Is it possible for a dog to dry cat food: features, composition and consequences

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many of us cannot imagine our lives without pets. Indeed, animals love us for who we are, despite all our shortcomings. They will always wait for us from work and watch with devoted eyes.

Someone prefers cats, someone prefers dogs, someone prefers more exotic animals, and someone keeps several types of animals at home at the same time. Increasingly, the question arises: "Is it worth buying different feeds for animals?". It would seem that if you have a dog and two cats, you can simplify the feeding procedure and feed everyone the same thing. After all, before in the village everyone was fed the same food, and no one suffered from he alth problems or complained about the quality of food.

It turns out it's not that simple: the types and quality of food have changed a lot over the past few decades. Nowadays, some types of food are useful for some types of animals and at the same time can harm others. So, can you give your dog dry cat food?

Major misconceptions

As a rule, the owners believe that feedfor pets are to some extent interchangeable. There are the following misconceptions:

1. All pet food is about the same, and all the differences are the machinations of unscrupulous marketers. Do you really think so? Look at the composition. Even the food for dogs of different ages and breeds is very different, not to mention the food for cats and dogs.
2. Cats and dogs are domesticated carnivores, they rely on roughly the same diet. Well, yes, but children, adults and pensioners are people, but for some reason they are not recommended to eat the same thing. Theoretically, we, of course, can eat the same thing, only an adult can experience: lactose allergy, gastrointestinal problems, lack of protein and other he alth problems due to baby food. Animals also have their own characteristics.
3. It all depends on how you feed the dog dry cat food: given the size of the shepherd dog, she just needs to be given a little more food than the cat. Once again, we suggest looking at the composition: cat food contains substances that are generally not recommended for dogs. Is cat food bad for dogs? Of course, therefore, if the dose is increased, the consequences can be very unpleasant for the he alth of the animal.
4. The animal's body itself knows what it needs and what it doesn't, therefore, if a dog eats cat food, it means that it needs it at a physiological level. Remember how your cat ate rain from the Christmas tree last New Year? How did your dog eat all the plastic handles and your new shoes? Is it possible for a dog to eat dry cat food, because her bodythinks she needs it? No comment.

Main differences between cat and dog food

Before finally deciding whether dry cat food is okay for a dog, let's first look at how these two seemingly identical products differ even in smell, consistency, color and shape of kibbles.

Firstly, manufacturers have tried to take into account the needs and physiological characteristics of animals, so cat food contains almost twice as much protein as dog food.

Secondly, dog food contains more fiber than cat food. If you feed your dog with cat pellets, the lack of plant enzymes will immediately affect his digestion.

Third, pet foods vary greatly in glucose content. This is due to the difference in metabolism: a dog can be fed once or twice a day, while a cat needs to be fed several times a day in small portions. Everyone already knows how dangerous a sharp increase in blood sugar can be.

Cat food has more calories than dog food. This is because it contains taurine, which accelerates the elimination of toxins, so the granules themselves contain more fat.

Finally, cat food is more acidic. So if your dog has stomach problems, then the answer to the question of whether a dog can eat dry cat food is obvious.

Protein

It would seem thatcan be bad in a protein? Can cats be given cat food despite its high protein content? The question is much more complicated than it might seem at first glance.

When creating feed, manufacturers try to take into account the protein needs of animals, which vary greatly and depend on factors such as:

• look;
• breed;
• size;
• age;
• active lifestyle;
• presence of diseases;
• stress;
• pregnancy;
• castration.

It is known that the need for protein in cats is higher than in dogs. At the same time, an excess of protein in the diet negatively affects animals with kidney disease.

Your dog has kidney failure and you're wondering if it's ok to feed your dog cat food? The consequences of such a diet, unfortunately, will be disappointing for your pet.

Protein digestibility

The he alth status of a pet is affected not only by the presence of protein in the diet, but also by how easily it is absorbed by the body. Absorption is influenced by many factors. For example, consider the source of the protein and at what temperature the product was processed.

As a general rule, animal protein is better absorbed than plant protein. However, there are exceptions such as soy protein. At the same time, among animal proteins, proteins from connective tissue are better absorbed than proteins from skeletal muscles.

