what happens to dogs if they eat cat food? This is a question that many caregivers who have both types of animals at home ask. The answer is that doing it occasionally does not imply anything , however, for a dog to share the same diet, in the long term, is not correct and can be detrimental to its health.
On the surface, cat food looks like dog food, but in content, it is not. Likewise, dogs and cats have different needs in many ways, especially nutritionally; and cat food is not made to care for and protect their type of organism.
The question has already been answered , what can happen to dogs if they eat cat food? We invite you to read this new Healthy Wealthy article where we will expand on the reasons why it is not good to give cat food to your dog.
Everyone with their food
Try not to mix the two culinary worlds. Feed your dog food designed for him, this way you will avoid any health problems. Remember that everything starts with our diet and that includes pets. Dogs love to pick up and look for food that is not theirs, even if they have already been fed.
If you leave the cat’s food out in the open, the dog will find it difficult to resist, so he will go for it. To prevent this from happening, feed your pets in separate rooms , and even place your cat’s food at a height where your dog can’t see or access it. Make sure each pet eats its own food.
Too many calories
Cat foods contain greater amounts of fat and are very high in calories, and this is not positive for the dog’s body. Animal nutrition specialists recommend at least an amount of 5% fat for dog foods and 9% fat for cats (almost double that). This is a big difference.
The greater the amount of fat, the greater the amount of calories. Dogs that share the same diet as cats, in the long term, could suffer from obesity , caused by incorrect intake of fatty foods, as well as suffer from stomach upset, diarrhea and vomiting.
Bad nutrition for your dog
The result of giving your dog cat food is an inappropriate imbalance of vitamins and minerals , and in many cases, it leads to nutritional deficiencies such as a lack of zinc and vitamin E (essential for dogs) and in other cases, the inclusion excessive unnecessary nutrients in a dog’s diet, such as taurine (very necessary for cats).
These nutritional differences can affect your dog’s overall health for life. Also, the needs of dogs in terms of carbohydrates that provide them with energy are different from those of cats, since they obtain their energy mainly from fats. Cat foods lack ingredients that provide the necessary carbohydrates for dogs.
Health risks for your dog
Excesses are not good, and that symbolizes cat food for dogs, which can translate into diseases. Too much fat can affect a dog’s pancreas, affecting the efficiency of its digestion and causing pancreatitis . The same happens with proteins, which can lead not only to obesity, but also put your dog’s kidneys and liver to overwork, creating unnecessary stress on these organs and leading to kidney or liver damage.
Maybe your dog likes your cat’s food because it lacks protein or fat in its diet, so consult your veterinarian to perform the appropriate tests and make the necessary adjustments because, in excess, dogs cannot eat cat food.
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