diff --git a/litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/analytics_endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/analytics_endpoints.py
index 8e6f9922470..d40e6bad8cd 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/analytics_endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/analytics_endpoints.py
@@ -143,6 +143,15 @@ async def get_prompt_cache_activity(
             detail={"error": "Please provide start_date and end_date"},
         )
 
+    for label, value in (("start_date", start_date), ("end_date", end_date)):
+        try:
+            datetime.strptime(value, "%Y-%m-%d")
+        except ValueError:
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
+                detail={"error": f"{label} must be in YYYY-MM-DD format"},
+            )
+
     from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import prisma_client
 
     if prisma_client is None:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/test_analytics_endpoints.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/test_analytics_endpoints.py
index b830563378b..dd282e5bd8d 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/test_analytics_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/analytics_endpoints/test_analytics_endpoints.py
@@ -98,6 +98,20 @@ def test_prompt_cache_activity_requires_dates(client, monkeypatch):
     assert response.status_code == 400
 
 
+def test_prompt_cache_activity_rejects_bad_date_format(client, monkeypatch):
+    query_raw = AsyncMock(return_value=[])
+    _set_prisma(monkeypatch, query_raw)
+
+    response = client.get(
+        "/global/activity/cache_hits/prompt_caching",
+        params={"start_date": "07/10/2026", "end_date": "2026-07-18"},
+    )
+
+    assert response.status_code == 400
+    assert "start_date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format" in response.text
+    query_raw.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
 def test_prompt_cache_activity_no_prisma(client, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server, "prisma_client", None)