Differences between a dog and a cat
Many people who have dogs and cats in their homes do not notice any huge differences in their nutrition. These people assume that both the dog and the cat grew up next to a man for so many centuries, so he will eat similar things. However, this is not true and every seasoned observer will notice for themselves how large the differences in the diet of these animals are. Cats are ruthless carnivores, which means that for health they need meat in their diet – primarily it.
In turn, dogs are somewhere between relative carnivores and omnivores, which means that meat can form the basis of their nutrition, but they can also feed temporarily on plants, if necessary. In short, it follows that the cat should receive the meat itself and, above all, this ingredient every day, while the dog will be happy to diversify a meat meal with a tasty vegetable or fruit bite.
Why shouldn’t a dog eat cat food?
Let’s say it straight: for a dog, eating cat food has less dangerous consequences than for a cat, eating dog food for a long time. A dog needs less protein and fat in its diet, and more fiber or carbohydrates. For this reason, eating more calories, and cat food can above all adversely affect his carcass, causing problems with overweight.
This consequently puts a strain on the heart and the entire circulatory system, and can also cause joint problems. What’s more, too much protein in cat food can overload the kidneys, and this can end up in serious illnesses that can’t be reversed, such as kidney failure. Often eating more fatty and protein-rich cat food also causes dogs one-time diarrhea, and in the long run even constipation.
Why shouldn’t a cat eat dog food?
In this case, the matter is much more complicated, but on the other hand, it is also a bit simpler, because … cats do not have such an appetite to eat everything they find, and their pickiness often makes the dog’s food despised. Cats in their diet need a large number of proteins that are of animal origin. This is due to the adaptation of their digestive system; from animal proteins, the cat is able to absorb many more nutrients than from plant ones, which it can not even digest.
Cat food contains more essential fats and much fewer carbohydrates and almost no fiber. Eating cat dog's food usually means that the animal is simply malnourished and suffers from nutritional deficiencies, especially in terms of building protein. Excess fiber and carbohydrates can strain the digestive system, causing diarrhea and vomiting. What’s more, two amino acids are necessary for cat food: taurine and arginine, which the cat needs for a healthy life, which it cannot produce in the body.
For this reason, failure to provide these ingredients when the cat eats dog food simply results in health problems that are very dangerous for our pet in the long run.
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