The Difference Between Cat Food and Dog Food - 翻译中...

Many people are confused about whether cats can eat dog food? Can dogs eat cat food?

The answer is: no!

The following pet food supplier analyzes the reasons for "No":

1. Cats are carnivores, dogs are carnivorous omnivores

Although cats and dogs can live in the same room, and we are considered companion animals and keep them as pets in the family, they are really different animals. Dogs are defined by us as "carnivorous omnivorous animals", while cats are identified by us as "outright pure carnivores". The reason for this is that in the primitive natural environment, dogs will eat plants and rhizomes when they go out foraging, but cats do not eat plants at all, and cats need to hunt carnivorous animals. The only food eaten is meat like freeze dried cod.

2. Cat teeth are different from dog teeth

This can be found from the teeth that cats are born with. Cats have 30 teeth, but dogs have 42.

But cats have fewer molars than dogs because all teeth of cats are sharp and do not have molars that can "grind" plant-like rhizomes. The cat's teeth are more like a pair of sharp scissors. It does not need to rely on "grinding". It can tear and cut various meat foods with low fiber content.

3.The difference in the length of the intestines between cats and dog

Cats and dogs have different digestive tract lengths. For example, a dog with a body length of 0.75m has an average intestinal length of 4.5m, including a small intestine length of 3.9m and a large intestine length of 0.6m; But for a cat with a length of 0.5m, the average length of his intestine is 2.1m, of which the small intestine is 1.7m and the large intestine is 0.4m. Calculated from this, the intestinal length of the dog is about 1:6 of the body length, and the cat is 1:4.2. The length of the cat's intestine is relatively short because the cat does not need to digest them more difficult to digest crude fiber and more carbohydrates, this intestinal length can meet their daily digestion of meat.

4. The "saliva PH" and "stomach PH" of cats and dogs are also different

Although the digestion of cats and dogs starts from the mouth, and their saliva also lacks amylase that can digest starch. However, there are some similarities and differences in the saliva PH value. The saliva PH value of dogs is 7.34~7.80, and the cat's saliva pH value is relatively stable 7.5. This is also the reason why the food structure ingested by the cat is relatively simple. In addition, there are differences in the stomach environment of cats and dogs, and the pH range of dog gastric juice is relatively wide. Because the difference in food intake generally changes between PH2.0~6.0. However, the cat is relatively stable at PH2.5 ± 0.07, which shows that the cat's feeding type is relatively simple and stable. Dogs will take corresponding measures because they need to eat more kinds of food, but cats do not.

5. Cat and dog foods have a large gap in carbohydrates

Cats and dogs have a large gap in the digestibility of carbohydrates because cats cannot adapt to the increase in carbohydrate concentration in frozen cat food. Therefore, when designing cat food formulas and nutritious dog food treats, there are relatively large design differences. Compared with dogs, cats have great differences in the time and speed of digesting and using carbohydrates. Cats need a longer time to decompose and use carbohydrates in food. Otherwise, the cat's blood sugar will rise rapidly, and long-term consumption of foods with higher carbohydrates will cause the cat to have a high risk of diabetes. Dogs are not so sensitive in this respect, and the tolerance range for carbohydrates is relatively loose. There is another view that cats should not eat any carbohydrates. This conclusion is not completely accurate. The correct statement should be that because cats lack enzymes to digest carbohydrates, cats cannot accept high concentrations (generally recommended ≤10%) of carbohydrates.

6. Differences in demand for amino acids

10 essential amino acids (arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine) required for regular animals ), both cats and dogs need. But for cats, there is another amino acid taurine, which is an essential amino acid for cats, and pure carnivores have very limited ability to synthesize cysteine into taurine, which is quite different from dogs. Therefore, when pet nutritionists design cat food formulas for cats, they will add and supplement taurine nutritional requirements according to different physiological stages of cats. But when designing dog food formulas, taurine is not necessary as long as the ingredients of the dog food already contain sufficient protein, so when we design dog food formulas, taurine is not required. If cats eat dog food, cats will lack taurine, which can easily lead to degeneration of the central retina of the cat, or blindness, so dog food is strictly forbidden to feed cats for a long time. Arginine is also different for dogs and cats. Although dogs' needs for arginine are also necessary, they are not as sensitive as cats. When the cat's food lacks arginine, the cat is prone to high blood ammonia, and the reaction of lacking arginine is much stronger than that of the dog.

7. Vitamins are also different

The vitamin trace elements in cat food products and the vitamins in dog food will also be different. For example, vitamin A, dogs can effectively convert the pre-vitamin β-carotene into vitamin A, while cats can't. Therefore, in the formulation of dog food and cat food, the ratio of vitamin A as a micronutrient is completely different from the method of addition. No matter whether it is directly added or any other method, cats have no way to convert beta-carotene into vitamin A. Therefore, if the cat eats frozen dog food for a long time, it is easy to appear vitamin A deficiency. Dogs can synthesize the vitamin C they need, so it is not necessary to add vitamin C to dog food to provide this nutrient to dogs. Although cats and dogs have similarities in this respect, cats are not as capable as a dog in this respect. Therefore, when the cat's living environment changes, it is best to add some vitamin C to prevent possible stress and adverse reactions. In terms of B vitamins, there is also a big gap between the demand for cats and dogs. Generally speaking, the need for thiamine is 5 to 6 times that of cats. These are the major gaps between vitamins and trace elements in cats and dogs.

8. Other

In addition to the above points, there are also a series of differences in protein content, fat, mineral trace elements, etc. in cat food and dog food. In the process of formula design, a large gap will be made. Not only is there a huge difference in the design of the formula, but even in the process of food production process design, it will be treated differently according to the different nutritional characteristics of cats and dogs.

So now you understand that cats have their own food, and dog food is not allowed. There is a difference between cat food and dog food. Different types of cats (dogs) should be fed different cat (dog) foods, and cats (dogs) with different life cycles should be treated differently!