Given thisinformation, is it possible to feed a cat with dog food? Yes, but it won't do you any good. Dog food contains more vegetable protein, which is practically not absorbed by the cat's body. It turns out that the cat will spend internal resources on receiving and digesting food, but will not receive any useful substances from it, and, in some cases, even calories (if the level of undigested protein is 50-100%).

If you stay on such a diet for a long time, your pet may develop: beriberi, protein deficiency and various gastrointestinal disorders.

Taurine

It is this substance that is included in almost all cat food, but is not included in dog food. Let's see why.

Taurine is vital for cats, as it allows felines to digest fats in the small intestine. The body of a purring pet cannot produce enough taurine to cover all of its needs, therefore, in order to maintain good he alth, a cat must include food with a high content of this substance in his diet.

Dogs, on the other hand, do not need additional taurine to function properly, which is why manufacturers do not include it in dog food.

What threatens the change of diet? Can a cat be given dog food? With prolonged consumption of dog food, the cat will inevitably develop a lack of taurine in the body, which is fraught with degeneration of the retina, a violationthe work of the cardiovascular system and the deterioration of immunity.

Acidity

Cat food is more acidic than dog food. In addition, the acidity in the body increases the taurine found in cat food.

Can a dog eat dry cat food? Taurine increases acidity, so if your dog has problems with the gastrointestinal tract, then such a diet will have a very negative effect on your pet: abdominal pain, stool disorders, appetite disorders and vomiting are possible.

Signs of cat food abuse

Regular consumption of cat food by a dog can lead to he alth problems:

• Overweight problems;
• metabolic disorder;
• digestive disorders: diarrhea, vomiting and constipation;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, gastric ulcer, erosion of the esophagus;
• delayed growth and development of the musculoskeletal system;
• hair loss;
• development of diabetes;
• diseases of the kidneys and other internal organs;
• development of allergic reactions.

Some signs may not appear immediately, but after a few years, so do not wait for them to appear and encourage your pet to eat like this. In this case, we advise you to find out why the dog prefers cat food, eliminate the cause and adjust its nutrition.

Why does the dog eat cat food?

As a rule, if your dog defiantly refusesof his food and goes to the cat's bowl whenever possible, this is for one of the following reasons:

• the dog constantly overeats, so he can no longer see the usual food;
• dog "snacks" between main meals, which also contributes to overeating;
• Regular feeding of "delicacy", after which the dog can not even look at dry food;
• Regular dog food looks unappetizing or tastes too harsh (bitter, s alty, spicy, etc.);
• the cat's bowl is too easily accessible, so after eating, the dog empties it too;
• not being active enough does not allow the dog to burn enough calories, so he loses his desire to eat;
• monotonous food encourages a dog to perceive dry cat food as a kind of treat, so he happily forgoes his diet in his favor;
• the dog may have he alth problems and/or lack of certain vitamins in the body.

The above reasons should be eliminated if possible and proper nutrition for your dog should be established. Remember, your dog does not understand what kind of food is harmful to him, so it is up to the owner to monitor his he alth and diet.

How to wean a dog from eating cat food?

There is no universal recipe, but here are a few tips that can help you:

• feed your pets separately and at different times;
• put the cat bowl outsidereach of the dog, such as the refrigerator;
• don't use cat food as a dog treat;
• don't give in to blackmail and don't give your dog cat food, even if he refuses to eat anything else (hungry - eat, don't worry);
• If your dog won't eat anything but cat food, put some dog food in your cat's bowl, but make sure your cat doesn't have the same problem.

How to choose quality food?

And finally, a little advice on how to choose quality food for cats and dogs: pay attention to the list of ingredients on the package. The law requires ingredients to be listed in descending order, but some manufacturers resort to various tricks: for example, they use only one source of protein, which negatively affects the animal's digestion and reduces the intake of nutrients.

Another well-known way: the manufacturer puts herbal ingredients separately, at the very end of the list, so buyers often ignore them. When choosing cat food, pay attention to the presence of cereals - they can harm your pet.