Do you keep a senior dog at home? Care for him in his old age in all aspects, down to his litter box. Here are some ways to help you create a senior dog litter box:
- Start with the box. You can choose to construct your own box made of wood, or you can just easily get a plastic container big and wide enough for your dog. This second option may be more economical and efficient, especially if you already have a good plastic container you can use. The question here is how big the litter box should be. Your main consideration here obviously is the size of your dog. Your dog should be able to comfortably circle around this box (which is what many dogs do before they “go”). Also, it should be deep enough so you can put cat litter in about a depth of 3 inches and it won’t spill over; and yet it shouldn’t be too deep that your senior dog will have a hard time getting inside. Usually, a four-sided box measuring 42 x 42 inches and 10 inches deep should suffice.
- Layer in cat litter. Purchase dog/cat litter and layer it onto the box, about a depth of 3 inches. Purchase odor-controlling, non-toxic dog litter through online websites such as everclean.com, petsathome.com and doglitter.com.
- Put in a sifter. A sifter can be any material with netting that allows you to get the clumps from the litter box without having to scoop them out one by one. You can purchase netting from any hardware or home improvement store, and just make sure that it adequately fits the surface area of the box. Put in the sifter to the bottom of the litter box, after you put in the kitty litter.
- Cover the box with synthetic sod or gravel. To recreate an environment that your dog is comfortable with, you could top his litter box with synthetic sod or gravel, depending on whether he’s used to “doing his business” in grass, or in cement. Lay this on top of the sifter.
- Regularly clean your dog’s litter box. Now that you have your dog’s litter box, it’s very important that you keep it clean regularly. This will help your dog actually like using it (though they’re not really as fastidious as cats), plus it will help keep your dog clean and away from the danger of disease and infestations. Cleaning your dog’s litter box entails scooping out clumps daily or at least thrice a week; changing the cat/dog litter regularly, and completely cleaning the box at least once a month.
Remember to put litter boxes in different areas of your house, especially if you have an upper floor. This is to help your senior dog do his business more easily, especially if he has mobility problems. After all, your dog’s litter box is easy enough to construct, and you can easily make about two or even three in one afternoon. Your dog must certainly be worth all your effort. Good luck!