How safe is it for a dog to eat cat food?

It seems that no matter what brand we buy, the dog is always more interested in cat food. He sometimes goes all day without eating anything. But he'll have cat food or our scraps.He's a smallish dog, sort of poodle-ish, and weighs about 5 kg. He's very skinny. We try to keep the cat food where he can't reach it, as it sometimes makes him sick. Sometimes we think it's better to have something in his stomach rather than nothing at all.Does anyone think it's because there isn't another dog in the house, and he's the only one eating the dog food?

Oh its safe enough but there is much more nourishment in cat food. possibly fish too, When they swap it's the cat that loses out. Your dog thinks the food you buy and give it are boring

it is bad for a dog as it affects their liver and great long term problems

It's all pretty much the same stuff. Most dogs eat pretty much anything, including poop sometimes and that's called coprophagia.

Dogs can live on cat food, but cats can't live on dog food.

My dog eats my cat food everyday he waits for the cat to finish then eats the rest, little monster ! haha its fine for them to eat as it has mostly the same ingredients as dog food. IF your dog just eats biscuits it can be abit boring for them maybe you should give him some meat mixed in with them

dogs are omnivorous, meaning they can eat pretty much anything - my dog is quite partial to cheese, carrots and dried whiskers cat food. i've spoken to my vet on this very subject - don't feed the dog exclusively on cat food - they can miss out on their doggie nutrients, but it certainly wont hurt them any.

Mine tries it too. I think it is due to the salt we put in our "people" food, and the same thing for the cat food. Cats need it, dogs don't. Dog food is saltless compared to cat food, and they would rather eat it. Just like people. I feed the cat when the dog can't get to the cat food. People food he gets rarely, if ever. Dogs don't need the salt, and too much is bad for them. They are just like people. They love the salty taste, but too much is harmful. The dog will eat his food if he has nothing else. He'll hold out as long as he can, but he will eat when he gets hungry enough. Never have seen a dog starve to death if there's something to eat. So I'd limit his salty food, people and cat, but it won't kill him unless it is at a point of being his sole source of food.

Not at all safe, if eaten regularly. The cat food lacks nutrients dogs need. Ifr you offer him nothing but dog food, he'll go on a hunger strike, but he will start eating it. Or, you can give him a diet of chicken and and brown rice and find dog food receipes made from human food.Below is a link to unsafe foods for dogs. cat food is on the list.

Yeah any1 can eat cat food if they really wanted to

try it and see

Depends on how big the cat is!!!! Mine wouldn't be happy ;o)

well my dog eats it all the time, and so far has cause no problems an i even told the vet and she said thats that is very normal.

It's probably ok, as long as the cat food isn't inside a cat!!!Seriously, I don't think it will do the dog any harm as most pet foods are made from very similar ingredients however, I'm not sure the dog will get all it's required nutrients from cat food alone. Have you tried the dog on some Tripe or Offal? When I was a kid, we used to be able to get this stuff from the butcher for next to nothing. It is fresh and will give you dog the vitamins and nutrients needed for a healthy existence.There are lots of women business owners who are also dog owners at www.womeninbusinessconference.com you could try there.There is also an enormous site with lots of info. at www.thepetcenter.combest of luck.

Hi!! Idea, give the cat the dog food, let the dog see the cat with it, then take it awy from the cat and offer it to the dog.I`d wager the dog will then eat it.

Found this for you,Is it okay for my dog to eat the cat food or vice-versa? Cats will be malnourished if they are fed dog food as their primary source of calories. Cats require a much different amount and ratio of essential nutrients such as taurine, vitamin A, and arachadonic acid. Cats are true carnivores, requiring a diet high in meat and meat products, with a much higher protein requirement than dogs. However, if a cat happens to ingest a bit of the dog food on occasion, it should not cause them any harm. It is normally safe for dogs to eat cat foods, though it would be very expensive to do soBut another site said...Q: Can dogs eat cat food and vice versa?A: No, dogs and cats should not eat diets that are not specifically formulated for their individual species. This is because dogs and cats have different nutritional requirements. A dog eating a diet formulated for a cat may leave the dog deficient in specific nutrients and vice versa. For example, cats require higher protein levels and the amino acid taurine. Stealing a bit of one another’s food occasionally is not going to harm your pet but in order to meet the specific day to day nutritional needs, a diet formulated for their own species should be fed. I have to say the majority of what I saw said it was ok, but I would just keep an eye on him and if any worries, contact your vet. Hope this has been of help

well.. idk has he gotten sick before.. once my dog at a whole hershey bar and hes still alive haha(:

Well, a dog eating cat food occasionally will not be harmed by it but it sounds like you have a different problem, i.e. your dog is not interested in its own food but is interested in scraps or cat food.This would suggest that he has become bored with his own diet, OR that he doesn't need to eat his own food because he has access to the cat's food and scraps you give him and is therefore filling up on those.I have some suggestions for you: 1) Don't leave the cat's food where the dog can reach it; 2) try to vary your dog's diet with suitable dog food so that he's not offered the same food every day and 3) don't feed your dog scraps.The best diet for dogs is a complete dry food, nutritionally balanced for his age group. This can get a little boring for dogs though so a few times a week it's fine to add some cooked green veg or carrots and a little gravy, just to vary things a little. But regardless of what you feed your dog, never leave the food out all day (or the cat's food for that matter because the dog's just going to eat that). Put the food down at a regular time each day and leave it there for half an hour at the most, then take it away again. Your dog will soon learn to eat the food as soon as it's given. This way, he should eat his own food instead of filling up on the cat's food or your scraps (neither of which are nutritionally ideal).

My dog was really ill and on a drip for two weeks. The only thing they could tempt her with was cat food and tuna. Apparently it has a stronger smell and taste. It was the only thing she would eat when we finally got her home but we're trying to wean her off it by gradually mixing in dog food with it.

What size is your dog. If it is large a couple of bites of cat food will not hurt it. If it is small like my pom eating cat food can disrupt the nutritional balance. I had the same issue with mine and consulted the vet. Now I keep the cats food up where the cat can get it but the dog cannot. She went back to her own food when no cat food was available. Also, she is not allowed table scraps for the same reason.