With dogs and cats being the most popular and second most popular pets within the western world, there are a number of homes that have both a pet dog and a pet cat.
This can sometimes result in problems with your cat or dog eating the food that is meant for the other pet and we see a number of people reaching out worried about this each month.
After we published our article going over what to do if a cat eats a whole back of cat treats, we noticed people asking what they should do if their dog ate a whole bag of cat treats so we wanted to publish this article on the topic.
Our hope is that we will be able to help our readers better understand the potential risks of a dog eating lots of cat treats but help you realize that in most cases, your dog should be fine.
Is It Ok For Dogs To Eat Cat Treats?
For the most part, it is fine for dogs to eat cat treats in small amounts due to a healthy dog being able to eat everything that a cat can eat.
In some cases, if your dog has a preexisting health condition then it may be at a higher risk if it does eat certain foods so always double check with a qualified veterinarian if possible.
Puppies and senior dogs tend to have more specialist dietary requirements too but for the most part, they should be fine if they are eating cat treats in moderation just like a regular, healthy adult dog.
This is due to cats being obligate carnivores meaning they have very strict carnivorous dietary requirements that can limit what they can actually have in their cat treats.
On the flip side of this though, dogs are omnivores and can thrive on a diet of both meat based and plant based foods so the meat based cat treats can fit into their diet easily.
How Many Cat Treats Can A Dog Eat?
The number of cat treats that a dog can eat really depends on the size of your dog and the type of cat treat that you use.
For example, a small toy poodle is going to be able to have less treats than a large great dane.
As long as your dog is not eating so many cat treats that it is making them sick or overweight then they should be fine.
If you are unsure, always start with a lower number of treats and work your way up until you find the perfect amount for your dog but our general recommendation would be three to five cat treats per day as a part of a well balanced diet.
What Happens If A Dog Eats Too Many Cat Treats?
If your dog eats a whole bag of cat treats then you really do need to pay close attention to your dog as it is highly likely that it will have some type of side effect.
Although a small number of dogs will be totally fine and have no issues, most dogs will have issues with one or more of the following:-
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Lethargy.
- Constant Napping.
- Shaking.
- Excess Energy.
In this situation, you can expect your dog to vomit in many situations due to eating so many of the cat treats, especially if they are the cheaper cat treats that are high in animal fat.
This is normal but we would still recommend that you seek assistance from a veterinarian if possible though.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Ate A Whole Bag Of Cat Treats?
If your dog ate a whole bag of cat treats then we would highly recommend that you seek out professional medical assistance from either an emergency veterinarian or your regular veterinarian.
This is due to the fact that it is very difficult to know what exactly is in the cat treats and how much of each ingredient is present.
Cheaper cat treats usually contain much lower quality ingredients than their more expensive counter parts and this can increase the potential risk to your dog.
As we touched on earlier in the article, a surge of cheap, low-quality animal fats in your dog’s stomach from cheap cat treats will almost always make the dog vomit within an hour of eating the cat treats.
Although this may worry you, it is totally normal and it is your dog’s natural reaction to purge the food out of its stomach but keep in mind, some dogs will eat their own vomit so if your dog does start to vomit make sure you remove your dog from the room until it has been cleaned.
The other symptoms listed in the section above are definitely less common in most dogs when they eat a large number of cat treats but they still can happen.
You may also notice that your dog whines more often than usual due to the cat treats causing stomach cramps as it digests the cat treats but this should pass within a day or two.
Should I Be Worried If My Dog Ate A Full Bag Of Cat Treats?
For the most part, the side effects of your dog eating a full bag of cat treats are temporary and your dog should return to normal after a number of days.
As we mentioned back at the start of the article though, some dogs can have problems if they have preexisting health conditions of if they are a puppy or a senior dogs so keep that in mind.
At the end of the day, even though the chances of your dog developing any potentially serious issues after eating a full bag of cat treats are small, we would always recommend a check up at your local vet’s office.
