Five Substitutions a Pet Owner Should NEVER Make

Pet Safety is an Essential Part of Responsible Pet Ownership

Substituting cat food for dog food when you're in a pinch is something many pet owners have found themselves doing, but prolonged substitution can lead to malnutrition and gastrointestinal problems. Of course, that is not the only substitution pet owners have attempted, but it is by far the most common. The following article discusses ten dangerous substitutions pet owners must avoid along with the reasons for each. We all want to keep our pets healthy and happy. Knowing when *not* to substitute will help our pets live longer, healthier lives.

1. Cat Food for Dog Food, Dog Food for Cat Food - A cat can go blind or develop heart disease from eating only dog food! If you think you're saving money by only buying dog food for your cats and dogs, please remember that commercial pet food is made to meet the unique nutritional needs of the pet it is manufactured for. One of the essential ingredients in cat diet is a protein found in organ meat called taurine. In addition to taurine, cat food contains a balance of vitamins and minerals specially formulated to meet a cat's dietary needs. In the reverse situation, a dog can have malnutrition and constipation from eating exclusively cat food. This is due to pet nature. In the wild, cats are by nature carnivores. Whether consuming a fresh kill or scavanging the remains of a recently-downed prey, cats eat meat almost exclusively. Dogs on the other hand were nature's scavangers. They eat omnivorous diets of not only protein-rich meat but also additional non-meat products. A dog who eats exclusively cat food is being exposed to a higher calorie intake and would therefore become obese if allowed to eat cat food exclusively. In addition, lack of roughage common to dog food could lead to constipation. If your dog is showing a preference for cat food, consider that it might be the size of the chow and switch to a smaller size pellet.