I have a 3yr old westie bitch and for the last few months she will not eat dog food. But if she thinks we aren't watching her she will eat the cats dried food! does anyone now if this will harm her?
Sharon

Cat food is not nutritionally balanced for dogs.  A diet of only cat food will not do your dog any good and could eventually do her harm.

If you dog has gotten fussy and you want to indulge her it is perfectly fine to cook people food for her. There are a number of books that provide recipes for homemade dog food.   If you are in the U.K. and you haven't tried Naturediet you might want to give her a taste - most dogs like it. 

In the meantime, I suggest you feed your cat somewhere where your dog cannot snack on it.  I used to feed my cat's from a bowl on the kitchen counter (an area where I did not prepare food).

Stacey

we have a westie lilly who is 1 year old.
she is a very fussy eater who does ant like her dog food.
becous she thinks she human and only eats human food so i cook her meet and veg.
also likes fruit and weetbixs

Tartan i feel your pain :rolleyes: I have 2 fussy brats(shih-tzu's) who will only eat dry food if i hand feed them each and every morsel,it does get a bit messy with tinned food I mostly cook for them,meat & veg,pasta,so i really cant blame them for favouring real food over commercial,i think it's time to get tough and unwrap myself from around their little paws,lol. I am going to put their dish down and if they dont eat it then too bad,they get nothing until their next meal!Ofcourse this is easier said than done,i'm not sure if i can ignore their pleading eyes,but i will sure give it a go.
As for the cat food,some say it is fine to feed to dogs others say not,maybe you could try mixing a bit of cat food in with your dogs usual meals,that wont hurt him.My vet informs me that it is o.k to feed cat food to dogs but not dog food to cats,i cant really see a problem with it,just watch the higher protein levels.

good luck

christine

Hi Christine,

It is not fine to feed cat food to dogs as a complete substitute for dog food, regardless of what the vet says.  No, they will not keel over and expire, but cat food is nutritionally balanced for cats .. and dog food is nutritionally balanced for dogs. 

Stacey

Hi karly,

Are you making sure that your Westie is getting the proper nutritional balance, especially calcium and phosphorus?  Do you feed bones with the meat?

Stacey