WHY NOT GIVE VEGGIEANIMALS FOR CATS TO DOGS AND VICE VERSA

It is very common to see dogs interested in cat food as if it were a delicious treat and cats waiting crouched for dog food time to steal some of their pellets as if these were little treasures.

This is something we can allow occasionally, but we cannot make it a routine, i.e. dogs cannot be fed cat food no matter how much they like it - nor can it be the other way around.

If it happens during a short period of their lives we will most likely not see any symptoms. However, in the long term, not eating the right nutrients for their species, either in excess or by default, can cause health problems which, in some cases, can be irreversible.

In the case of cat food, it is common that families living with dogs and cats leave the cat bowl all day and that way the cat is fed. On the other hand, if the dog starts finishing the leftovers because its smell tells it that there is something delicious there, the dog will be given an extra and unbalanced dose of food for its needs. Besides, some dogs may prefer eating the cat food rather than their own.

What are the consequences?
Because the cat is not a small dog, and therefore has different nutritional needs. Cat food contains more fat and more protein, excess protein maintained over time can cause digestive problems in dogs, but above all and much more seriously, can cause irreversible damage to their kidneys. Cat food also contains higher amounts of some vitamins and minerals that will cause long-term problems for dogs. Excess fat in turn can lead to pancreatitis and obesity.

And if we talk about dog food consumed by cats, we are making a serious mistake, since cats need a much greater amount of taurine than is added to dog food which they can synthesise themselves. Cats, unlike dogs and other mammals, cannot generate their own taurine, an essential amino acid for them, and if they do not ingest it in their daily food in the long term it can cause heart problems and degeneration of the retina, both pathologies are irreversible and they will have to live with blindness and heart problems for life. In addition, cats need to consume a greater amount of fat, protein and vitamin A, whose deficit by consuming a feed formulated for another species can give rise to serious problems.

How can we stop one from eating the other's food if they like it better?
There are several "tricks" to avoid this problem:

1.    The easiest approach is to feed them at set times and in a space where one will not eat the other one's food.

2.    If cats tend to eat only a little bit at a time, we'll have to juggle with their agility and provide them with safe spots in high places where the dog can't reach. However, if the cat wants to eat every few minutes and the dog has access to the cat's food, then it will be impossible to portion its food.

3.    Each in their own bowl and space, if we separate them into different rooms they will get used to eating their own food.

We must be disciplined about this. We cannot let ourselves be carried away by the fact that they like it more or by the fact that they prefer it during a certain period, because we know that, in the long run, it can have very serious consequences.


María González.
Founder of Refugio La Vida Color Frambuesa and vet for VeggieAnimals.