In extreme circumstances, dogs can survive on cat food, but it’s always wise to avoid doing so as a regular part of your dog’s diet because cats and dogs have different nutritional needs. Using cat food frequently on your pooch can cause long-term health damage.
Can Dogs Eat Cat Food?
Dogs can eat cat food-be it wet or dry-as a snack or in an emergency, but feeding a dog with cat food for a long time can result in health problems for the dog. This is because cats and dogs require different diets, and the pet foods that fall into the specific diet requirements of either one are made with that in mind.
Veterinarians sometimes recommend that underweight puppies be fed cat food for a short period to gain some pounds. A pet care consultant will advise you on whether your dog needs supplementation to his diet with protein and if the cat food is suitable for your pet’s health.
Is Cat Food Bad for Dogs? Health Concerns
Dog owners must avoid feeding their dog cat food daily since:
- Cat food causes health problems Dogs need less protein than cats do; hence, cat food consists of a higher amount of proteins. Providing dogs with only cat food will cause them to suffer more from high-protein health conditions such as pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), liver damage, overweight, and malfunctioning kidneys. Cat food can cause gastrointestinal disorders of dogs having sensitive stomachs that may range from gastritis, flatulence, and diarrhea.
- Dogs should be fed more resourcefully. Even though cats are obligate carnivores, which means their long-term health is determined by non-meat foods, dogs are omnivores; they should receive a combination of meat, vegetables, and carbs in their diet. Cat food is composed of a mixture of different meats, while vegetable and carb combinations comprise dog food. A dog, hence misses some fundamental nutrients from its diet if it only feeds on cat food.
- It has only nutrients that cats require. Cats need vitamins and minerals in different quantities than a dog does; cats require more niacin and require compounds that breeds of dogs do not, including amino acids such as taurine and arginine.
When feeding cat food to your dog, you should gradually switch over to dog food by adding one scoop of dog kibble, or wet dog food, and subtracting one scoop of cat kibble, or wet cat food, every few days. Slow transition gets the stomach of your dog accustomed to this change, and you may not have to incur the irritation that will be associated with an instantaneous change in food.
What to Do if Your Dog Eats Cat Food
If your dog steals cat food from the food bowl, try feeding your pets in different rooms, you may use a baby gate for temporary separation, or feed the kitty on an elevated spot, out of reach for your dog, like on a cat tower.
Before Sharing With Your Pooch
Some foods that are part of a dog’s diet can have adverse reactions. Always consult with your vet on whether to include these foods in your pet’s diet because it would be helpful for them. The content of this article is informationally and educationally written to be considered as educational material and should not in any way be taken for medical or dietary purposes.
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Is It Safe for a Dog to Eat Cat Food?
A dog eating their feline friend’s food—either as an occasional treat or even in place of their own food—is not necessarily “bad” for the average adult dog.
When Cat Food Is Safe for Dogs
In fact, for some dogs, like those battling cancer and experiencing weight loss, muscle wasting, and a poor appetite, cat food may be an ideal alternative to many dog foods.
Cat food tends to be more palatable, provide more calories per serving, and offer a more nutrient-balanced option compared to many home-prepared diets in these cases.
Likewise, cat kibble can make for healthier, well-balanced treats or training rewards compared to some human foods commonly used, like cheese, chicken, or peanut butter, which provide a concentrated amount of primarily one nutrient.
When Cat Food Is Harmful for Dogs
For other dogs, consuming cat food, even as an occasional treat, could become problematic if there are underlying reasons for why excess protein or fat is not ideal.
Examples:
- A dog with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract may vomit or have diarrhea after eating cat food because the food is simply too rich.
- A dog with kidney or liver disease needs to consume moderate amounts of protein, not excess, to promote optimal functioning of those organs.
- An obese dog, or one with a predisposition for developing pancreatitis (e.g., many Schnauzers), must consume a lower-fat diet to promote weight loss or limit pancreatic inflammation.
For all of these dogs, feeding any amount of commercial cat food, whether it’s infrequent or on a long-term basis, could exacerbate health issues.
Ask Your Vet About Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs
So how “good” or “bad” cat food is for your dog’s health really depends on your dog.
For most healthy adult dogs, this means you no longer need to worry about your dog partaking in the occasional kitty treat.
However, if you have any questions, be sure to reach out to your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist for advice as to whether commercial cat food, in any amount, may be right for your dog.
What’s the Difference Between Dog Food and Cat Food?
Dogs are omnivores and can, therefore, be fed a somewhat more varied diet than that of the cat: a diet that includes both plant material and animal flesh.
Cats, on the other hand, are anatomically as well as physiologically obligate carnivores. They are strict meat-eaters and, in comparison with dogs, have higher protein and fat requirements.
The second reason why cats might require different nutrients than dogs relates to amino acid needs. While both species require 10 amino acids, cats require their diets to supply an additional amino acid. This is taurine.
For this reason, commercial cat foods will need to provide higher concentrations of protein, fat, and taurine than commercial dog foods. This means that all commercial dog food is nutritionally insufficient for cats.
For dogs, on the other hand, the higher protein and fat concentrations in cat food make it more palatable, aromatic, and therefore attractive, and it meets, or even exceeds, the dog’s nutritional needs.
Is It Safe for a Dog to Eat Cat Food?
A dog eating their feline friend’s food—either as an occasional treat or even in place of their own food—is not necessarily “bad” for the average adult dog.
When Cat Food Is Safe for Dogs
In fact, for some dogs, like those battling cancer and experiencing weight loss, muscle wasting, and a poor appetite, cat food may be an ideal alternative to many dog foods.
Cat food tends to be more palatable, provide more calories per serving, and offer a more nutrient-balanced option compared to many home-prepared diets in these cases.
Likewise, cat kibble can make for healthier, well-balanced treats or training rewards compared to some human foods commonly used, like cheese, chicken, or peanut butter, which provide a concentrated amount of primarily one nutrient.
When Cat Food Is Harmful for Dogs
For other dogs, consuming cat food, even as an occasional treat, could become problematic if there are underlying reasons for why excess protein or fat is not ideal.
Examples:
A dog with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract may vomit or have diarrhea after eating cat food because the food is simply too rich.
A dog with kidney or liver disease needs to consume moderate amounts of protein, not excess, to promote optimal functioning of those organs.
An obese dog, or one with a predisposition for developing pancreatitis (e.g., many Schnauzers), must consume a lower-fat diet to promote weight loss or limit pancreatic inflammation.
For all of these dogs, feeding any amount of commercial cat food, whether it’s infrequent or on a long-term basis, could exacerbate health issues.
Ask Your Vet About Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs
So how “good” or “bad” cat food is for your dog’s health really depends on your dog.
For most healthy adult dogs, this means you no longer need to worry about your dog partaking in the occasional kitty treat.
However, if you have any questions, be sure to reach out to your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist for advice as to whether commercial cat food, in any amount, may be right for your dog.
