Can eating cat food harm a dog?

Greg

My 4 yr old chihuahua has started having seizures. I took him to the vet and blood tests revealed an elevated liver enzyme after eating. I was wondering if the high protein cat food he would rather eat than dog food could have caused this.



Ian

I have heard that cat food is higher in sodium compared to dog food. I cant imagine that its enough to effect the liver, unless its of a lesser quality and contains too many grain ingrediants (which can cause enzymes to build up in the liver, much like gluton allergies in humans) but this can also be found in dog food. Ive heard of dogs who are allergic to the grain ingrediants in dog food, so much eat a squash based food. Try feeding your little guy a natural diet. hes so small that it probably wouldnt take much time or extra money. Dogs were not meant to eat cooked processed foods, and thats what dog food (and cat food) is. Chicken is a great food for dogs. Lean beef... that sort of thing. You can learn more about it from your vet or books, or google it online. Raw food diet, natural diet. good luck.



Keenan

Excellent info--I also recommend raw :).



Akilah

Eww...



Alana

Absolutely! Some dogs have a terrible reaction to cat food, especially canned. I had a Boxer that almost died because of this. She lost all her hair and got very thin before we knew what was going on. And I work for a vet!!!This is a very good question. I am sorry your little guy is sick and I hope for a quick recovery.



Denita

No, but why give him this -- there are enough dog foods for you to try until you find one he likes.



Lorrie

Normally, Id say no. Weve had dogs that ate cat food for years with no problems (other than they got fat) but it sounds like your dog has some health problems that could be related to diet. The liver is important for that, so Id keep him away from anything that isnt designed for him. Small breed dog food would be best unless your vet has a better suggestion.



Lucien

Dog is not equal to cat! How could u? Italian can eat Spanishs dish, because they are human! But, dogs doesnt equal to cat! Better buy a special food for your dogs! Dont torture your dog!



Cris

Cats are true carnivores while dogs are omnivorous. Hence the difference in foods. Some dogs can handle eating very small amounts of cat food, but it upsets the digestive system of most of them.



Delmer

Cat food is intended for cats only and dog food is intended for dogs only:why do you think it says DOG FOOD! or CAT FOOD! each one is made specificly for that type of animal. would you feed FIELD GRAIN made for COWs to your HORSE? or RABBIT PELLETS to your BIRD? I dont think so!!!!!!!



Chana

THE VET SPECIFICALLY TOLD METHERE ARE INGREDIENTS IN CAT FOOD, THAT A DOGS KIDNEYS CANNOT HANDLE. I HAD TO KEEP THE CATS FOOD UP HIGH SINCE, SO THE CAT COULD GET TO IT, BUT THE DOGSCANNOT. ID SAY YES, EVENTUALLY IF THE KIDNEYSCANT FILTER PROPERLY, IT WOULD EFFECTTHE DOGS LIVER. I HAVE 2 CHIHUAHUASMYSELF, FOR SOME REASON THEY LOVE TO GO AFTER THE CAT FOOD!



Claudia

If you always feed it to him, it can and will. Theres a big difference between commercial cat and dog foods as cats have very different nutritional requirements. Cat foods have higher amounts of protein and fat, as well as more fiber. Therefore, dogs should be fed only dog intended diets. I recommend a raw diet (search BARF diet or raw diet for dogs on Yahoo! or Google) or here are some good dog foods:CanidaeInnovaWellnessWysongNutro Natural Choice



Inge

Maybe. He could have gotten poisoned. My dogs have eaten cat food before and it didnt hurt any of them, although all my dogs are bigger than yours.