[christine_72]

This is more of a curiosity question, as i don't feed my dog my cats food regularly, other than leftovers my dog gets, that my cat leaves in her bowl every now and then.

The main reason i have read discouraging giving dogs cat food, is the too high protein and fat in cat food. However, both their foods have the same % of protein and fat, with the cats food have 150 more calories per kilogram.

Are there any other reasons cat food is not good for dogs?

 

[Oldfashion]

Simply put, it’s made for cats, lol.
Cats have very different nutritional needs than dogs. Protein too high, too fatty, cats are far more strictly carnivorous than dogs, etc. To be fair, your dog having a bit of cat chow here and there won’t hurt them, but too often, and your dogs can have bouts of diarrhea and stomach upset. Overall, it’s best to feed animals diets that were formulated for them!

 

[MarieLovesChis]

This is more of a curiosity question, as i don't feed my dog my cats food regularly, other than leftovers my dog gets, that my cat leaves in her bowl every now and then.

The main reason i have read discouraging giving dogs cat food, is the too high protein and fat in cat food. However, both their foods have the same % of protein and fat, with the cats food have 150 more calories per kilogram.

Are there any other reasons cat food is not good for dogs?

I never understood that reasoning, some dog food brands are higher in fat and protein then some cat food brands. The real reason you should not make a regular habit of feeding cat food to dogs (or vice verse) is because of nutrient requirements. Cats and dogs do not require the same amount of vitamin and mineral amounts per pound of body weight. They simply do not have the same nutritional requirements. A food formulated for dogs has to meet a specific guideline of micronutrients and same for a food formulated for cats. Because the recommended minimums and maximums are not the same for both, it would not be safe to use the foods interchangeably over long periods of time. One could be deficient in one nutrient and too high in another.

 

[christine_72]

I never understood that reasoning, some dog food brands are higher in fat and protein then some cat food brands. The real reason you should not make a regular habit of feeding cat food to dogs (or vice verse) is because of nutrient requirements. Cats and dogs do not require the same amount of vitamin and mineral amounts per pound of body weight. They simply do not have the same nutritional requirements. A food formulated for dogs has to meet a specific guideline of micronutrients and same for a food formulated for cats. Because the recommended minimums and maximums are not the same for both, it would not be safe to use the foods interchangeably over long periods of time. One could be deficient in one nutrient and too high in another.

Yes, I have some dog foods in my rotation that have much higher protein and fat than my cats food. I'd say the vits/minerals eg Vitamin A etc would be higher in cat food.

 

[Oldfashion]

I never understood that reasoning, some dog food brands are higher in fat and protein then some cat food brands. The real reason you should not make a regular habit of feeding cat food to dogs (or vice verse) is because of nutrient requirements. Cats and dogs do not require the same amount of vitamin and mineral amounts per pound of body weight. They simply do not have the same nutritional requirements. A food formulated for dogs has to meet a specific guideline of micronutrients and same for a food formulated for cats. Because the recommended minimums and maximums are not the same for both, it would not be safe to use the foods interchangeably over long periods of time. One could be deficient in one nutrient and too high in another.

While this is true for the most part, it shouldn’t be fed because almost all cat foods have fat and protein content that is far too high for a dog. Only low quality dog food brands (and I say low quality as any owner who does good research and consults with a vet would know these foods aren’t appropriate) have higher protein and fat. Feeding cat food for prolonged periods of time is going to cause stomach upset due to the high protein and fat before the nutritional deficiencies begin to set in. So to be fair, the main problem with feeding these is that your dog can grow ill quite quickly.

 

[christine_72]

While this is true for the most part, it shouldn’t be fed because almost all cat foods have fat and protein content that is far too high for a dog. Only low quality dog food brands (and I say low quality as any owner who does good research and consults with a vet would know these foods aren’t appropriate) have higher protein and fat. Feeding cat food for prolonged periods of time is going to cause stomach upset due to the high protein and fat before the nutritional deficiencies begin to set in. So to be fair, the main problem with feeding these is that your dog can grow ill quite quickly.

Re the bold.. Don't you have that the wrong way around? Low quality dog food brands tend to have lower protein/fat usually from dubious sources, grains/corn etc. The higher quality foods most often have higher protein/fat, from meat sources, not grains/peas/legumes.

