While it’s true that many dogs will try to eat just about anything they can get to, the thing that seems to be the most tempting for them is cat food. Sure, it’s true that on the surface, cat food and dog food seems very similar. However, there are some very important differences. First of all, cats are carnivores- which means that meat must be their main food source. On the other hand, dogs are omnivores, which means their diet needs to consist of more fiber than a carnivorous diet will offer. Still, there is meat in dog food- so why do they tend to go after cat food?
Unfortunately, dogs can’t talk, so they’re not able to explain to us why they love cat food so much. Experts guess that perhaps it’s the high amount of protein it contains and the effect that has on the overall flavor. In fact, some vets suggest that you use cat treats for training dogs because it seems to encourage positive behaviors more. The dogs love them and their stomach can handle them- so it helps to encourage them to behave the way you want them to.
However, you must keep in mind that just because they like it and will eat it- they don’t need to have access to it all the time. One expert compares dogs eating cat food to humans eating cake. It’s delicious, but it’s not exactly the best thing for a diet- and if you were to eat cake all the time, you’ll end up getting sick.
Keep in mind though, even on rare occasions, cat food can cause some dogs to have an upset stomach. After all, they’re not made to consume a diet rich in protein. There are some dogs that will be perfectly fine and others will end up suffering with vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog gets into the bag of cat food, it’s not going to kill him. He may end up having vomiting and diarrhea to get it out of his system. You’ll just need to keep a close eye on him in the future and don’t purposely give your dog the cat food.