Is it safe to feed my dog cat food?

Question

ive got a 16 yr old english cocker with bad teeth, he cant eat hard food anymore, and wont eat wet dog food before it gets hard, so we've been feeding him wet whiskas cat food. Is it safe or is it too rich for his digestine or what?

hes under wieght, (just removed some 20 lbs of matts) i want to get him healthy again, and thought since cat foods got more fat content it would get his wieght up fast.

yes, ive tried stews, gravy hard food,soft kibble, ext. but im working on a SERIOSLY small student income

Answer 1

Cat food has taurine which cats don't produce naturally. Dogs do and adding taurine to dog's diets can cause liver failure.

Answer 2

NO! She needs to keep the cat food up where only the cat can get to it. She can boil up some chicken, and run it through the food processor. Cook some rice (2 c water to 1 c rice) and put the processed chicken in the rice while it is cooking. Once the chicken & rice is cooked, she can put about 1/4 of a cup of it in a bowl and add 1/2 a handful of dry DOG food and mix it up. Feed him this for 2 or 3 days, then reduce the rice/chicken a little replacing it with a little more dry food. Another 3 days reduce the rice/chicken even more so it is mostly dry dog food now. This way it is dog food with a little extra something rather than the other way around. After about 2 wks he'll be eating the dog food. With the remainder of the rice/chicken, put 1/2 c of it in a ziploc baggie and flatten and freeze. Instant doggie tv dinners. Thaw 1 bag a day for a small dog using no more than 1/2 of it per feeding. My dogs love it!

Answer 3

OOOH DONT FEED CAT FOOD! I know that sucks that he wont eat anything else but cat food is EXTREMELY high in protein which can and usually does cause protein allergies in dogs, which means hot spots, and if your dog is 16 that's not good. And I've also always been told that it IS too rich and can cause heart problems and digestive problems. What brands of food are you feeding him? I would try softening the kibble with warm water and see if he will eat it. Otherwise try reasearching the B.A.R.F. diet. It's food you cook which at that age is probably better for him anyway. Its kind of a pain but he's an old man and deserves the best lol. Good luck I hope you find something OTHER than cat food that works for him.

Answer 4

no, its not safe for him! Cat food is meant for cats.. its too high in some nutrients.. and lacking others.

My cousin's dog needed emergency surgery a few years ago to remove some large bladder stones. It cost $400!! When asked about the dog's diet, my cousin told him mostly cat food. He told her that's the worst thing a dog can eat!


Try different brands of wet dog food. Some of the better brands look good enough that I'd eat em! Take your dog to the vet to see what can be done with the teeth.

Answer 5

Well did you ever try to moisten the hard food which your dog used to eat and put it in a blender? Maybe it can work. Because cats feed relatively high protein diets compared to other carnivores. Besides in old dogs (and cats) metabolic rate decreases followed by the activity which means 30-40% less calory requirement than adults. If you already use commercial food for your dog my advice is to use the food designed for old dogs. Wet or hard you can use blender for the foods.

Answer 6

NO it's never safe to feed your dog cat food...He can get very sick, it's says cat food and has a cat on the bag for a reason...

Answer 7

No, it's as dangerous as feeding him 'dog food'!! I am serious!!

Anything from a can fed to animals isn't healthy. Liver posioning, kidney damage, oral bacteria diseases, bad breath and much more are caused and encouraged from canned dog/cat food.

Give dogs and cats 'raw meaty bones'. Chicken necks and wings and whole fish for small dogs. Ox tails, rabbit carcases, beef bones and other raw meaty bones. Do you see the dogs reletion (dingoes,wolves) eating kibble and processed crap out of a can? NO! You see them hunting and munching on un-cooked bones and meat. Eating meat off bones will clean their teeth and will make them a LOT healthier.

What is in processed, canned, junk pet food? Everything they don't need, and don't want! Carbohydrates, cooked meat, vedetables and much more. Cats and dogs are carnivals and their bodies do not need, want or use the ingredients in canned pet food.

Would you feed your children Mcdonalds for every dinner? No? Thought so. Mcdonalds are advising some of their food as 'healthy', but responsible dietians will tell you otherwise. Same goes for your pet hoping to find an ox tail in his bowl, but being disappointed with mush from a pedigree can.

And why do MOST vets disgree with feeding pets raw meaty bones? Because they are paid to recommend canned, processed food and vetanarian nutrian courses are sponsered by the same companies.

To anyone who disagrees with me, I feel sorry for your poor dog and/or cat who is currently feeling the side-effects of the canned food your are feeding them.

Answer 8

Cat food is far to rich for a dog, let alone a senior dog!!

Besides, whiskas is horrible cat food and shouldn't be fed to any animal.

Check the ingredient lables. Your food should not have any corn, wheat, soy, or by-products in it.

Your dog likes cat food so much becaus it is full of fat and calories that taste really good. It's like making a kid choose between veggies and ice cream.

Try a good qulity dog food, like canidae, merrick, evergers, wellness, innova, california natural, natures variety, or chicken soup. http://www.dogfoodproject.com for more info

Answer 9

No way...I would stop immediately and talk to your vet about a type of dog food for your dog. You might even try making certain foods for him, such as cooked ground beef.

Cat food is bad, it will make a dog over weight in a hurry. Especially with senior dogs, that can't loose those extra pounds as easily.

Answer 10

From what I understand you shouldnt feed a dog cat-food but it is alright to give it to them like a snack, just small portions and not too common.