[xenopus]

What happens to a dog who eats cat food?:(

[ChihuahuaMomma]

It's not good for them, because most cat food has ingredients to prevent hair balls. Try setting cat food on a counter that the cat can reach, and the dog cannot.

[nikosmom]

Wow, Chihuahua, I didn't know cat food had ingredients to prevent hair balls!

But aside from that, your dog may get full, but he may not be getting the nutrients he needs. Just think, pet foods vary to supply different dietary needs.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

There is no need to be sarcastic and get an attitude. How do you know the OP didn't know this?

[nikosmom]

There is no need to be sarcastic and get an attitude. How do you know the OP didn't know this?

I wasn't being sarcastic, I made that initial comment because I didn't know it!

[JuniperBerry]

I heard that eating cat food isn't bad for your dog but it just has the wrong nutrients

[mnldy55]

My dog is eating A LOT of cat food. I heard cat food has a lot of ash in it; bad for dogs supposedly. Guess I need to hear from a vet. Dog goes to extreme sneeky measures to get through barricades to kitties (2)kibble. Anybody ask a vet? (guess more of a question than answer:)

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Keep the cat food on a table or counter that the cat can jump to, but the dog can't reach.

[SweetDee]

In my experience when a dog eats cat food they end up w/ a really really bad case of DIARREAH! EWWWWWWWW:(!!

Obviously it doesn't agree w/ their tummies...

[Boatswas]

I heard cat food has a lot of ash in it; (guess more of a question than answer:)

There is no ash *IN* the food... that's just how the people that do the chemical analysis classify what's left after they have baked the food at 550 to 600 degrees for hours, to get the chemical breakdown. Since the stuff that is left didn't burn off, it's considered ash. If you look in a detailed analysis of honey, for instance, you will see that it lists "ash", too... and the bees are no in cohorts with the Keebler Elves.

In all honesty, "ash" is the mineral content that is in the food - the minerals don't burn off at such low temperatures.

[shazamataz]

Keep the cat food on a table or counter that the cat can jump to, but the dog can't reach.

I'll just quote you so you can say it one more time :p
You have a very good point Chihuahuamomma!

And yes, cat food is bad for dogs!
Cats need Taurine in their diet (yes the stuff that's in red bull drinks) which is in all cat food products and dogs cannot tolerate it

[Silverfoxkit]

Is there any way for you to put the food in a room and make that room off limits? The master bathroom In my house is the "no dog" zone. That's where the cat food is kept. At first they acted like bandits and sneaked to get the cat food, but eventually they realized that if I go into that bathroom stupid mommy thinks I want a bath. ;)

It was the only way to get through to them.

Well and the time I made the dog think I had left the room and hid in the bathroom closet and jumped out screaming like a mad man when I heard the trotting of feet across the bathroom floor and that nose slid into the closet. Shiva about jumped out of her skin before hot tailing it out.

[carolbcac]

Cats do need Taurine in their diet. It is not particularly harmful for dogs, its just that dogs can manufacture it from other amino acids and cats can't, so it has to be added. Cats fed nothing but dog food can actually die from Taurine deficiency.
What cat food does have is usually a much higher protein content than most dog food. That may not be a concern until the dog is older and the extra protein can be a strain on his kidneys.
All dogs seem to love cat food (and it doesn't seem to matter whether it is straight from the bag or has been cycled THROUGH the cat)
I have a baby gate between the room where the cats are fed and have their litter boxes, so the dogs don't have a field day. The cats seem to appreciate the privacy.

[RomanticsRhot]

My puppy does this too. He LOVES the cat's cat food. Sadly enough, it's her prescription cat food and QUITE expensive.

He also LOVES to eat the turds out of the kitty litter box! That's PAST annoying! Why do dogs do that?

How do you get them to stop?

The cat needs the litter box on the floor. I cannot always keep the dog out of the room where her litter box is, as I want the cat & dog to interact and I don't like closing off the kitty to only one room of the house.

[shazamataz]

RomanticsRhot I know you are new to the site but if you have any questions would you mind putting them all together and starting your own topic.

When you reply to old questions then it drags them back up to the top making actual new questions get pushed down and often not seen.

Thanks.

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