causes shock along with tissue death from the lack of oxygen.
The Solution: A Good Dog Proof Litter Box
The solution to protect your best friend from getting sick or worse is actually very easy. You just need a special litter box that will prevent them from getting inside. You can learn more about dog proof litter boxes here.
These litter boxes are specially designed to stop your pooch from getting at the goodies inside and helping to keep him healthy and parasite free. Pick up one today, you won’t regret it.
Conclusion
I hope that this article didn’t frighten all the dog owners out there too much. However, it’s important to be aware of the potential consequences that eating cat poop and litter can have. Follow the advice in this post to prevent that from happening in the first place.
