Can dogs eat canned cat food for long periods?

Question

Someone gave me 200 cans of Friskies and I want to feed my dogs with it since it'll save me $1000 in not buying dog food.

They aren't harmful right? They look like same ingredients just different label.

Answer 1

NO you idiot!!! I wonder why the food is called CAT FOOD? BECASUE ITS FOR CATS!!!! YOU WONT BE SAVING MONEY!!! YOU WILL BE SPENDING MORE MONEY ON MEDICAL BILLS!!! CATS AND DOGS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANIMALS. SELL THE CAT FOOD TO SOME CAT LADEY AND USE THE MONEY TO BUY DOG FOOD. GOSH, I HAVE NEVER HERD OF SUCH A CHEAPO!!!

Answer 2

YOUR DOG CANNOT LIVE ON CAT FOOD!
Cat food does not have the nutrients that a dog needs to be healthy.

Try Wellness, Natural Balance, Canidae, Innova. Those are all high quality foods that have the essential ingredients your dog needs. Remember that your dog is a carnivore and meat needs to be the first few ingredients (not corn as most dog foods have). No Dog Chow or Pedigree, no Kibbles-n-Bits, Beneful, Iams, or any other foods you can find on your local supermarket or Target/Wal-mart shelf. Stay away from foods that contain corn, wheat, soy (fillers) and by-products.

You won't see the effects of a poor diet for years to come, but when your dog is a senior facing health issues that come with old age do you really want to compound that by adding kidney problems and everything else that can come from lack of essential nutrients it's entire life?

Donate the cat food to your local shelter and get your dog some quality DOG food please.

Answer 3

Alright i have a dog and a cat , my dog LOVES my cat's food and treats and sometimes my cat eats my dog's food , i think that the nutrients and flavors are different to each cat/ dog like strong big bones that dogs need and teeth and cats need healthy yet strong helping for their body but some dogs/cats are different come to say some might like this and not this or they like both, so if you don't want one of them to eat the other as being rude and unfair to the other animal u could keep them away (say the dog would eat all the cat's food) but you can let them have the others food unless they become sick (vomiting) but for my dog and cat they haven't shown any signs or vomiting so i guess it all depends but once in awhile i will give my dog some cat treats as well.

Answer 4

I am sure that it will be fine FOR A WHILE.
You might want to think about getting a big bag (like, a 50 lb bag) of dry dog food to mix the cat food in with.

Cat Food and Dog Food ARE different. They are made specifically for the animal. They have nutrients and vitamins that are essential to both.

Just make sure that you watch them carefully. If you see any changes in their eating patterns or bowel movements, take them off of the Friskies.

Answer 5

Well I would not feed them just cat food ..hint the word cat food and you have a dog. If it was ment for both it would say cat and dog food. Maybe a can now and then but I would do it with dog food and mix it together. Or you can try and sell the cat food to someone who has a cat

Answer 6

Feeding dogs cat food or vice versa is not good for either of them.Cats and dogs have different nutritional needs.Cats need a higher protein and fat diet than dogs.Cat food also contains taurin which dogs produce naturally.Cats and dogs have different needs when it comes to vitamin A.It's really best to stick to dog food for your dog,and cat food for cats.

Answer 7

The cat food won't harm your dog. You might think about getting a bag of dry dog food to mix in with that cat food though. You'll still save a huge sum of money.

Answer 8

Cat food is MUCH higher in fat than dog food so you should never feed cat food to dogs. The dog could get severly ill from this (diarrhea, gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, etc.) Dry foods are higher in quality food than canned foods in general because canned food is mostly water.

Buy your dog some decent food from the grocery store and donate the cans of Friskies to your local shelter.

Answer 9

Please don't do it!!! I know it will save you money, but at what cost to your dog? Here is a link to a page full of info on why you should not do it. I got it by searching "dog eating catfood".

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=feeding+dogs+cat+food&fr=ush-ans

I wanted to do the same before when my ex worked for a pet supply and would bring home extras. But your dog will suffer for it, as will cats who eat dog food. Truth be told, the dog and cat food is not really good for dogs and cats anyway. You don't even want to know what they put in there. If you do, try reading the book Straight From the Horse's Mouth by Amelia Kinkade (or Kincade). Whenever I can afford it, I feed my pets real food.

Hope this helps . . . :)

Answer 10

Your best bet is to talk to your vet. I had a small dog who ate nothing but canned cat food for 16 years, on the reccomendation of our vet, but that doesn't mean it's okay for your dogs. It depends on their breed, their habits, and many other factors. Even if your vet okays it, be sure to feed them some dry food or treats specifically designed for canine dental health.

Answer 11

You should mix it with dry food. Dogs need crunchy food to keep their teeth healthy, and cat food does not have all the nutrients that dogs need. I understand your wanting to save money, but you might be better off selling the friskies and buying dog food.