Dogs eating cat food.

[Lando]

Is it okay for dogs to eat cat food. My dog Misty loves cat food and refuses to dog food. We found her stray a while ago, so I guesing the people before must have fed her that. But I am worried that she doesn't get the right nutrients that she needs. :confused:

[Cincy'sMom]

I am not sure if I have my info correct or not, so hopefully someone else knows more but, I think I heard cat food has more fat then dog food. A dog can survive on cat food, although it is not the best for them because of the increased fat and oils, but a cat can not survive on dog food.

I would try to change your dog over to dog food by mixing the two, slowly decreasing the amount of cat food. You may try using a "wet" dog food, as it is strong smelling and may be more interesting to the dog.

[tatsxxx11]

Cody and Star would kill for a spoon of catfood! My vet told me that as true carnivores, cats require a far greater amount of protein in their diet than dogs. Dogs cannot tolerate or break down the high protein content of catfood. It is very bad for their kidneys and is definitely a no-no!

Lando, please don't feed your new pup catfood! Try mixing dry kibble with small amounts of cooked chicken or turkey or rice and cooked hamburger. Or, as Cincy's Mom suggests, mixing dry kibble with small amts of canned dog food. Also, a daily Pet Tab vitamin or powdered vit./mineral supplement would also be helpful! Please let us know how she's doing. And thanks for giving her such a good home!

[lizbud]

Lando,

I think Cincy's Mom is correct. Dogs can eat cat food,
but cats need to eat only cat food. Mixing cat & dog food
for awhile as she says makes sense too. Poor dog, if it
was a stray, maybe left outside cat food was all it found
to eat. Good luck on this. Liz.

[Presley]

Hi,
Catfood is not good for dogs, Catfood is higher in fat. It does not contain the appropriate proportions of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. It will Not hurt the dog to get into the catfood once in a while but it should not be eating it daily.
Also If you are cats are 100% carnivores, Dogs are not totally 100% carnivores.
Having a problem feeding your dog his proper food try placing the catfood somewhere where he can not get at it. I have mine in the basement and Presley can and wont go down there as it is blocked off with a baby gate :D

Also cats can not produce their own source of taurine. They get the extra taurine from the catfood.. Dogs on the other hand do. A lack of taurine can cause blindness and heart defects