Is it bad for dogs to eat cat food?

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I heard that it's bad for dogs to eat cat food, I find that hard to believe especially with dry food and am wondering if anyone knows the answer.

I have a puppy who nibbles from the cat dish and am wondering if I need to build a contraption to keep it out of the cat's food.

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I've always had dogs that eat in the cat's dish and the other way around too.

Never witnessed any problem.

But it is recommended a special diet for growing puppies during their growing period, say, till six months old, in order for them getting strong.

Thenafter, no problem..

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Cats need more protein, fat etc than dogs

I suppose the dog might therefore get fat on cat food.

I don't know about whether there are things in cat food that make dogs ill.

Cats don't get enough nutrients from dog food.

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dlowan wrote:

I don't know about whether there are things in cat food that make dogs ill.

The layperson who espoused such an idea claimed it was fish. I'm not paying any attention till I hear something more convincing than that.

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Robert Gentel wrote:

dlowan wrote:

I don't know about whether there are things in cat food that make dogs ill.

The layperson who espoused such an idea claimed it was fish. I'm not paying any attention till I hear something more convincing than that.

The only thing I can find re dogs and fish is about fish bones hurting their guts.

You'll not find hard fish bones in prepared food.

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As I recall from early discussions with our vet, one of the specific problems with cat food for dogs was the level of ash. Generally, the types of nutrients cats and dogs need are different - it's not so much the types of food, but how they're balanced.

As long as the dog's main source of nutrients isn't the cat food, you're probably ok.

~~~

Dogs love love fish. One of my dogs' favourite commercial treats is dried and rolled salmon skin. Their favourite treat when they visit the hamburgers' is grilled salmon or halibut.

The vet says fish oil helps keep their coats lustrous.

The downside is seriously stinky dog breath Confused

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That's what I was going to say. The ash content in dog food is hard on a cat's urinary system. From that standpoint, cat food is not bad for dogs, so far as I know.

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That'll be why he humps the cat.

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Thanks all, I'm not going to worry about it too much unless I see something freaky in their bowel movements or notice other digestive problems.

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Long term, it's probably not the best. Cat food has more protein than dogs need and also more taurine (an amino acid prominent in fish oil). Cats require taurine supplementation, because their livers aren't good at producing it and because they lose it in their digestive system.

Dogs, however, along with most other mammals, both produce enough and utilize it effectively.

Problem is, dogs love catfood! It's higher in fat and calories (and we all know how delicious calories are!). It can lead to obesity. Cats don't do well on dog food either. Essential nutrients are missing (like taurine; not many dog foods contain much) and cats can't survive, long term, on dog food alone.

So feed 'em separately and do what you can to be sure each one gets at least a minimum serving of its own diet daily. A few bites shared here and there won't hurt, tho.

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Interesting. Right now, since they're so young they have food almost all day long in their bowls. I'll have to figure something out but it'll be a lot easier once I move them to once-a-day feeding schedules.

I didn't know cat food was higher in calories, makes sense that Harry would prefer it.

Right now they are trying to kill a frog they found. I'm not sure if I want them to eat it....

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Frogs are endangered world wide!!!!!

And I love them.

You ought to have saved the goddamn frog.

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The frog's alive...

Dunno, had mixed feelings. I raised frogs as a kid, but Fiona was quite insistent that it was her frog since she had found it outside and I wouldn't have thought twice about it if it were a mouse.

Anyway, I left them alone with their frog after that video I posted and when I woke up the frog was still alive, if a bit roughed up.

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I eat cat food and frogs. I believe I have found my thread.

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Robert Gentel wrote:

The frog's alive...

Dunno, had mixed feelings. I raised frogs as a kid, but Fiona was quite insistent that it was her frog since she had found it outside and I wouldn't have thought twice about it if it were a mouse.

Anyway, I left them alone with their frog after that video I posted and when I woke up the frog was still alive, if a bit roughed up.

Jesus wept!!!

You left them to torment it!!!

I suppose that if Fiona thought your foot was hers you'd let her have that, too?

Free the frog!!!

Please?

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The frog was freed. But they found a huge (about a 12 centimeter wingspan) moth last night and took a bit off one of the wings. It's fine too (sitting on a wall right now out of their reach).

These guys have way too much fun.

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Robert Gentel wrote:

The frog was freed. But they found a huge (about a 12 centimeter wingspan) moth last night and took a bit off one of the wings. It's fine too (sitting on a wall right now out of their reach).

These guys have way too much fun.

Halleluljah!!!

At least for the frog.

They have toys?

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Tons of toys! But they still chase every bug or living thing they find.

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Robert Gentel wrote:

Tons of toys! But they still chase every bug or living thing they find.

Cursed nature!

Beastly instinct!!!

Teach them some computer games for gawdsake!!!

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You should think twice about them getting at rodents; that's where they get tapeworms.

It is important that puppies get enough food to support growth, but if they get too much (like any other young critter) they're set up for obesity later in life. If it's a larger breed dog, too much food (especially protein) at a young age can lead to joint problems down the road.

It's not easy having a dog and a cat together, since they've got such different eating habits, and cats are better off browsing at food throughout the day than they are eating big meals. Ideally, the cat's food would live somewhere the dog can't get at it -- which is easy enough to arrange if you've got a big adult dog, but a lot harder with a puppy or a small dog.

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Is it bad for dogs to eat cat food?

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