My dog eats catfood?

Question

I have 3 outdoor cats and a dog. My dog refuses to eat his dogfood, so now I just buy a large bag of catfood for all of them, because he just eats it anyways. I have a loopy friend who told me that catfood will make my dog go blind? I think she is full of it. We compared the ingredients and they are very similar. Anyone know for sure?

Answer 1

My dog eats her own feces. She's 14 years old. Can't imagine cat food would be any worse than feces.

Answer 2

Cat food will not make a dog go blind; but the reverse may occur, because cats cannot use Vitamin A of plant origin the way dogs can. The main problem with a dog eating cat food is that most cat foods have more calories and will tend to make the dog fat. Keep an eye on your pooch's waistline and consider more exercise if need be.

If the dog is sufficiently larger than the cats, you may be able to make a type of creep feeder[1] - a box with an opening just big enough for the cats to get in and out but too small for the dog.

Very few dogs will actually starve themselves, but if tastier food is avaiable they are likely to get finicky. Small breeds such as Maltese are especially good at manipulating sympathetic owners into giving them tasty stuff.
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[1] From livestock management - a feeding trough set off by a rail that a foal can creep under but the mare can't. It's not a feeder for creeps. :)

Answer 3

No!!! You should not allow your Dog to eat Cat food as this is not designed for a Dogs special needs and can and does cause health issues. Dogs require 21% to 25% Protein, Dry Cat food has 31% and is not the right type of Protein for Dogs. No, she is not FULL of it as you put it. She is correct, but not sure about the Blindness part.

Answer 4

Cat food has WAY too much protein and fat for a dog...hence the reason for DOG food. If it was the same it would be PET food and they all could eat it!!!!! Excessive protein can cause kidney problems and the excess fat can cause fatness in the dog.
They are all made with similar things, but the nutritional analysis is not the same. But it is your dog, so feed it what you want!!!

Wow!!! There are a lot of stupid people out there!!!!!!!!! If a vet told me that it was OK for my dog to eat cat food, I would get a new vet!!!!!! And getting advice from the people that sell stuff at Petco or Petsmart...another brilliant idea!!! I am sure they have a course in nutrition!!!!!

Answer 5

Catfood is not good for your dog. Cats have a higher acidity in their digestive system, so cat food is not processed as much as dog food. You dog probably won't go blind, but he isn't getting the right amount of vitamins as he would eating food that is balanced for him. Remember dogs will eat dooty , they are not the best choosers.

Answer 6

My dog likes catfood also, I talked to someone from petsmart and they said the animal can become very sick or there is no chance of illness at all. I would rather have him eat than starve, because he refuses dog food.

Answer 7

Hi, All I know about cat food VS dog food is this; Cat food has been infused with way more calories because of the cats metabolism. So what is good for KITTY is really FATTENING for Puppy. That came from my Vet. but I think it must be true because fat tastes good, even to some humans, so the richer the diet the more the Dogs like it!

Answer 8

If they were all meant to eat teh same they would make 1 food for them both- but they dont.. dogs need the nitrients in DOG FOOD and cats need the nutrients in CAT FOOD. Buy your dog a different kind of dog food, most dogs eat just about anything.. by letting your dog eat cat food it is not getting what it needs. Yes they are similar ingredients, but its also similar to what is in hot dogs..... You probably eat hot dogs but would not eat cat or dog food!

Answer 9

Well when my dogs were puppies they only ate soft cat food, but when they grown we weened em and now they eat kibble lol. Anyways think of it like this, animal food isn't just dead meat thrown in a bag, it's vitamins and minerals specifically designed to target the animals body such as digestional tract and relating. I doubt it could make your dog go blind, my dog went blind but years after she was a puppy. My advice is try to ween your dog onto dogfood, if he doesn't like what you offer, buy different flavors?

Answer 10

Dog food & cat food are similar but not the same. Cat food has more fat than dog food & dog food lacks vitamins that cats need. I don't remember if dogs need vitamins that cat food doesn't have, but your friend may be right, though it won't happen right away. Try to get your dog to eat dog food by mixing in canned dog food or by using the Iams savory sauce.

Answer 11

My dog does it too. I think it's a way to establish superiority over the cats. My vet says that catfood is not nutritionally sound for a dog, so while you might not be able to stop him from eating it, he must eat dog food too. Try mixing in some canned food with his dry dog food to entice him, it worked for me.