Dog food can turn out to be really dangerous for cats to eat. If you are keen enough, you might have noticed cats do not take a keen interest in dog food. You will also find out that dog food is entirely different from cat food regarding dietary requirements. Regular feeding of such food to cats may, therefore, be detrimental to the health of your feline friend.
This is mainly because of their drastic differences in nutritional needs. The chief difference is that dogs are omnivorous pets. They feed on both meat and grains while cats are carnivores in nature, feeding mostly on meat. Therefore both the canines and felines need entirely different modes of nourishment to grow and survive.
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Cat food vs. Dog food
From a broader perspective, it might look as though dog food is not dangerous. But on a closer look, you should note that the amount of nutrition present in dog feed doesn’t fulfill the nutritional needs required by cats.
The striking differences in dog food that makes it very fatal for cats to consume are as follows:
The Dietary Requirements of Cat Food
Cats rely on vitamin B, A, C and lots of proteins as well as healthy fats for the living. They also need taurine and healthy acids for efficient living.
Since they have a small body, they do not have sufficient nutrients and ingredients that they need for healthy living. Therefore, they need to get a massive amount of nutrition and ingredients from the food they consume. The supplements are necessary for cats should be provided with food supplements so that they don’t remain malnourished or unhealthy.
Cats, therefore, need a variety of vitamins and new supplements in addition to a well-balanced diet. Dog food does not contain a sufficient amount of vitamins, meat products, proteins, or taurine.
The primary essential vitamins needed for cats include Vitamin A and taurine. Canines are capable of producing them on their own. However, cats usually require them as additional supplements for their diet. All in all, such vitamins are most critical to felines, without which they become more prone to heart diseases.
Cats And Digestive Challenges
Some cats are unable to process the vitamins or any mineral owing to an underlying sickness or medical condition. Also, other cats may need an extra dose of vitamins and minerals. In either case, supplements are needed to provide the necessary nutritional boost. Cat owners looking for medical intervention in such circumstances will definitely find supplements useful.
Taurine is the most critical acid needed for cats. It consists of sulfur and helps in the metabolism process. Deficiency in the acid leads to serious cat health issues such as dilated cardiomyopathy.
The Composition of Cat Food
As already mentioned, cat food should contain lots of vitamins and minerals. The protein content in food must be around 52-63%. The fat content must be around 22-36%.
There should also be a significant amount of carbohydrates present in cat food. Over the years, cats have evolved to live on a very high protein, moderate fat as well as a low carbohydrate diet.
Consequences
Health Implications And Possibility of Malnutrition
By consuming dog food, cats will suffer in many ways. The food will affect their eyesight, heart, kidney, metabolism, their reproductive system problem, and fur coat. Without specially balanced diet for kittens or exotic breeds, they will remain malnourished and can be easily affected by various diseases.
As a cat owner, it is not wrong to prepare cat food that’s mainly a vegetarian, vegan or raw diet. However, you need to have a look at the taurine present in the diet. It is advised to consult a veterinarian to know more about the dosages.
You have to remember that the indoor cat will require more nutrition than the wild one. This is because a wild cat can get more nourishing food from preying on other wild animals. This is why dog food will even be more harmful to the indoor cat.
Threats Of Dehydration
It is also important to remember that there is less amount of moisture in dog food. Dogs are able to sense when they get dehydrated. Therefore, once they find food dry, they drink water to counter any dehydration. The cat’s sense of dehydration is not well-developed. As such, they will innocently devour dry food without drinking water to help them keep hydrated.
Even worse, the wet canned food served to cats will not be able to provide the needed moisture to keep them hydrated. So, whichever way you look at it, dog food is not designed to meet moisture content needs required by cats. This continuous dehydration can lead to various dietary and medical problems.
Cats need particular extra food based on their age, size as well as breed. For example, exotic cat breeds like Sphynx have different nutritional needs when compared to the Marine Coon.
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Taste Variations
Dog and cat food also differ in their taste factors. Cat food is designed in such a way that they are delicious and more abundant in vitamins and minerals.
It also has a lot of meat content. Dog food is comparatively more blunt, flatter and tasteless as compared with cat meal.
Verdict On Nutritional Requirements
Cats require a very high protein diet, and that’s how they have arrived at the name of obligate carnivores. This means that meat is a necessity for them to survive. Kitties are not able to get amino acids like taurine or any other essential vitamin. So, they definitely need to get these from food supplements.
However, such foods must not be fed to a cat without considering its ingredients and nutrition value. Cats are all very unique. You will notice that kittens require more food than their adult counterparts. This is because they need a lot of energy for their metabolism and other activities.
Majority of cats will do just fine on healthy foods, and breed specific foods are not actually a necessity. Cats are all common when it comes to their nutritional requirements. They need reasonably the same amount of nutrition to get by. Kittens require up to 275 calories in a day while adults need 200-300 calories on average. Some overweight cats will need 180-200 calories in a day.
Conclusion
It is highly advisable that you keep the dry as well as canned dog food away from cats at all cost. But remember, your cat will be tempted from time to time to try dog food.
Even then, ensure the food contains all feline-friendly nutritional requirements before serving it to your cats.
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