Can humans survive on dog food? The answer would have to be no on a long-term and yes on a short-term basis.
While dog food is palatable, making it a standard component of your diet is not a good idea in the long run. People often look for alternative ways to survive in times of catastrophe or economic uncertainty.
You may be wondering if your dog’s food is a feasible solution to help you get out of a bind in the wake of food shortages or insufficient finances to buy supplies.
After all, if your dog enjoys a few pieces of human food now and then, it might as well work the other way around.
This article discusses whether it is safe for people to eat dog food and the hazards to consider if you are eating some dog food with a fork and spoon.
Is It Safe to Eat Dog Food If You are A Human?
Nearly 80 million families in the United States have a pet, most of which are cats or dogs. In addition, 42% of households have more than one pet.
To feed all of these creatures, a lot of food is required, so it is no wonder that pet food is a 21 billion dollar industry.
While this food is created specifically for our four-legged friends, many wonder if I could eat my cat’s wet food in a post-apocalyptic future where human food is scarce. Likewise, would eating dog food make me sick?
While it does not look pleasant and probably does not taste well, the short answer is that, for the most part, humans can safely eat their dog food.
However, there are a few key caveats that we will discuss. First, let us look at a brief history of pets and their food and what producers are putting in it today and why.
In theory, people can eat both wet and dry dog and cat food, whether top quality or not, due to the human body’s adaptability to a wide range of food sources, but only in modest amounts.
For example, in humans, high consumption of animal-based Vitamin A (Most dog food tends to have a relatively high level of Vitamin A in it) can lead to a variety of serious, even deadly consequences.
As a result, high-quality vitamin supplements (which are more challenging to come by than you may imagine) often rely on plant-based Vitamin A in the form of carotenoids like beta-carotene.
If your body needs extra Vitamin A, it will convert beta-carotene to Vitamin A, but if it does not, it will not.
A meat-based Vitamin A supply, on the other hand, is already in the form your body requires, which means you might receive too much of it in your system.
Also read: How Long Do Dehydrated Foods Last? – Is It Possible to Extend Their Shelf Life?
Should Humans Eat Dog Food in An Emergency?
In an emergency, people will do anything to stay alive, and some will eat practically anything they can get their hands on, while others would instead go hungry than eat something that is not meant to be eaten by humans.
Yes, in an emergency, humans can consume dog food as long as it has not gone wrong or been infected by hazardous bacteria.
In an emergency, eating dog food should be one of your final options; while it may boost your odds of survival, it also comes with a number of hazards.
Dog food and human food have significantly different rules, and dog food can often contain everything from plastic to euthanized canines.
Most dog food is made from stuff that people can not eat, including organs, blood, and offal like hiding trim (an indigestible but harmless filler).
Some dog food products adhere to the exact FDA requirements as human food, implying that they are safe to consume by people.
Check Purina Moist & Meaty Wet Dog Food out on Amazon. It is FDA-approved and completely safe for humans to consume.
If you are in a pinch, you can wind up eating dog food, which is not the healthiest option, but it is better than nothing.
The issue with dog food is that it is not designed for human nutrition, and if you think junk food is terrible because of all the cholesterol, glucose, and chemicals, imagine what is in dog food. Dogs will eat nearly anything, and it does not even have to be tasty or healthy.
There has been an increase in the number of dogs diagnosed with cancer in the last decade, either because they were fed human food or because the dog food they were eating was exceedingly unhealthy.
Most dog diets contain some form of mystery meat; they may claim it is chicken or beef, but how can you tell if you have never had it? You might even notice that the dog food contains dog meat from euthanized pets in some situations.
In an emergency circumstance, you may survive for long periods by eating dog food, and believe it or not, some people willingly eat dog food as a “life choice.”
If you look at the lifespan of some dog food brands, you will notice that dry and even wet dog food has a relatively long lifespan, but it is not the same as the shelf life of human nutrition. The shelf life of dog chow packed with chemicals and preservatives will be extended.
Recommended: Can You Eat a Toad? – Does Toad Meat Pose a Risk to Our Health?
What Nutrition’s Does Dog Food Have?
The majority of dog owners disregard nutrition. Unfortunately, this has been exploited by the dog food industry. The majority of dog owners either shop for cheap dog food or rely on the recommendations of others, such as a veterinarian.
However, if you conduct some basic research on dog nutrition, you will be able to make an informed decision about which dog food is best for your dog(or for yourself).
