ShellyBeggs Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I have a puppy and all he wants to eat is cat food (jellymeat and chicken and liver vrty).... He is underweight.....but otherwise happy and healthy...the vet says there is nothing wrong with him. Why is cat food bad for dogs? Will it really be dangerous to give him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Cat food is not dangerous to dogs. It is the other way around as far as I am aware. Lately people have been confusing the issues relating to taurine. Cats must have taurine and this is found in cat food but not dog food. Therefore, you can not feed a cat only dog food as it will miss an essential ingredient it needs to stay healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 Cat food is not dangerous to dogs. It is the other way around as far as I am aware. Lately people have been confusing the issues relating to taurine. Cats must have taurine and this is found in cat food but not dog food. Therefore, you can not feed a cat only dog food as it will miss an essential ingredient it needs to stay healthy. Thanks heaps Puggles.....you are a wealth of wonderful knowledge........thank you so very much! I have been trying to feed him 1/2 and 1/2 but he only eats the cat food part.... I might cut it right back to only a spoon full of dog food (mince +rice) and the rest cat food and very gradually increase/decrease to a more reasonable level.... He is also gettin raw meaty bones which he will eat one day and not the next..... I was worried it was dangerous to give him so much cat food....... Thanks heaps, you have put my mind at ease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 When I was Veterinary Nursing we always used cat food to tempt dogs that had become anorexic due to illness. As always though feeding your dog on tinned food isn't, in my view, the best food regardless of it being cat or dog food. I gather your dog is a small breed? Maybe a Malt or simialr?? They can be fussy as far as I know. Have you tried fresh mince, chicken and fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scales of Justice Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I wouldn't think that cat food alone would be all that beneficial for a growing puppy. Puppies have much higher needs for minerals and other nutrients for bone growth and the larger the pup, the more exact the formulation needs to be to avoide bone deformities. I would certainly not feed a puppy on cat food alone, although an addition of cat food to an already balanced diet would be quite fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 He is an aussie......6mo he has had digestive problems seems to have gas (burping) and bad breath (not teeth related), and not ever hungry......vet check was fine, no medical reason, and I have started him on acidophillus bifidus (sp???) tablets to try and help his digestion! The tablets seem to be helping and his breath is much improved and so has his gas! I have been adding the cat food to his dinner as a tempter....he eats the cat food and not the rest. If I mix the two thoroughly so he cant pick the cat food out, he eats nothing at all. If I feed him without the cat food he eats nothing also. He is such a tiny bubba and I am worried when he doesn't eat......From as far back as I remember, I am used to all my dogs and puppies being little piggies!!! The only other food he gets really interested in is cheese and egg beaten in milk....which I find interesting....I wonder if he hasn't got too much acid....and he likes the cheese and milk because don't they help an acid stomach???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shmoo Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 do you put his dish down for 20 mins and then take away regardless of how much he has eaten? or is he left to graze? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Why not give real yoghurt instead of the capsules? Plain yoghurt is best. Don't give flavoured as it contains sugar. Have you tried fresh mince (human grade0? Maybe some sardines (tinned) or fresh ones from the seafood vendor? Ensure the milk you give is pet millk and not cows milk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 (edited) Rice has no nutritional value for dogs - it's just filler. It can be a useful source of carbohydrates but that's about it. I'd leave it out. Put the food down, leave it for 10 minutes and take it away. If he's hungry he'll eat. Cats are notoriously fussy eaters and cat food is designed to smell tempting. My guess is that's why he eats it. Edited July 23, 2007 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloss344 Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Cat food isn't bad for dogs it's actually the other way around it's way too good for dogs. Cats have much higher protein and nutrient reqirements than dogs so it's quite rich. Knowing how fussy cat's are I imagine it's also very tasty. Did the vet do blood tests or fecal tests to rule out possible causes of the digestive problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted July 24, 2007 Author Share Posted July 24, 2007 Yeppers he is getting raw meaty bones, chicken wings or chicken carcass for breakfast....1 day he eats it then he doesnt for a day or so....he also gets left dry food which he will pick at. Its his dinner I was asking about......and I wanted him to eat what the others eat which is the cooked mince and vegies with just enough rice to stick it together nicely....they other dogs love it. I have been adding the cat food to tempt him to eat it.....and its only the cat food he eats.....I have also tried sardines, fresh roast chicken etc......but he picks at it. The vet has done tests.......all normal! The vet concerned too (to me he is almost a fur over skeleton) and has wormed him even tho his poo was negative to worms....