People in whose homes live together pets belonging to different biological species, namely cats and dogs, often observe the phenomenon of stealing from someone else's bowl. Cats eat dogs' food, and the latter feast on the former's bowl. Many people do not pay much attention to this fact, especially if the pets do not fight about it. But caring owners of four-legged animals need to know whether it is possible to give their dog cat food and what consequences this may have.
Why do dogs eat cat food?
Problems with a dog's consumption of cat food usually arise among owners who keep both animals in the same home, with free access to each other's bowl. It is not known exactly why dogs show interest in their neighbor’s bowl. Probably the reason lies in their constant filling (cats do not eat much food at once and often it remains in the bowl all day). However, in addition to such a harmless option, there are other, more serious explanations for the behavior of a person’s friend. Perhaps the dog’s diet does not contain enough substances necessary for the body, or the animal has grown and the usual portion of food has become too small for it. To eliminate problems, first try increasing portion sizes or adding an additional snack to your daily menu. If the problem does not disappear after this, you will have to try changing your usual dog food to a composition from another manufacturer, or introducing previously unused but healthy products into the diet: for example, carrots, cottage cheese or eggs.
Did you know? The oldest cat in the world, named Cream Puff, lived a total of 38 years and 3 days, which is an absolute record for longevity among these animals.
An interesting explanation for the desire of a domestic dog to snack from a mustachioed bowl is considered to be a tendency to dominate. That is, by eating a neighbor’s food, the pet shows him its superiority, which is usually typical for dogs of large breeds, which often perceive cat food as prey.
How to teach your pet to eat properly
To wean your dog off cat food you need to show persistence, patience and imagination.
Feed the cat in places out of reach of the dog, for example, on a windowsill. Outsmart your stubborn dog by putting dog food in your cat's bowl.
Find the dog food that is best for your pet. Quality products fall into the premium and super premium categories. In addition, they are divided by category (age, breed, health status).
How are the feeds different?
In addition to the appearance of the packaging, the shape and size of dry food granules, food for different pets is distinguishable by its chemical composition and the amount of certain microelements in it. Thus, cat food contains smaller amounts of vitamin C, which is very necessary for dogs to strengthen bones and gums, as well as provide the body with sufficient energy. Instead, the commercial diet of baleens contains a high concentration of iodine and phosphorus, the excess of which threatens human friends with urolithiasis and other kidney problems.
The protein content in dog food is much lower than in cat food, and taurine may be completely absent, as they do not need it. Regular excess of these elements during feeding threatens the animal not only with problems with the gastrointestinal tract, but also with allergic manifestations in the form of spots and redness on the body, hair loss in certain places, or serious baldness of the animal in certain areas. The functioning of the immune system of four-legged friends is disrupted due to the low intake of vitamin E and zinc in the body, the volumes of which in cat food are comparatively lower than in dog food, for this reason it is also better to avoid them.
Does a cat need fat?
Owners are wary of fat in their cat’s diet, especially if the cat is prone to obesity. But in reality, fat alone will not make a predator fat, just as greens do not make herbivores green. An animal gains excess weight not because of specific macronutrients, but because the total caloric content of the diet is exceeded. If a high-fat food contains a minimum of carbohydrates and is dosed correctly, the cat will be in excellent shape.
Domestic dogs have partly adapted to extract energy from carbohydrates, so dog foods sometimes contain less animal fat and more grains. By consuming such a product regularly, cats will receive less of the essential arachidonic acid, which affects the health of the reproductive, gastrointestinal and other systems. In addition, vitamin A (retinol) is fat-soluble, and if it is not fully absorbed by the cat’s body, it will lead to decreased vision, hair loss, and in the case of kittens, growth retardation.
Can a dog be fed cat food?
A one-time consumption of cat food should not cause serious consequences for a person's friend, but it is far from the most suitable food for a pet's regular nutrition. Given the distinctive characteristics between both feed mixtures, the possible consequences of such feeding cannot be ignored. If you want a healthy pet that does not suffer from allergies, problems with the genitourinary, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal systems, you should not feed your dog cat food.
Depending on the class
Ready-made industrial food for pets is available in different class groups and in different forms, so some dog breeders evaluate the possibility of using cat food in dog food based on these characteristics. Mixtures from the economy class group have a very attractive aroma for animals, since they contain a large number of aromatic additives. There is practically no benefit from such nutrition, since manufacturers mainly use cheap ingredients with a minimum content of vitamins and minerals necessary for animals. After a short period of use, cheap food from economy class becomes addictive in both cats and dogs, who tend to eat it not so much because of the quality composition, but because of the usual aromatic additives.
