So, you ran out of dog food...  Now what to do?  The cat still has food - it can't hurt my dog...can it?

YES, it can!!

Dogs and cats are two VERY different creatures, but it's a well known fact that if a dog has access to cat food, it will surely gobble it right up!  Cat food is higher in protein, fat, and calories and dogs seems to take an instant liking to it.

Being higher in fats and proteins makes cat food MUCH higher in calories than dog food, so consumed over a period of time, it is sure to make your dog overweight.  Dog food also has vegetable based nutrition, which is almost completely lacking in cat food.  While they are getting some nutrients, they are missing out on the ESSENTIAL nutrients that a balanced dog food provides.

Cat food has added Vitamin A, which is unnecessary for dogs because they can produce beta-carotene in their bodies.  In the case of an overdose, Vitamin A can also cause severe adverse affects in a dog.

Since dogs source their protein from plant and animal matter in dog food, their kidneys don't work as hard as when they have to eat the completely meat based proteins in cat food.  Eating cat food over a prolonged period of time can be quite taxing on the dog's digestive and excretory organs.