If you have both a dog and a cat in your home, you may notice that they try to eat each other’s food. It’s this weird habit that many dual pet households might notice. And we definitely have.
When it comes to our dogs eating the cat’s food, you might be concerned about whether or not this is safe. After all, dogs and cats have very different diet needs. And depending on the age of your dog or cat, they have specific health needs that need to be met with their diet.
So what happens if your dog gets into the cat’s food? Obviously, the cat is going to be annoyed because they just lost their meal. But how does it impact your dog’s health?
Can dogs safely eat cat food?
Yes, a dog can eat a cat’s food. It doesn’t give them the same nutritional benefits that their own food would give them, but it is technically safe. In fact, in cases of emergency, sometimes cat food is an option that even veterinarians use.
After surgery, if a dog doesn’t have an appetite, sometimes the vet will tempt the dog with cat food. There’s something about that forbidden food that makes a dog decide, ‘Yes, I am hungry.’
According to Kinship, “If your dog gets their paws on a small amount of cat food, no need to be alarmed – it’s more than likely they will be just fine. Watch out for any signs of vomiting or diarrhea, which can occur with any change in their regular diet.”
It is good to know that our dog can safely eat cat food. It may not be ideal, but if it happens, the real concern is just making sure that it doesn’t upset your dog if they have a sensitive stomach.
And of course, since you do not want this to be a regular thing, you may want to feed your pets at different times. Or, you may want to find alternative ways to feed your pets so that they are not in the same room together at dinner time or breakfast. Whatever you need to do to keep the dog from eating the cat food, and vice versa.