Although dog food is acceptable, making it a regular component of your diet for a long time is not an intelligent idea.
Humans and dogs have distinct dietary requirements, and dog food does not include all of the elements your body requires to stay healthy.
Take, for example, vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient necessary for human skin health and immunological function.
Humans do not produce vitamins; hence they must be obtained through food. But, on the other hand, dogs can produce it in their liver and do not require it in their meal.
As a result, if you rely solely on dog food for sustenance, you may be putting yourself at risk of suffering nutritional deficiencies over time.
At high dosages, several elements in dog food are hazardous to people, and the overall nutritional makeup is inadequate for humans. As a result, it should not be eaten regularly.
It Is Possible That It Will Make You More Susceptible to Food Poisoning.
It does not mean you should consume dog food just because you can. On the contrary, dog food carries its own set of dangers, particularly food safety.
Dog food can be infected with bacteria that make you sick, just like human food.
To ensure that dog food is as safe to eat as possible, it must be stored and handled correctly. To keep you and your dog safe, always follow the storage and handling instructions on the package.
Certain dog foods are fully raw. People should abstain from consuming raw or undercooked meat regardless of whether the heart is meant for dogs or humans.
Infections from hazardous organisms such as Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, and E. coli have been linked to raw or undercooked meat consumption.
Anxiety, puking, gastrointestinal cramps, and diarrhea are symptoms that can range from moderate to severe.
Even though adequately prepared dog food such as kibble or canned wet food is safer to ingest than raw food, it still has the potential to make you sick.
This is because it can inadvertently contaminate hazardous germs during preparation, raising your risk of food poisoning.
Dog food products may be recalled from the market if contamination is discovered. Therefore, to avoid mistakenly subjecting yourself — or your dog — to unsafe food, it is vital to stay informed on any dog food announcements.
Trusted Source is an online list of recalled commercial pet food items maintained by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This information can be used to ensure that the dog food you purchase is safe to ingest.
Younger People More Averse to Risk
Because their immune systems are not entirely matured, children are more susceptible to foodborne illness than adults. As a result, it is not a good idea to feed your kids dog food.
Another problem with dog food, which is often disregarded, can be a choking hazard for little children.
This is particularly true with dry kibble, which can be challenging for little kids to chew and swallow safely.
If you have a young child at home, keep the kibble bag out of their range and keep a watch on them once it is time for your dog to eat.
If your kid eats dog food unintentionally, consult your physician or your local poison control center for guidance on making sure your kid is safe.
Microbial contamination of dog food can cause sickness, which might make you sick. Children are more susceptible to foodborne illness and should avoid eating dog food.
If you are looking for kibble or dry dog food, then we suggest looking no further than Amazon Brand - Wag Dry Dog/Puppy Food off Amazon.
It is made of Australian lamb and contains supplements, minerals, phytonutrients, and micronutrients found in beneficial crops like lentils and peas; omega-3 fats, especially long-chain DHA, are found in fish oil and flaxseed.
It has no other grains, maize, or gluten and no dyes, flavoring, or preservatives.
What Happens If You Eat Dog Food?
Nothing will happen if you only eat a small amount of dog chow. However, as aforementioned in the article, you can not be sure because dog food is not subjected to the same health and safety rules as human food.
Dog food is not subject to the same stringent regulations as human food. Therefore, although most dog food has the same fundamental nutrients as human food — protein, carbs, and fats — the proportions of these ingredients differ from human food and might be dangerous if consumed in large amounts or for long periods.
The same is true if you feed a dog an unbalanced human diet with an incorrect proportion of these nutrients.
Conclusion
Can humans survive on dog food? Yes, while it is possible and viable for a human to survive on dog and cat food for some time, these animal foods are mainly created for the individual animal. They are not meant to match the nutritional requirements of humans, albeit irregular use of these foods should not harm you.
To put it another way, you should not eat cat food every day for breakfast. But, of course, this has not stopped other authors and newspapers from doing it.
The same food safety precautions that apply to human food also apply to dog food handling and preparation. If you plan to eat pet food, it is a good idea to keep track of any recalls guaranteeing the maximum degree of safety.
We suggest you guys eat human food and let your dog eat the dog food, one approved by the FDA and vouched for on different sources.
A dog’s nutrition is a serious and important matter, and one should not be careless about what their dog eats on a regular basis.
