What Will Happen If A Dog Eats Cat Food

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If you’ve owned your dog for more than 15 minutes, you probably already know that your pet will eat almost anything. Dogs have been known to eat corn husks, socks, tampons, and hay, among other things.

What Will Happen If A Dog Eats Cat Food

So in the grand scheme of things, it’s not surprising that dogs often gobble up cat food. And luckily, you don’t have to worry about the issue: occasional cat food won’t cause your dog any serious problems. It’s not something you want to encourage—in fact, you’ll want to break the habit—but it’s not an emergency.

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We’ll talk about why you might want to stop your dog from eating cat food below and share some helpful tips for doing just that.

In most cases, dogs do not have any serious problems after eating a bowl of cat food.

Some may experience mild to moderate bowel problems, and those with sensitive stomachs may be upset, but that’s about it.

Some dogs may suffer from itchy skin if they are allergic to any of the ingredients in cat food. That’s unlikely unless your dog eats a lot of cat food, and the itching should stop soon enough once you stop Fido from stealing his host’s food.

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However, all dogs are humans and react differently to different foods. Adverse reactions – especially allergic reactions – are not completely out of the realm of possibility.

So, if you notice that your dog is showing serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, severe itching, swelling of the face, or prolonged diarrhea, contact your veterinarian for advice.

Cats and dogs have some important biological and anatomical differences. For example, cats are classified as obligate carnivores that require a diet composed primarily of meat.

Dogs, on the other hand, are best characterized as opportunistic omnivores that require a variety of foods, including a lot of meat.

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A dog’s food is no different from your food. It is made with some of the same proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and supplements that make up your daily diet. In fact, many typical homemade dog foods are very similar to the chicken and rice dishes you might make for your family.

Cat food, on the other hand, is more like Atkins-inspired recipes. They consist primarily of protein and fat, and typically lack the range of fruits and vegetables typically found in dog food.

AAFCO guidelines call for 18% protein content for adult dog food, while adult cat food should have 26% protein content (note that these are minimum values ​​- most dog foods contain 25% to 30% protein) .

However, some authorities consider these numbers too low for cats and recommend a protein content in the range of 30% to 45%.

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AAFCO guidelines for fat content are less, but still recommend that cat food contain 9% fat content, while dog food only needs 8.5%.

Keep in mind that these are minimum guidelines, and many cat foods contain protein and fat that exceed these recommendations—sometimes significantly. In fact, the high protein and fat content of cat food is probably what makes dog food so tasty.

The relative lack of fruits and vegetables in cat food, as well as the biological differences between dogs and cats, means that cat food must be fortified with some important nutritional supplements.

For example, many dog ​​foods contain ingredients (such as carrots) that are rich in a substance called beta-carotene. When your dog eats these ingredients, his body converts some of the beta-carotene into a chemical called retinol – commonly known as vitamin A.

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But cats can’t convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, so adding carrots (or other beta-carotene-rich foods) to their diet doesn’t help. Instead, their diet should be strengthened with vitamin A supplements.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg – cats need some other food additives that dogs do not. For example, cats must obtain taurine—an amino acid—in their diet, while dogs produce taurine internally.

Likewise, dogs can make arachidonic acid—an essential fatty acid—internally, while cats must get it from their diet.

None of the differences described above pose an immediate danger to cats or dogs. None of them are likely to arrive at the vet’s office to steal some of their colleague’s food.

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But while you don’t have to worry about your dog getting the odd bite of cat food every now and then, you’ll want to take all the necessary measures to prevent this practice. Cat food may not be very dangerous for dogs, but it can cause problems in the long run.

In addition to being higher in fat and protein than many dog ​​foods, cat food is often higher in calories. This can cause weight gain in dogs that eat cat food regularly.

And while a little weight gain is unlikely to cause serious problems for your dog, overweight or obese dogs rarely live long, healthy lives.

Dogs may not need their food supplemented with taurine or arachidonic acid like cats, but they still need a well-balanced diet that provides the right mix of calories, vitamins and minerals.

Helpful Tricks For How To Stop Dog From Eating Cat Food

Cat food is not designed to meet the nutritional needs of dogs, so people who eat it regularly can suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

High levels of fat in cat food can cause some dogs to develop pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). This can be very dangerous for dogs and in some cases can be fatal. Note that this is a possibility for dogs that eat a high-fat diet and is not a problem limited to cat food.

In addition, while this is not a health problem in itself, pickiness can rear its ugly head if you allow your dog to eat cat food. He may start to refuse food altogether and start looking for the same protein and fat that the cat gets.

If you have many pets, you know that feeding them clean food can be difficult.

My Dog Ate Cat Food

Your overweight retriever probably spends his time trying to steal your new dog’s food, ignoring his low-calorie scraps. But the little dog did not seem to care because he was busy eating the cat instead of his food. Meanwhile, the cat doesn’t even notice because he just wants to eat your parrot.

You need to know how to stop your cat from torturing your pet bird, but we will try to give some tips on how to stop your dog from eating your cat food below.

One of the easiest ways to prevent your dog from eating your cat is to only feed your cat in a high place. Your cat will have no problem jumping over the kitchen counter or climbing the tower, but your dog probably won’t be able to reach those places.

Automatic cat feeders can be useful in many ways. For example, if you choose a programmable feeder, you can set it to make food available for your cat while you’re busy taking the dog to the park.

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Alternatively, you can choose an automatic feeder that only makes food available when activated by a special tag that you can wear on your cat’s collar.

Another simple way to prevent your dog from eating your cat’s food is to only feed your cat in a closed room that your dog cannot enter.

You can use any room for these purposes, but bathrooms, laundry rooms, pantries, and garages are among the best. Baby gates can also be used to segment a part of the room. Some home dog gates are designed with a small opening that allows cats to pass through, while keeping dogs out!

If you are the DIY type, you can turn your cat into a safe dining room that will allow him to eat in peace and prevent your dog from stealing his food.

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You can make a dining room like this in many different ways, but the simplest way is to just buy a large plastic storage box and cut a door in the side that is big enough for your cat but too small for your dog. Serve dinner in a container and voila! Consume cat food without dogs.

While this won’t work for all dogs, you can prevent your dog from eating your cat’s food by choosing a different recipe. For example, your dog may love your cat’s flavored chicken dish, but may not find a salmon-based recipe appealing.

Obviously it’s a bit confusing for owners and finicky cats, but it’s worth a try. In addition, if it works, it will prove to be the simplest solution of all.

And while we’re on the subject of dogs wanting to eat cat food, it’s important to note that some dogs show a tendency to eat, um, “pre-eaten” cat food that they pick up from the trash.

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This is not only a revolting practice, but it can also cause your dog pain, so you want to put an end to it as soon as possible.

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