Higher quality premium cat formulas contain a large amount of protein, so it makes sense to think about getting enough protein in your four-legged friend’s diet. However, you cannot simply switch your dog to cat food, because in addition to protein, it also contains less useful components. For this reason, regardless of the class of such products, they are not suitable for feeding a four-legged friend and it is better to pay attention to special premium, super-premium dog food or formulations from the holistic group. These options are the most nutritious and healthy, as they include the maximum amount of natural ingredients.
Did you know? Cats can meow in hundreds of different intonations, while dogs can only bark in one of ten possible tones.
Economy class products include more affordable and well-known brands, but not all of them have high quality indicators. They can only win when compared with products for cats, but when choosing exclusively dog food, you should give preference to premium and holistic class options.
Depending on type
Based on the appearance of animal feed, they are divided into dry, wet and semi-moist in cans or bags. Soft canned pieces are absorbed by the pet’s body much better, but at the same time they do not always contain all the necessary supply of nutrients, and they spoil faster after opening the package. Dry pet food is more in demand, so man’s four-legged friends often eat it. When determining the level of danger of different types of cat food for dogs, it is worth considering the general characteristics of such products.
Dry
Dry food mixtures for cats are presented in the form of granules with a neutral odor, brown-gray color and minimal water content. They usually cost less than other types of products, but there is little benefit from such economy-class food, especially when consumed by dogs in large quantities. The same applies to premium and super-premium dry food, but their negative impact when used infrequently is usually not so noticeable.
Wet
“Wet” food or pates for cats is the most expensive segment in ready-made food, however, just like special products for dogs. In most cases, cans of liquid canned food are purchased for older animals with dental problems or puppies that cannot eat dry food. If a dog consumes such cat food once, there will be no problems, but you should not get carried away with it, giving preference to dog food that is similar in form.
In bags
Both wet and semi-moist food for cats and dogs are sold in bags. The latter are presented in the form of a meat mass of soft pieces of food and gravy, packaged in jars or sachets. In terms of cost, these food mixtures belong to the middle price segment and are consumed by dogs with great pleasure. If the product in bags is initially intended for cats, then its composition will not be able to satisfy all the nutritional needs of the dog’s body.
In what cases is it impossible
If a healthy dog can eat cat food once without serious health consequences, then individuals suffering from problems with the gastrointestinal tract, heart, kidneys or joints will only worsen their condition. In addition, despite the fact that both types of pets are carnivores, the metabolism, blood composition, levels of glucose, protein and other substances in dogs and cats are completely different, so the appropriate diet must be chosen.
Important! Obesity requires radical methods to eliminate the problem. In most cases, animals are put on a strict diet, but in particularly difficult situations they will have to resort to fasting, lasting from one to three days (the dog is given only water).
High protein content in cat food leads to health complications for all dogs, but puppies and older pets are especially affected. First of all, liver function is disrupted, and dry food mixtures cause intestinal problems. In addition, cat food includes a large amount of fats that can cause the development of obesity and pancreatitis, and a minimum of calcium and magnesium will make the normal development of the growing canine body impossible.
For adult and elderly pets, regular consumption of taurine is fraught with the development of heart failure and cardiomyopathy, and aromatic additives and spices in cat food lead to heartburn, gastritis and ulcers. If cat food is consumed by small puppies, they will most likely experience an upset stomach and increased gas production after just a few servings. The smaller the animal, the higher the likelihood of unwanted consequences from consuming inappropriate food. Simply put, if the dog already has any health problems or we are talking about feeding young and older animals, it is better to avoid cat food in their diet altogether, even if it is a small one-time serving.
Is it possible to give cat food to small breed dogs?
Small dogs are always more vulnerable to external adverse factors, therefore, with regular consumption of cat food for 2-3 months, the possibility of developing kidney failure in such animals cannot be ruled out. In addition, small and sterilized pets quickly develop urolithiasis, and some individuals are prone to allergic reactions and allergic shock, with swelling of the larynx, severe suffocation and kidney failure. With a one-time use of cat food, nothing will happen to a large breed dog, but for a chihuahua or toy terrier, everything can end with an upset stomach or the mentioned allergic reaction, because among small dogs there are many more allergy sufferers than among large animals. Also, do not forget that excess protein in the body of small dogs is fraught with the development of otitis media, and more serious consequences such as kidney failure appear a little later. In any case, owners of miniature breeds will notice the negative consequences of poor nutrition faster.
conclusions
The mood, activity and health of the dog depend on the right food. Therefore, you cannot indulge the whims of your four-legged friend and feed him the food that he likes, but at the same time it can harm the animal’s body! Of course, if a dog eats from a cat’s bowl on rare occasions, there will be no noticeable harm to his body. The main thing is to make sure that this does not become a habit for the animal, and then the pet will always be healthy and full of strength.
A dog's activity depends on the food it eats.
