dogs have been around for a very long time and the oldest dog alive today is a 187-year-old named Johnathan. So, if you plan on keeping a pet dog, you’re in for the long haul; they might possibly outlive you!
dogs aren’t the most common choice of pets. They aren’t cuddly and don’t respond to you like a cat or a dog would, but if you’re looking for low maintenance, non-demanding, and non-clingy pet, dogs are the best option to choose! They’ll be by your side without constantly being by your side. The only catch, they need to have a well-taken care diet. dogs need their nutritional requirements to be met in order to live a long healthy life, and being their owners, it is your job to know what those requirements are.
Admittedly, it’s easier said than done. This is especially because dogs are rare pets to own, so even your pet store won’t have a wide selection of food and other dog-related stuff. To make things more complicated, dogs can also be a slight bit complicated with their food preferences. Some are herbivores and will only eat plants, while others are carnivores and will only eat meat. Some are both plants and meat-eaters. So, part and parcel of a healthy diet, know what kind of species your dog actually is.
Sometimes dogs aren’t the only pet you own. If you are a multi-pet owner, and more specifically, if you are a cat parent, you know the pain of food rejection during mealtime! Lots of wasted money on tins of food that your cat refuses to eat. Which is what brought you our way. You probably want to kill two birds with one stone and want to know if it is safe to offer your dog your cat’s food. It’s a common myth, and you are considering your options.
Sure, omnivorous dogs will eat just about whatever will fit in their mouths. However, the more important question, though, does that make it okay for dogs to eat?
Read on to find out.
FOODS DOGS SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF
Unfortunately, the concept of ‘knowing when to stop’ when it comes to munching upon an edible item is very rare for dogs. They will just eat, eat, and just eat some more of anything and everything they can get their hands on. Now, this may not be all that problematic for them in the wild since they don’t know when they will get a chance to ever eat again. However, there are some foods your pet dog shouldn’t be allowed to even go near.
The first and most important food group that should be eliminated from your dog’s diet is all sorts of fatty food. Fatty foods are incredibly unhealthy for your dog and pave the way for a plethora of health issues such as kidney damage and obesity. The fattier food that is in their diet, the more years of their lives are reduced.
Another type of food group that is unsafe for dogs is dairy products. Reptiles such as our beloved dogs don’t possess the enzymes that are needed to break down the dairy products, and so dairy in their diet will lead to indigestion.
A definite no-go area for dogs also includes carbohydrates and proteins. Even though dogs need both, more important, especially when they’re young, too much of these nutrients can cause dog shell pyramiding –where the shell grows abnormally fast. This is a cause of extreme pain and discomfort for your dog.
SO WHERE DOES CAT FOOD COME IN THE MIX? Can dogs eat cat food?
Unfortunately, cat food ticks off all the boxes of food groups dogs should avoid. Not only are they getting all the wrong nutrients, but the ones they are absorbing also aren’t doing them any good either.
Cat food has been designed for your mammal feline, keeping their internal makeup and dietary needs in mind. dogs are nothing like cats, and so cat food isn’t doing them any favors when fed!
Sure, your dog will gobble up cat food if you offer it to them, but you can’t feed them cat food and expect them to live a long and healthy life.
While we cannot recommend feeding your dog cat food as either a proper meal or as a snack, there are other foods out there that are great in terms of health and in terms of taste that your dog can snack on.
SAFE FOOD FOR DOGS:
There isn’t any shortage of food options to offer your dog. We recommend the following:
- Commercial pelleted dog food: Like canned cat food, you can easily find dog food at your nearest pet store. It contains the exact amounts of all the nutrition a dog requires to sustain a fit life. The bonus is that it is made especially for dogs!
- Feeder fish and/or insects: These are a great source of protein and minerals like calcium and phosphorus and contain good levels of certain vitamins like vitamin A.
- Fruits and vegetables: Now that all the protein and fat are out of the way, the next best thing for your pet dog are fruits and plants. Chopped dark leafy greens such as kale, collard, shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that your dog will enjoy munching away on. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed to mix things up a bit for your pet.
CONCLUSION
So, technically dogs can and will eat cat food if offered to them. But should they be eating it? Absolutely not. Cat food is just not something that has been designed for your dog and eating it will only do your dog more harm than good. Being a responsible pet owner means looking out for all of your pet’s needs, and so you need to ensure that your dog gets the food that is made for its species. Only then will it be able to live a healthy life.