Is it okay for a dog to eat cat food?

Answer 1

Not particularly, as cat food is specialised for cats. Cats have specialised nutrition requirements that slightly differ from a dog, so the ingredients and the vitamins, etc. used in cat and dog food will be different.

It is not bad or harmful for dogs to eat cat food on occasion, but the vitamins and minerals in it are likely not to be suited to them and may cause harm if fed over a long period of time.

Another Answer

If your dog ate some cat food, he or she may get diarrhoea.

Answer 2

A small amount of dog food will not harm the cat, but this must NEVER consist as part of cat's daily diet. Cats have far more nutritional needs than a dog and dog food doesn't contain these essential nutrients such as taurine.

Cats have a higher protein requirement than dogs. Meat is mostly made out of Protein and Fat, and cats use these as their primary energy source. Here are a few things that are present in cat food that are not in dog food:

Taurine: Cats cannot synthesize this compound (unlike dogs and most other mammals), so they must get it straight from meat. Animal tissues such as poultry and fish are natually high in taurine. Not enough taruine in the cat's diet can lead to heart problems and blindness.

Vitamin A is another component cats cannot produce. Dogs can use a compound called "beta carotene" (its what gives fruits and vegatables such as carrots the red-orange colour) and turn that into Vitamin A. Cats cannot. They need to get Vitamin A from meat.

There are also number of fatty acids cats cannot synthesize in their bodies but dogs can, so feeding a cat food specially made for them is the safest option as all the nutrients are included in the food.

Answer 3

no...... because the cat food has different nutrients for cats

Answer 4

Yes, unless you're the cat.