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Why is my cat throwing up after eating dog food? Is it harmful?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed

If my cat is eating dog food would it make her throw it up after eating??

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on November 6th, 2017

It is possible the dog food is causing gastrointestinal upset. Dog food is formulated for the nutritional needs of a dog which is an omnivore, cats are obligate carnivores are require a meat based, cat formulated diet.

I would advise the following:

Switch to a cat food
Try boiled boneless skinless chicken breast while her stomach is upset

https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-human-medications-that-are-sometimes-safe-for-sick-pets/

If the vomiting does not stop after a few days I would advise taking Cleo to a vet to make sure nothing else is wrongness.

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on January 6th, 2018
Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting is sometimes seen with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis and chronic kidney disease, among many other conditions. Given Victor's young age and the fact that he is otherwise doing fine and that he is being fed an adult diet, dietary indiscretion appears more likely. It may be something as easy as just changing his diet to something that he can tolerate better such as a kitten diet. You could consider something like Purina Pro Plan or Purina One which are both relatively inexpensive and of good quality.

However, an examination by a veterinarian as well as minimal diagnostic data would be needed to rule out more concerning things. You can start by changing his diet to a kitten diet. If no improvement, have him examined by a veterinarian to start therapy if needed based on findings. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog ate cat food and is throwing up for 3 days. Should I worry?

Cat food can definitely be too high in protein and often too rich for dogs, causing the type of symptoms you are seeing. In some cases, it can even cause inflammation of the pancreas. This is typically verified with lab work and/or ultrasound. If she's been vomiting for three days, this is definitely significant enough to warrant veterinary attention. She may be clinically dehydrated at this point and require some fluid therapy and anti vomiting medication. In terms of preventing Bubba from eating the cat food, the only way you are going to be able to do that is by keeping it out of his reach, or by keeping him on a leash while in the presence of the food. There is the potential to train Bubba to leave certain foods alone, but this is not something that you will be able to accomplish overnight.

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My adult cat vomited after eating kitten food. Is it serious?

It's very likely to be the switch up of food. withhold food for 8 hours then offer him boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if he is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put him back gradually on his old food. If he continues vomiting or is not eating, take him to the vet to get treatment.

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What to do if my cat throws up excessively after drinking water?

So Cleo may have gotten into something that upset her tummy, or she may have eaten a string or something more serious. If she continues vomiting throughout the day, she needs to see a vet right away. If it just seems to be the vomiting this morning that goes away after a couple of hours and she is acting normally, she is likely fine.

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My cat is vomiting fluids but seems fine. Should I be concerned?

I am very sorry to hear that Cleo is experiencing these problems, I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. There are a number of potential causes of such clinical signs, including dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, parasite infestation, infection, and ingestion of a toxin or poison. Because you have only noticed these signs over the course of a few hours I would continue to monitor Cleo at home. Rest Cleo's gastrointestinal tract by holding back food for a few hours. Then you can continue with a bland and easily digested food of the boiled chicken breast and provide plenty of fresh water. If Cleo does not improve, has profuse vomiting or diarrhoea, you notice fresh blood, Cleo seems lethargic, in pain or depressed I would advise taking Cleo to the vet. I hope that answer was helpful and more importantly that Cleo feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

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My dog's diarrhea & vomiting returned after switching to normal food.

I'm sorry to hear that Cleo is not doing well. If she improved on a bland diet (chicken and rice), but the signs have returned on her regular food, then I would be suspicious that the food is the cause of the problems. I would recommend resuming the chicken and rice diet to make sure that the signs again resolve with a bland diet. If that is the case, then I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian for a recommendation for food based on what you were previously feeding (brand and protein source), how large the bag was and how long the bag has been open. It may be that Cleo does not do well on that particular brand or flavor of food, it may be a bad bag, or it may have been open too long and started to spoil. Depending on which of these things is most likely, your vet will be able to give you a recommendation on what to try, but I would recommend sticking with chicken and rice for now to make sure that she is back to normal before you make any other changes. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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My cat keeps throwing up. Can she eat only chicken breast forever?

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My dog won't eat Petco food and is throwing up. Should I see a vet?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that hard food is causing discomfort in the mouth if he has an infected tooth or an object lodged in between his teeth. It is also possible that the Whole Hearted is making him nauseous due to a dietary indiscretion. I would recommend putting Ceasar on a food such as Science Diet or Royal Canin and see how he does on a different food. If he continues to throw up then I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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