[amkmarie]

Anyone know of any potential problems feeding a dog cat treats? I got some meaty cat treats for free and have been feeding these to my dog w/o any problems. And he LOVES them! Since he is about the same size as most cats, they are also perfectly portioned.

I wouldn't feed a cat dog treats b/c they don't do well with the non-meat fillers that may be in dog food. But I am interested to find out if someone has any insight I haven't considered.

Thanks!

[jcgirl]

I have no idea but my cat eats my dog's food and the dog eats the cat's. It's hard to keep them separated at dinner time. They have to check each other's out to make sure the other's isn't better than there's. Just check the ingredients to make sure there isn't anything questionable. But my guess is it's fine. Maybe you could call a pet store or your vet and ask for sure.

[chasindeals]

My vet actually gives dogs cat treats when we visit. I once asked him why and he said they are richer and dogs love them.

[MommySusan1]

I think the treats are OK. But I wouldn't give a cat dog food. There is something that cats need that isn't in dog food. We had friends that had a cat who went blind because all it ate was dog food.

[dwhengel]

Originally Posted by MommySusan1

I think the treats are OK. But I wouldn't give a cat dog food. There is something that cats need that isn't in dog food. We had friends that had a cat who went blind because all it ate was dog food.

You are thinking about Taurine, which is an essential amino acid, which cats can't create in their own body.

A taurine deficiency can also cause heart issues.

Della

[dwhengel]

Originally Posted by chasindeals

My vet actually gives dogs cat treats when we visit. I once asked him why and he said they are richer and dogs love them.

Cat foods (and most cat treats) are higher protein and higher fat than dog foods/treats. Cats are obligate carnivores, while dogs are carnivores, but can be omnivores.

So a dog being fed cat food and/or treats may pick up some weight, whereas a cat being fed dog food is likely to cause more serious health issues due to increased chance of taurine deficiency secondary to the dog food.

Ultimately, yes, it is okay to feed cat treats to a dog, within reasonable amounts. If the dog starts getting more chubby, I'd cut down on the cat treats.

Della

[TheShyOne22]

Our dog gets sick every time she sneaks some of the cat food. Our vet said that the food is too rich for dogs. Just my experience.

[Sophie76]

Ive had cats and dogs for 33 yrs. My dogs love my cats food and treats, my cats love my dogs food. It hasnt caused any problems.

[Brutuses]

If a cat eats a diet of mostly dog food it is very dangerous. It can cause blindness, heart disease and othter problems. Cats need much more meat protein than most dog foods have, especially the corn based food. If dogs eat too much cat food it will make them fat, but is not dangerous otherwise.

[Maggiew]

My beloved dog has eaten:

Shoes
Socks
Bird Seed
Insects
Grass
An entire loaf of bread
A an entire bag of donuts.
Tissues
Toilet paper
Paper towels
ANYTHING that can be located in the trash can

Now it's just trash from the garbage can.

We actually take the garbage out if we leave the house, or we have to put her in her crate.

So, I guess, I'm thinking cat treats would be kinda good in comparison.

BTW-Viva paper towels are strong enough that they remain whole when eaten. Don't ask how I know.

[Brutuses]

I've always been curious as to why some dogs eat foreign objects when others do not.

I think there may be many reasons for this behavior but I think one thing that is most probably responsible is the dog is either hungry for certain nutrients or just food in general and/or they are bored from lack of excercise/attention and doesn't have the proper things to chew on when bored, like pig, cow, lamb ears, twizzler sticks, bullies, etc. My dogs are given something to chew on every night. While we watch TV they chew on their chews and are happy.

I also think dogs who are not obedience trained will act out doing things that they shouldn't.

I did have one dog who I adopted from the local shelter who was totally untrained. He ate part of my brand new $50 shoes and the remote control. We never did find parts to it. He was out of control because he had never had any type of training. He also pulled my plants out the ground, emptied the clothes hamper and brought my underwear out the pet door onto the deck in the back yard (mind you we didn't have a wooden fence up then.) Very embarrassing. He was a very confused and bad dog. He ran out the front door when we opened it and we'd just have to wait for someone to call the number of his tage before we'd get him back.

Not knowing what to do for or about him I turned to my vet for advice. He gave me a book to read and oh boy I received a lesson I did not know previously. I realized this little dog thought he was the alpha and we were his subordinates. The book gave tips on how to change those positions at home and then strongly recommended obedience school. So I took the advice and brought him to school.

After 6 weeks of school and changes in how we related to him, he was a completely different dog. All the bad behavior's stopped and he was a great joy to have. My baby died a couple of years ago at the age of 21.

The 2 dogs I have now have also been to obedience school. They came from the street and were both very fearful and had no self esteem. School changed both of them for the better. Like Scottie, they are wonderful animals and a joy to have as part of our household.

Dogs need companionship and direction. They are dogs and to learn how to relate to them as dogs is the best favor you can do for them.

I am so glad your dog survived eating all those things.

[Maggiew]

The only thing she will eat now is from the trash can if we don't block it off before we leave the house. Everything that is food related is out of her reach.

She can't resist the scent of human food. She is very well-behaved...until there are no witnesses and access to the garbage can.

So, we empty out the trash everytime we leave the house.

Molly always has a food bowl out. (The vet says she is great at self-regulating her food consumption.)

And chews? All over.