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will it hurt my 9month old JRT to eat cat food
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Member 967153
on Sep 28th 2010
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I've heard cat food is not good for dogs. Too much protein, I think. We kept our dogs on puppy food until they bwere a year old.
Nibbles
answered on 9/28/10.
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YES it will. Cat food it very bad for dogs it can kill a dog.
snickers
answered on 9/28/10.
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Dogs and cats bodies have different nutritional needs, so exclusively eating food formulated for a cat could cause problems in the long run.
Although typically since cats are obligate carnivores, and dogs are carnivores that can survive on all sorts of garbage if they must, many if not most cat foods will meet or come very close to a dogs nutritional needs. A cat eating exclusively dog food would sicken and die.
If your dog is sneaking some kitty kibbles every once a while, it's not a huge deal, although for everyone's sanity you may want to put the cat bowls out of his reach. A dog eating cat food plus his own food will probably become fat.
Vance CGC
answered on 9/28/10.
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As a snack, maybe. As far as living off of cat food, NO.
Cookies 'n' Creme (1998-2011)
answered on 9/28/10.
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I pet sit and can tell you almost all dogs will head to the cat food and gobble it if they get a chance. eating some here and there will NOT kill them. Most people keep the cat food up high so it won't be a problem.
Member 1001898
answered on 9/29/10.
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We recently adopted a cat and our dog will eat the cat good if even the chance. I try to watch her as much as possible, but she'll sneak in the crate and gobble up a bowl if left unattended. The only thing I have noticed is some loose stool. Mind you, she does this with a full bowl of food 10-15 feet away. As soon as we are comfortable with the dog and the kitten together alone, his food will be moved to a higher place and his litter box will be hidden.
Hope
answered on 10/1/10.
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If he steals cat food every now and then, it won't kill him. However, there is way too much protein in cat food, so you cannot feed it exclusively. Plus, all the extra protein will likely cause some kind of stomach upset (at best, gas, at worst, diarrhea). Dogs have a very short digestive tract, so they can frequently get away with eating even the worst of things (like that dead opossum on the freeway), but you never know how sensitive your dog's tummy will be - I'd suggest putting the cat's dish out of reach. :)
Luther
answered on 10/23/10.
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I asked my vet this same question, and she said that a little bit of cat food here and there is not bad for the dog, but like others have said, should not be the dog's exclusive food.
Greta Grace
answered on 11/18/10.
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If you are feeling this is risky you can consult to vet for this issue.
www.buzzle.com
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Member 1019968
answered on 2/4/11.
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I have noticed quite a bit of confusion about the issue. the truth is evident if you go look at the ingredients in the food. invite you to go to the grocery store or pet food store and look at the ingredients in cat food and dog food. You will find that they are almost entirely the same.
The difference is that cat food has more protein, less fat, and has an amino acid called Taurine. Pet food Myth would have you believing that dogs get sick on cat food. The truth is just the opposite. Most commercial cat food has a protein content of about 30-40%, which is actually the protein content of highly recommended dog food like Wellness. fat is equal to lite dog food. Taurine is a good suppliment for dogs too.
Dog food will kill cats, due to low protein, high carbs, and no taurine, but cat food it entirely safe for dogs. In fact, when comparing cheap food like purina, purina cat food is healthier for dogs than purina dog food.
Foxxy
answered on 2/27/11.
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Is that why my dogs eat it up like it's crack?! (i call it kitty crack). They love it and I have to find inventive ways to place it out of their reach so my cat can eat!
Bella
answered on 3/14/11.
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Because of the needs of cats, the food is very different. If a dog was to eat cat food, it could be very hard on their kidneys. A cats needs are very different then a dogs and would not be a good idea to let them eat it all the time.
Dunkin
answered on 4/4/11.
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Cat food is not the ideal food for your JRT pup. But your puppy and most others LOVE the stuff. Cat food has too much protein in it for your growing pup's kidneys and body. A few times of filching the cat's food won't hurt necessarily. But if your pup is eating the cat food regularly he/she isn't getting the proper nutrition that they need for their growing little bodies. Not to mention some cat foods can be more expensive than dog foods.
Distract the puppy, pick up the cat's food when the cat is finished eating or feed your pets separately.
Also, be aware that some dogs like cat poop for similar reasons. Cat poop is simply cat food that's come out the other end. Gross but true. ;)
Kylie
answered on 4/4/11.
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9 Months old is almost a year. No it will not hurt your doggie. Cat food has a much higher protein content, because cats need protein- they can go blind on a veggie diet.
Doggies, however, can eat meat and veggies, and still be okay.
My Dogs get fresh chicken, plus kibble and, a bit of Mewyow Mix- Their Check-ups are great. (Well Vinnie is getting older- Casey likes too much food- I really have to watch her treats)
A little cat food- canned or dry will not hurt your dog- despite what the Vets say, they just want to sell expensive food for your pet, anyway.
Plus, the dogs in the wild live ONLY off protein- and they do well.
No, Cat food won't hurt your doggie. An added plus, cat food has more fish with Omega 3, which helps with health.
Which is why my doggies get Salmon as a treat as well.
Sammy-PSDit
answered on 4/22/11.
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Dogs and cats have unique nutritional needs.
High quality foods are specifically tailored to the dietary requirements of the intended species. Therefore, it is not wise to feed an exclusive diet of dog food to cats, nor cat food to dogs.
Cats most definitely cannot subsist on dog food alone.
Their dietary needs are harder to meet than those of dogs.
For instance, cats must consume an amino acid called taurine to prevent heart problems.
Dogs do not need to consume taurine–they can synthesize it internally.
Therefore, cat foods are supplemented with taurine.
Dog foods generally are not.
Because dogs are natural scavengers (cats are natural predators), their dietary requirements are less stringent than those of cats.
Some cat foods may, in fact, be nutritionally replete for dogs.
Others are not.
However, cat foods are generally richer and more fat
(retired)minister misty
answered on 5/24/11.
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DO you mean he gets into the cat food once in a while or are you feeding him a diet of cat food. If you are feeding him a diet of cat food stop! Your pup is going to get very sick.
Jackson
answered on 9/30/11.
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No, dogs can eat cat food without any problems. In fact, cat foods often contain more meat (unless it's extremely low-quality) so can be better than dog food. The rescue I volunteer for sometimes feeds EVO cat food to dogs that need to gain weight as cat food tends to be higher in protein and calories (meaning that you won't want your JRT to eat a ton in addition to his regular food).
On the other hand, you shouldn't feed dog food to a cat because there's often not enough Taurine. The exception to this is a select group of foods formulated for both species (ex. pre-made raw).
Sophie
answered on 12/18/11.
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