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Is cat food bad for dogs?


Chickenjuice

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Yes and no. Cat food is bad for dogs because cats are carnivores and dogs are omnivores. Therefore, cat food is made entirely of meat and is too rich for dogs' stomachs. It can cause stomach problems down the road if they eat it too much. Dog food, however, is safe for cats--though they rarely feel the urge to eat it.

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If the dog's diet consisted entirely of cat food, that might be a problem (though the cheaper varieties I think have cereal in as well as meat, as far as I can remember), but within my experience dogs will eat everything they possibly can. Or maybe that was just MY monster!

 

Cats are very much pickier about their food. If it was luxury, top-of-the-range dog food left on the table as if it were there for someone else, they might just go for it!

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"cat food is made entirely of meat and is too rich for dogs' stomachs."

 

 

That's not true. most people feed foods like Purina and Iams and it's very corn heavy.

 

I do think there is a difference in the balance of nutrients that are added, and i second the people who said that your dog's diet shouldn't be primarilly cat kibble, but that a little bit as a treat is ok.

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I'll get more technical than my first post. I was giving the Cliff's notes version.

 

Cat food is primarily meat, which can result in kidney failure for dogs if they eat it too often. Cats are obligate (strict) carnivores and therefore different from dogs in their nutritional needs. This means that cats get their nutritional needs met by the consumption of a large amount of animal-based proteins (meat) and derives much less nutritional support from plant-based proteins (grains). It means that cats cannot utilize plant proteins as efficiently as animal proteins. Cats don't really like dog food, so you don't really have to worry about them eating it or eating too much of it.

 

Dogs are more omnivorous than cats, since they are non-obligate carnivores. So although dogs are technically carnivores, they can digest and benefit more from an omnivorous diet than cats. This goes for domesticated dogs, of course. That's how they have been bred to eat. A wolf or a coyote is going to eat only meat.

 

At the end of the day, though, kibble diets for either animal are not the best diet. Raw food diets make for a healthier pet.

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If cats eat only dog food it can cause blindness, due to the lack of taurine, in commercially prepared dog food diets. Taurine is essential in a cat's diet or retinal degeneration can occur.

 

Don't really know of detrimental effects of dogs eating primarily cat food.

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My dog is a punk (LOL) and will totally steal the cats food if he's left alone with them. So basically my mom has to babysit the cats while they eat so Marco (dog) doesn't get their food.

 

My two do the same thing! And don't even get me started on the cat box!!! I swear, they should market "Cat Poop Flavored" dog medication. There would be no fight what-so-ever in getting them to take it readily! lol

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Dog food is bad for dogs.

For that matter, cat food is bad for cats.

 

Depends on what kind of dog and cat food you are talking about...Old Roy...yes, It is not very nutritious. There are some very good and complete dog and cat food diets on the market today. Not ALL should be lumped into being bad for dogs and cats. IMO.

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Dogs are scavengers and can live entirelly on plant protein (example soya), but I heard they thrive on high protein, grain-free kibble (My dog eats Orijen). Orijen and EVO are around 44% protein. More than cat foods...

 

If you are refferring to high meat content in cat food, which kibble are you reffering to?

 

example Iams (Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Grits, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil.... protein is 33%); Eagle Pack (Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Dried Beet Pulp.... protein is 32%).....

 

They contain corn which is probably worse for cats than for dogs) and they are higher in protein than your average grain inclusive dog kibble but I don't think would hurt the dog as much as the different balance / amount of supplements they put in (minerals, amino acids, ...), since dogs thrive on kibble which is even higher in protein...

 

A note to anyone who might read this thread, if you feed high protein kibble to your dog (EVO, Orijen,...), add about 70% water to it because the high protein in a dry kibble form is hard on the kidneys if they don't get enough water.

 

I'd be more weary of having my cat on a high protein kibble because cats have low thirst drives and will not naturally drink a lot of water. So if you feed a high protein kibble to your cat, also make sure you add water.

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Since when are dogs omnivores? I never heard of dogs eating vegetables :S. I just found this online too:

 

"Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES.

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us."

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Dogs and cats just have different nutritional needs. Why would you want to give a dog cat food, anyways?

 

If you have ever kept both a dog and a cat at the same time, you may discover that they eat each other's food sometimes, and it can be difficult to stop them.

 

The worst situation for me, was our diabetic cat who would steal the dog's food. He was prescribed diabetic cat food, but he always was hungry for more. The dog was a sporadic eater, and would not always eat at designated times. Anyway, can you begin to see the dilemma? Very few people want to give their dog cat food or vice versa.

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Where I used to live, my next door neighbours were very fond of my dog, and if their front door was open he'd run in, eat all their cat's food and drink his water. Eventually it got so embarrassing that I bought a six-pack of cat food for the neighbours (well, for their cat!) and the neighbour said she'd keep it in reserve for him (my dog, that is)!!!

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If you have ever kept both a dog and a cat at the same time, you may discover that they eat each other's food sometimes, and it can be difficult to stop them.

 

The worst situation for me, was our diabetic cat who would steal the dog's food. He was prescribed diabetic cat food, but he always was hungry for more. The dog was a sporadic eater, and would not always eat at designated times. Anyway, can you begin to see the dilemma? Very few people want to give their dog cat food or vice versa.

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Yes, I see....yeah, my kitties are in that situation - one is on RX food and the other eats it. It is a tough situation.....

But I really wouldn't worry too much....just get their check-ups each year to make sure everything is in check and they are not lacking in anything.

I really don't think the foods will hurt them, there are just different vitamins and minerals, etc.

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