(and again in 2 weeks) ....and is keeping an eye on him. The vet says there is nothing physically wrong with him to stop him eating... could he just be a picky eater??? ....because if its cheese he scoffs it...but he cant just eat cheese! food allergies?? I have noticed he doesn't poo much but then he doesn't eat much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 It is very possible that he is just a picky eater. There are many dogs like this and there isn't anything physically wrong. If your Vet rules out any illnesses and parasites then I would just concentrate on finding foods that he likes. Is there a reason you cook his mince? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shmoo Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 stop leaving food out for him. he needs to learn to eat when YOU tell him to. not when he feels like it. give him a window of 20 mins every night at the same time to eat what you want him to. if he doesn't, then take it away. give him no treats, no dinner scraps and no option of dry food to graze on. he will learn when he i supposed to eat and get used to it. he won't starve himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shmoo Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 also, has he had a dental recently? even thou he doesnt have bad breath he might have a sore tooth that is stopping him from eating anything more than minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloss344 Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 I haven't had experience with it but would it be worth trying something like Thrive D? Anyone? If he does eat certain foods and not others could be he's just a picky eater. Have you tried not offering a lot of variety, just a really basic diet, and not leaving any dry food down for him to 'pick at'. Sometimes if they are fussy and are getting a lot of different foods they will hold out for something better. Little devils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 (edited) Yeppers he is getting raw meaty bones, chicken wings or chicken carcass for breakfast....1 day he eats it then he doesnt for a day or so....he also gets left dry food which he will pick at.Its his dinner I was asking about......and I wanted him to eat what the others eat which is the cooked mince and vegies with just enough rice to stick it together nicely....they other dogs love it. I have been adding the cat food to tempt him to eat it.....and its only the cat food he eats.....I have also tried sardines, fresh roast chicken etc......but he picks at it. The vet has done tests.......all normal! The vet concerned too (to me he is almost a fur over skeleton) and has wormed him even tho his poo was negative to worms....(and again in 2 weeks) ....and is keeping an eye on him. The vet says there is nothing physically wrong with him to stop him eating... could he just be a picky eater??? ....because if its cheese he scoffs it...but he cant just eat cheese! food allergies?? I have noticed he doesn't poo much but then he doesn't eat much! . I'd not be leaving food down for him to pick at. This may be part of the problem. Try reducing the quantities a little. If that makes no difference, I'd be tempted to switch him to one meal a day. He's old enough. Edited July 24, 2007 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Maybe you're feeding him too much, as PF says cut him down to one meal a day. He may also be a little spoiled, he knows that if he doesn't eat one thing you'll offer him something else. Don't leave food down, give him 20 minutes to eat it and then take it away, don't feed him ANYTHING until the next night. He'll eat in the end, may take a few days, but he'll learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 What did the breeder suggest ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scales of Justice Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 stop leaving food out for him. he needs to learn to eat when YOU tell him to. not when he feels like it.give him a window of 20 mins every night at the same time to eat what you want him to. if he doesn't, then take it away. give him no treats, no dinner scraps and no option of dry food to graze on. he will learn when he i supposed to eat and get used to it. he won't starve himself. I agree with Shmoo. Stop leaving food down for him. He is playing on you psychologically to hang out for whatever he fancies to eat. You need to deal with him by putting the food down for him, and unlike Shmoo who would give him 20 mins, I would only give him 10 mins to eat whatever YOU have selected for him and when he turns up his nose at it, take it away. Let him starve! You will find it will be harder on you than on him to see him starve. Let him go hungry (totally hungry if necessary) for as long as it takes until he eats what YOU have selected for him. I can almost guarantee it will only take a few days before he eats heartily whatever you put down, BUT YOU MUST BE STRONG ENOUGH not to weaken to his whims. It is for his own good, as he should not live on cat food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shmoo Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 but if he doesnt eat for 4 days straight i would take another approach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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