Is it ok for a dog to eat cat food?

Question

I have a dog and a cat. And my dog LOVES cat food. I have tried all diffrent types of dog food, she will nibble at it but she cant get enough of the cat food. Can this harm her? Is there much diffrence to the food? She is a mini doxie about 7lbs (smaller than my cat). Thanks in advance for your answers!

Answer 1

Read this article about what you shouldn't feed your doggie:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...

Answer 2

All dogs love cat food and cat p**p too.  Cat food is very rich and really hard for dogs' digestive systems.  Cat food cost me over a grand in vet bills due to gastritis and pancreatitis.  

Answer 3

No it isn't. Generally, a healthy cat can eat your dogs food without injury. However, a dog's kidneys cannot tolerate the cat food.

Answer 4

It absolutely can be harmful, especially for a small dog such as yours.  Your cat, however, can safely eat most dry dog food.  I would suggest buying a brand specifically designed for a small breed such as a chihuahua.  Since chi's have small noses, they can't smell ordinary dog food as well as other breeds can, and are sometimes picky because of that.  Foods for chi's are designed with enhanced smell, and your doxie might like it better.

Both your dog and your cat can safely enjoy meats, especially raw or seared meats such as chicken breast (boneless and skinless, unless you want to switch to raw feeding totally) and lean steak.

Check out http://www.dogaware.com/

Answer 5

Cats and dogs require different nutrients. If your dog only eats cat food she is not getting everything she needs in her diet. I would try canned dog food and at first mix a tiny bit of the cat food with it and she will think she is getting the cat food.

Answer 6

Cat food is for cats, dog food is for dogs.  Although dogs love the taste and smell of cat food, it does not have all the required nutrients needed for the health of your dog.  

Answer 7

i wont harm you dog. But of course the cat will get angry because her food was eaten by a dog.  

Answer 8

no its not gonna hurt her

my cats eat dog food and my dogs have eaten cat food and nothing happened

Answer 9

Cat food is a very bad diet for dogs.

It lacks some nutrients a dog does need..  and is too high in protien and other nutrients that a dog doesnt need.

It will cause health problems later in life.  My aunt had a dog that was fed cat food and table scraps.  She needed surgury to remove huge bladder stones by the time she was 4 years old.  When the vet asked her about the dog's diet..  he told her that cat food is the WORST thing you can feed a dog.  (He didnt say a thing about table scraps.. if that gives you any idea on how bad cat food is!)

Put the cat food up where the dog cant get to it.

Give her dog food.  When she gets hungry, she will eat her food.

Cats also should not eat a diet of dog food..  dog food lacks nutrients that cats do need.. for example cats need taurine in their diets for eyesight.. dog food does not have enough of that nutrient in it for cats.

While the occasional bite of cat food wont hurt your dog, and an occassional nibble on dog food wont harm your cat..  both need the proper formulated diets for maxximum health and nutrition.

Answer 10

Pretty much this, cat food is formulated for a cat's dietary needs and dog food is formulated for a dog's dietary needs. Your dog will not get the proper nutrition from eating cat food, in fact you need to move it out of the dog's reach so that she can't eat it anymore.

Answer 11

Cat food is much higher in protein than dog food is... sneaking a bite here and there shouldn't hurt her, but long term it'll put a strain on her body that is unecessary.  Put the cat food where she can't reach it, and when she no longer has access to it she'll eat her own food.

Answer 12

My dog eats cat food every once in a while if he can get it.He has a steady diet of either Beneful dog food or Pedigree.I haven't seen any negative effects from the cat food.

Maybe your dog is having trouble chewing her food.When my buddy was a puppy I would wet his food so he could chew it easier.

You morons giving me thumbs down are pathetic.

Answer 13

It won't hurt your dog if she ate it once or twice, but cat food does not have the proper nutrients that dogs need and that could make your dog sick.

Go to a pet shop, get a couple of samples of foods and try them on her... she can't live a full and healthy life on cat food...

Answer 14

Definitely not!!!It has a very different content, dog food is made for a dog, cat food for a cat.

I know they like it, but it's unhealthy for them!

Answer 15

it depends is it a puppy if it is dont let him or her eat it

Answer 16

Cat food can be very bad for dogs and lead to many nutritional problems. Also can lead to many health problems number one being pancreatitis.  

Answer 17

I dont think it can harm her but you should check the ingredients to dog food see how much fat, sodium, and such.  If the ingrediants arent much different I would say give her the cat food till you find something she likes.  Also you could try buying the same company that makes the cat food in  dog brand.  

Answer 18

I wouldn't suggest it, because cat food is high in fats and stuff, but it will not harm your dog. think about what it was like 120 years ago, when there wasnt any specialized dog or cat food. they ate meat, friuts and veggies, the same things that the doctors are now saying is deadly. i think to myself "how can that be?" because, frankly, dogs and cats all that time ago probably lived longer than those of these days. it really makes you wonder, doesnt it?

Answer 19

Yes there is a lot of difference. The cat food is too high in protein and doesn't contain the proper nutrition. Get a premium quality dog food, and keep the cat food away from her.

Here is a site with more than you ever wanted to know about dog food.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

Dog food isn't good for cats either, not enough protein and lacking in essential nutrients - Dr Karen is WRONG!

Answer 20

It won't kill the dog, but dogs are healthier on dog food, and cats are healthier on cat food.:)

Answer 21

To get your dog to eat his food,  just mix it with a little cat food.