Ask The Vet: Why won’t cat use all the space in roomy litter box?

I have a 10-year-old cat. He’s a large cat and the litter box is big enough so that he has plenty of room. But when he uses the litter box, he does everything around the opening.  This results in him stepping in the wet litter and tracking it through the house and it hardens between his paws. Can you give me any suggestions on how to get him to use the whole litter box? 

—Delane Morris, Edgewood

Delane, litter box issues can be extremely frustrating and inappropriate litter box use is one of the most common causes for cats to end up in the veterinary office or abandoned at shelters. Your case may be a bit tricky because your kitty is using the litter box and certainly doesn’t grasp the idea that because he’s not utilizing the entire box, he is tracking litter!

I do have some potential tricks to try. I know you mentioned he is large and the box seems big enough for his stature, but I would suggest trying a box that is larger than what you think he needs. Sometimes this means getting creative, for example using large, low-walled storage bins as the litter box — under the bed storage boxes are great for this.

Another thought is to try different types of litter. It’s possible that he doesn’t like the texture or type of litter that you’re using, especially if it is clumping in his paws. You didn’t mention if the box you are currently using is covered or uncovered but this is another feature to play around with. Finally, you could consider placing litter mats outside of the box, if you haven’t already, to trap litter as he exits his box.

Our beautiful golden/German shepherd mix is a rescue. His name is Apollo. Our boy has so many health concerns, I do not know where to begin, but it seems that most of them come from allergies. When we got him, most of his fur was gone, but after one year we got him all straightened out by realizing he was allergic to chicken. Fast forward to the last eight months and now most of his underbelly is covered in little black specks and most of his fur in that area is gone. He is itching all the time and digging at his skin. He does not have fleas and we take him to the vet, but the meds, allergy meds, and shots are not working anymore. Any clue what may be wrong?

—Lisa and Courtney Ford, North East

Skin problems are among the most frustrating issues that pet owners face and it seems like you’ve taken a lot of the steps I would recommend, from eliminating certain proteins from the diet to allergy medications. If these things have stopped being effective, I have a few additional thoughts.

First, you mentioned that Apollo does not have fleas, however, you didn’t mention which flea prevention he is on. Fleas cannot be completely ruled out, even if you don’t see them, until a pet is taking appropriate flea prevention. Next, it’s probably worth considering full blood work, including a thyroid panel, to rule out metabolic disease that can result in secondary skin issues. Finally, if you’ve done both of these things it may be worth visiting a veterinary dermatologist to have Apollo worked up even further.

As a final thought, it’s probably worth mentioning that German shepherds are the unfortunate poster children for a variety of autoimmune skin disorders that could be contributing to some of Apollo’s issues. A dermatologist can help get you on the right track.

Ask the Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions and photos to vet@baltsun.com.