There has been a fuss over the new topic, can dogs eat cat food? Sometimes owners find it strange when they have two pets in the house, namely a dog and a cat. Sometimes the cat doesn’t get to eat because the dog has finished all its food – namely, the dog has eaten CAT FOOD. Yeah, I get to repeat it, my dog has eaten cat food! So what does my sick, hungry cat get to eat? Well, sometimes, after the dog bites, I will lock him away and feed my cat milk with tuna. While dogs eat everything – my grandma’s great dance died because it ate a glove, I made sure that I kept things away like plastic and rubber when my dogs are around the house.
It is rather strange that my dogs love cat food, and after I ran out of dog food occasionally, I gave them some cat food. So the main problem here is, is it safe to provide cat food for your dog? Although my dogs love cat food, I am aware that there might be some complications in giving them cat food.
Dog food? Cat food? It all sounds the same to me! However, cats are obligate carnivores that need a constant meat supply as a primary food. However, dogs are omnivores, so they need a variety of grains, fibre, veggies and fruits along with meat as well. So why do my dogs crave cat food so much? Maybe I should give them cat food as a snack.
A professor is giving a talk about dog food and cat food. Professor Sharon states that ” Our dogs can’t talk, so they can’t tell us why they enjoy cat food. However, recent studies have shown that dogs DO love cat food, and I think it has something to do with the protein and the flavour.”
Professor Sharon also stated that she used to train her shepherd pups with cat food as treats and incentives. If the dog loves the cat food, he or she will get a reward after training. The puppy is taught to sit, walk, heel, fetch accordingly, and it seemed that using cat food produce fast results, so long at the pup’s stomach can handle them. It helps to motivate the puppy and let the owner control the dog the way they want to. It isn’t that confusing, and it reaps excellent results.
However, Professor Sharon said that cat food is like cake to dogs. Considering the fact we eat cake occasionally, it is alright. If we eat nothing but cake, we will get sick. But on an occasional basis, a little cake is not going to hurt.
However, to some dogs, even a bit of cat food as a delicacy might give them problems. Dogs do not need such a high level of protein diet. Some dogs will have an upset stomach like diarrhoea or vomiting while other dogs can handle the cat food. However, if the dog breaks open a bag of cat food, will the dog die after eating the entire bag of cat food? No. It will not. But if the dog gets side effects upon eating the cat food, make sure the dog does not get near the cat food again, because it obviously cannot consume cat food. Even if the pup has an iron stomach, it is not suitable for the animal to eat only cat food, as they need a balance of other nutrients as well. However, vice versa – do not feed your cat dog food either.
Side Effects And Risks Of Dog Eating Cat Food
There is a lot of dogs that love eating cat food. Some dogs love cat food so much that many owners use cat food as a motivating treat to give to the dog as a performance. Dogs love cat food, and cat owners are forced to feed their dog in a different place so that the dog can’t eat the cat’s diet. Cats can be supplied on top of the drawers where they can jump out of reach of the dog or some high area that the dog can’t reach.
So what makes the cat food appealing that dogs make sure that they get it? Is it the fact that they taste different? Taste better? They come in the same packaging and smell the same. However, they look different when comparing the ingredients. Next, we have tips on feeding cats and keeping them away from dogs during dinner time.
Tips For Keeping The Dog From Cat’s Food
Dog Eating Cat Food Side Effects
One is an obligate carnivore; one is an omnivore. Let’s see the differences.
Obligate carnivore means the cat needs to eat meat to survive. When the cat doesn’t get meat intake, the cat will not have enough nutrients. The cats need to eat meat, and they have a biological need for meat, so make sure that you give them proper cat food. Cats must have taurine and arginine vitamins in them. They need a lot of protein, so if you are not feeding them cat food, make sure to feed them chicken and fish.
Dogs are omnivorous. Dogs can survive on fibre as well as veggies if they don’t eat meat. Meaning if they eat cat food alone that will be excessive intake of protein.
Side effects of cat food on dogs are upset stomachs while it could be bad for the dog’s kidney and liver. It can also make the dog fat.
I hope you enjoyed this doggy article. Stay tuned to find more of such animals articles real soon.
Author Bio:
Tony is the owner of Petpetbuy.com, the pet-parent of two dogs, and he is also an active animal rescuer. He works with multiple non-governmental organisations which work towards providing aid to homeless dogs and cats.