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Puppy got litter in nose from digging. How to stop cat box access?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Staffordshire Terrier | Male | neutered | 5 months and 27 days old | 79 lbs

Hercules is a puppy and a couple days ago got a runny nose and started sneezing a lot and he does this especially when we got outside I thought he had a cold but then today I noticed that he has cat litter inside his nose because he goes digging for the cat poop not sure if the litter is stuck in his nose or if he just got done digging in the cat box and that is why but I seen litter inside his nose what can I do to get that cat litter out of his nose and to get him stop digging in the cat box?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 7th, 2018

Hello, sorry you are having this issue.

You will not be able to prevent him from digging in the litter box. The best option is to prevent him from having access to it. What most people do is put the litter box in a room and use a baby gate to block the doorway. The cat can jump in over the gate but Hercules will not be able to. You can always consult a professional trainer as they may have some training ideas but there are none that I am aware of.

Honestly, it is better for the dog not to have access to the litter box for other reasons too. Cats like privacy when they use the box - the cat won't want to use the box if the puppy is bothering him. Then you will end up with him peeing/pooping around the house instead of using the box. Also, litter (if Hercules eats it) can cause a blockage in his intestines which can be deadly. Really, it is best for him not to have access to the box.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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