I have 5 cats and 1 dog. My dog is a yorkie and she absolutely refuses to eat her dog food. It just sits there and goes to waste. I have tried tons and tons of different brands but she refuses. The only thing she will eat is meow mix! She loves it! Is it ok for her to be eating meow mix and nothing else?
2007-06-28 09:30:41 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Ok, after reading all the responses and now that I know its bad, what brand of dog food would you suggest for a 1 1/2 yr old yorkie?
2007-06-28 10:05:26 · update #1
yes, it is bad for them. It is not formulated for a dog. But cat food does smell and taste better than most dog foods, so I understand her position on the subject. This link answers exactly the same question as posted here with an excellent answer. Please check it out, it says it better than I ever could!
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dogs-701/Dog-eating-cat-food.htm
since your dog is picky, I would try wellness super 5 mix. My bichon loves it! and the kibble is small enough for a smaller breed dog.
2007-06-28 09:37:18 · answer #1 · answered by dedum 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yorkies need extra protein due to their high energy. You need to get her at least dog food & probably small breed food.
Dogs need much more protien than cats. Meow mix is not good for your dog.
I know it sound mean but put the cats food up where she can't get it and let her go hungry. She will eat the DOG food when she is REALLY hungry. HONESTLY SHE WON'T STARVE!!
Love is the answer, Pandora
2007-06-28 10:17:58 · answer #2 · answered by Pandora R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats and dogs have very different nutritional needs. Your dog will come around. Simply do not allow her access to your cat's food. It may be more difficult, but if she refuses to eat her food- let her refuse. Do not feel bad because you think you are "starving" her. She is an animal, if she is hungry she will eat whatever you put in front of her. While your dog may live on cat food, she will not be as healthy as she would if she were getting the proper nutrition designed for a dog.
2007-06-28 09:36:03 · answer #3 · answered by ZeroCharisma 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's not a great diet for the cats and it's definitely not a good food for your dog. Get the cat food out of his reach - put it up high where only the cats can reach it and get her a high quality dry dog food and offer that. She may refuse for a day or so but eventually she will eat.
And get the cats on something better than Meow Mix. It's kitty junk food.
I feed both my cat and my dogs California Natural (canine and feline versions).
2007-06-28 09:35:22 · answer #4 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No. Cats are true carnivores, while dogs are omnivores. Their nutritional requirements are vastly different. If your dog eats nothing but cat food, she will eventually show signs of nutritional deficiencies and get very sick.
Try feeding your cats somewhere the dog can't reach, like on a countertop, and refuse to allow your dog any cat food or anything else, but provide the dog food of your choice. She may not eat for two or three days, but eventually she'll get hungry enough and eat.
Alternatively, you could try a homemade diet. Most dogs are amenable to that, as it's quite tasty. Just make sure to research diets online and try to find one that was developed by a veterinary nutritionist to make sure your dog gets everything she needs. I haven't had time to research it myself yet or I'd suggest one.
2007-06-28 09:37:46 · answer #5 · answered by Firekeeper 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Cat food isn't that great for dogs, it has more fat in it, which is not good for a dog. Cats and Dogs needs nutritionally are different. May try can dog food mixed with dog food, because he is a little dog you may need to get a smaller pellet type food. Dogs normally don't like dog food due to taste or the size, smell or food that will gag them. You may have to keep looking for his sake.
2007-06-28 09:35:52 · answer #6 · answered by krennao 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course this is bad. Meow mix isn't even a good cat food. Dogs do poorly on cat food as it does not meet the nutritional requirements for dogs. You have to feed the cats out of reach of the dog and then only feed the dog, dog food.
2007-06-28 09:35:43 · answer #7 · answered by DaveSFV 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
everyones right cat food is not good for your little one. i think that you should try science diet small bites for dry food, its great with all the nutritional stuff, and for the first couple of days mix it with soft food of the same or different brand, then casually reduce the soft food until there is only dry food. also you might try buying her a special bowl and dont let the cats near it or if your dog really likes the cat bowl buy the cats a new one and let her keep the cat one.(even if it says meow or fish on it, jeje!)
2007-06-28 10:27:33 · answer #8 · answered by ELLAMIA 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look at the ingredients and they are almost identical to the ones on the dog food. Meow mix provides a smell which draws more attention to it than the dog food. Our yorkie was hand fed regular human food for the longest time until we almost killed it with excess fat that caused him pancreatitis. Get some chicken thighs and boil them. The house will fill with the smell and as soon as the dog smells them on a plate (without the fatty broth) with a little plain rice...you will see how quickly smell is related to their eating habits.
2007-06-28 09:48:23 · answer #9 · answered by Carl M 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Meow Mix-- UGH!!!!!!!!
Try feeding your dog Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. It's a good affordable food.
Go to this link and try to buy a good food for your dog. THe higher the rating the better the food. Rule of thumb, ALL grocery store brands are garbage.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
2007-06-28 10:54:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