Cat Foods for Dogs

It is not uncommon for pet owners to have both cats and dogs. While there are many things that can be used commonly for both dogs and cats, food is not one of them. In most of the cases, pet owners interchange feeds for dogs and cats, which is a very harmful practice and could cause malnutrition and other health disorders for both of the animals.

It is known that cats are often finicky about their food and would turn their noses up at something that they do not enjoy. Dogs, however, would eat anything that you give them because they really enjoy their meals. If you feed your cats and dogs together, you would not really find it surprising to see that your dogs have consumed the cat food that your cats did not eat.

Cat foods essentially contain higher protein content and higher caloric count. Dogs enjoy both of these and would simply eat all of the cat food that you have lying around the house. While eating cat food in small amounts is not very detrimental to your dog’s health, in the long run, consuming cat food can cause health problems.

If your dog is consuming cat food on a regular basis, it has severe consequences and the symptoms manifest as diarrhea, vomiting, and other stomach troubles. This is because cats and dogs have different constitution and therefore, different nutritional needs. While cats are purely carnivorous, dogs, like humans, are omnivores. The food that is meant for cats is not good for a dog’s metabolism. In fact, cat food can make a dog obese. A dog that is consuming cat food on a regular basis will continue to gain weight and may also develop chronic conditions of the heart. The dog will also almost certainly miss out on nutrients meant for it. This is because cat food consists of only animal content and does not include any vegetarian nutrients.

This problem is not only limited to dogs. Though cats are known to be finicky eaters, often you will find a cat that is interested in dog food and actually even relishes it. Cat foods consist of high levels of taurine, which is essential for the cat’s metabolism. This is missing in the dog’s food. Dogs cannot essentially metabolize taurine and therefore, feeding on cat food can lead to large deposits of taurine in the body. Cats on the other hand, when deprived of taurine, can develop heart problems and other health issues that may become serious.