 

[MarieLovesChis]

While this is true for the most part, it shouldn’t be fed because almost all cat foods have fat and protein content that is far too high for a dog. Only low quality dog food brands (and I say low quality as any owner who does good research and consults with a vet would know these foods aren’t appropriate) have higher protein and fat. Feeding cat food for prolonged periods of time is going to cause stomach upset due to the high protein and fat before the nutritional deficiencies begin to set in. So to be fair, the main problem with feeding these is that your dog can grow ill quite quickly.

Actually many popular high quality dog food brands have protein around 30-38%, some even higher. Fat in these foods is often around 18-20%. That is quite similar to some of the high quality cat foods I've seen which are often 40% protein and 20% fat. If an owner feeds both pets meat based high quality foods, the percentages are unlikely to be large enough to cause drastic changes.

 

[Shell]

Dogs can eat cat food better than cats can eat dog food.

Cats need to get taurine and Vitamin A from their food in a way that dogs do not. So while a dog eating cat food might get some not desirable calories or a slight misbalance of nutrients, as long as its occasional then it isn't a big deal.

 

[KaidenAlford]

Feeding cat food to dogs full-time is not advisable, as cat food does not have all of the nutrients dogs need to stay healthy, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies may develop as a result.

 

[Kathyy]

Since commercial products are generally overfortified and they need nearly the same amounts I don't think that is ever going to happen.
https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/Regulatory/Committees/Pet-Food/Reports/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Midyear-Proposed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf

 

[goodboi]

A dog can actually eat anything sometimes, whatever food that purposely or accidentally feeds to them, they will eat it, something like even a fruit or vegetables. But cat not like that, really picky eaters. The thing is, whatever food you give is that good to your dog health and diet? If it is, even a cat food is okay, but in the end, cat food is for the cat.

 

[sydneynicole]

As a raw feeder, does that not debunk the whole "different protein/fat levels, different nutrients" thing? If I'm feeding prey model raw to my dog and cat, that has to be pretty similar. I do not have a cat so I'm not sure if cats get different amounts of organs or whatever, but when I think about the cats at my barn who rarely every eat cat food and survive almost solely off of mice and birds and whatever else they happen to catch, I can't imagine it's much different than a dog on a prey model raw diet.

 

[christine_72]

As a raw feeder, does that not debunk the whole "different protein/fat levels, different nutrients" thing? If I'm feeding prey model raw to my dog and cat, that has to be pretty similar. I do not have a cat so I'm not sure if cats get different amounts of organs or whatever, but when I think about the cats at my barn who rarely every eat cat food and survive almost solely off of mice and birds and whatever else they happen to catch, I can't imagine it's much different than a dog on a prey model raw diet.

I think cat raw feeders have to be more aware of the Taurine amounts in meats. Beef heart seems to be a staple in raw fed cats diets due to it's higher than usual taurine.

Other than that, i cant think of any other differences between raw fed cats and dogs. After all, they both survive on whatever they catch in the wild, which is other animals.

And the higher protein and fat content in cat foods being the issue is total Bull, as the next dog food in our rotation has a higher protein/fat content than our cats regular dry food.

 

[gingerkid]

While this is true for the most part, it shouldn’t be fed because almost all cat foods have fat and protein content that is far too high for a dog. Only low quality dog food brands (and I say low quality as any owner who does good research and consults with a vet would know these foods aren’t appropriate) have higher protein and fat. Feeding cat food for prolonged periods of time is going to cause stomach upset due to the high protein and fat before the nutritional deficiencies begin to set in. So to be fair, the main problem with feeding these is that your dog can grow ill quite quickly.

Vets are not experts in canine nutrition any more than family physicians are experts in human nutrition. Both are generalists who simply don't have the time to stay up-to-date or develop in-depth knowledge about any one subject, unless it becomes a practice interest. There are better sources of information on canine nutrition than a general practice vet - such as primary scientific literature (where a good, evidence-based vet will be getting their information from anyway) or canine nutritionists.

A lot of vets (my own included) usually suggest lower fat/protein foods because most pet dogs simply don't need foods that are so calorically dense. A lot of people feed based on "cups" not based on calories. For the average, somewhat sedentary pet, a higher calorie food generally equates to a fatter dog, and that is why the high fat/protein is "inappropriate" for many dogs, not because it is inappropriate for dogs as a species.