Can Horses Eat Dog Food?

I was feeding my new puppy some dog food this week and I just wondered for a moment whether my horse would also be able to eat his food.

I’m sure I’m not the first horse owner, or dog owner, to ponder this question.

So it made me want to delve into it a little deeper and discover the answer to this question – can horses eat dog food?

The answer to this question is no. They most likely could eat it, but they shouldn’t. Most experts seem to say no, don’t feed your horse dog food. It is not fitting with their dietary needs and can be potentially very harmful to their health.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at whether horses can eat dog food or not, and go into more detail about how harmful it could be if your horse does eat dog food.

We will also find out about feeding your horse wet dog food and dry dog food, and whether that’s also bad for your pet – and we will also look at some key ingredients to avoid that could be found in dog food too.

We will cover all of that and much much more, so let’s not waste any more time and find out!

How harmful could it be for your horse to eat dog food?

Well, as said above, it could be a potential threat to your horse as you just don’t know how your animal will react to dog food.

It seems the wide general consensus is that you should never feed your horse dog food as it will disrupt their digestive system which is not geared towards the ingredients in dog food, such as meat.

How harmful it could be is a big unknown, as horses will all react differently, just like us humans do to different food groups, yet we also know what we can and can’t eat!

For horses though, some say dog food could be fatal, while other dog owners online have discussed how they often feed their horses with dog food and nothing has happened.

But the experts do say there’s a potential threat.

That’s because it goes against the grain, so to speak, as horses consume a diet based primarily of forages, with their digestive systems geared towards the consumption of high roughage feeds that change slowly.

For example, sudden access to a bag of grain or lush pasture after eating only dry hay for the previous five months, is likely to result in colic.

However, many university experts equipped to discuss equine nutrition say that with domestication, confinement, and modern technology, we are often confronted with horses that consume some really “odd” things with apparent relish – and dog food may well be one of them.

But it doesn’t mean it will be good for them all the same!!

Choosing the right food for your horse is paramount though to maintaining its health.

However, sometimes it is difficult to know what all the best things are to feed your animal – and whether there are certain ingredients that should be avoided.

What ingredients are in dog food that makes it unsuitable for horses?

Dog food contains meat, usually, which means it is not suitable nutrition for horses.

That is because they are herbivores and eat a plant-based diet – which their bodies are specifically designed to digest and absorb.

Therefore, dog food won’t provide them with the nutrition they require to stay healthy – and it certainly won’t help their delicate digestive systems.

It’s also known that horses can’t vomit, because of their physiology and anatomy.

This means that if dog meat was consumed, they would not be able to bring it back up.

It would lead to a potential build-up of toxins in their digestive system that could be fatal.

Why else makes dog food incompatible with horses?

The long digestive system of a horse requires a high-fiber diet that is consumed in small amounts over a long period of time, as touched upon earlier.

So dog food does not fit naturally into the diet needs of a horse, the foods that are good for your horse’s diet include things like; hay, grains and pasture.

Sometimes dog food contains potatoes – these too are toxic to horses, with raw ones more dangerous than those that are cooked.

In fact, potatoes are a regular addition to many dog food brands and recipes as they are easy to source and an affordable source of carbohydrates so it’s something to be mindful of!

Dog treats can also come in the form of chocolate – normal chocolate is bad for dogs – but equally bad for horses.

It can be fatal in large doses, and even a small amount of the milky treat can cause uncomfortable health issues for your animal.

Chocolate contains the chemical, theobromine, which horses can be sensitive to.

Large amounts of cocoa can actually kill a horse, according to some horse networks.

Can Horses Eat Dry Or Wet Dog Food?

There is little research out there to give a definitive answer but as dog food is bad for your horse, that would also include not feeding your pet with dry or wet dog food.

Despite some claiming dog food has nutritional value, these are just claims that have not been professionally stood up.

It might be because corn can be found in a variety of dog foods.

While many veterinary nutritionists agree that corn for dogs is not a problem, corn for horses, some say, is fine – as long as it is quality corn, fed correctly, in a balanced diet with adequate roughage that fits the requirements of the horse.

What Symptoms To Look Out For?

If your horse does consume dog food, there may be little indication that it has happened.

However, it is possible that colic can be experienced – or a stomach upset – if a lot of dog meat was consumed.

Other signs to look out for that might suggest your horse is unwell include a change in appetite or drinking habits, a change in droppings or signs of diarrhoea, a change in demeanour or behaviour, a change in weight (either increase or decrease) – and also a possible change in your horse’s coat or foot condition.

What should I do if my horse has eaten dog food?

The best guidance is to monitor your horse and look out for any changes in behavior.

If there is anything different that you notice, like those listed above, contact the vet to follow it up, and take heed of their advice.

So to conclude, it’s best not to give your horse dog food in case it does not respond well to it.

It is important to remember that if your animal is not showing symptoms from eating the wrong food, such as dog food, it does not mean that they are not experiencing some discomfort as a result of eating something that should not be in their usual diet.

Therefore on the surface, it may not look like the dog food your horse might have eaten is causing it any problems.

However, it could be silently affecting their intestinal flora.

Moreover, there are obviously a wide range of things that our horses may enjoy consuming, not all of which are going to be good for their health. While others might just refuse to even sniff dog food.

At least as horse owners, you have an awareness about dog food and its potential perils for your pet – putting you in a stronger position to protect it from any harm.