I’ve had goats for many years but recently I decided to rescue a dog from the local shelter.
I let them eat close together to try and get acclimatized to one another when I noticed the goats were very interested in what my dog was eating.
I knew goats have a reputation for being able to eat anything, but I still always would prefer to be sure it’s safe before I feed something new to my goats.
Not to mention that the dog wouldn’t be very happy!
In any case, I decided to do some research and find out.
So, can goats eat dog food?
While it is not inherently unsafe, goats and dogs have very different dietary needs, and so you shouldn’t really feed dog food to goats. Dogs are omnivores whereas goats are herbivores, and they shouldn’t eat meat which almost all dog food will contain.
So, a little bit of dog food wouldn’t cause your goats much harm, but it’s still best avoided.
There’s no real reason to feed dog food to goats in any case.
If you’re looking for ways to change up their diet and make it more exciting, there are plenty of better alternatives to dog food.
So, let’s look at the question in a bit more detail.
Is dog food bad for goats?
The simple answer is yes.
Dog food is bad for goats.
Dogs and goats have distinct dietary needs, and, obviously, dog food is formulated for dogs, not goats.
Goats may have a reputation for eating virtually anything, but there are in fact clear limits.
The biggest issue with dog food, as I mentioned, is the presence of meat.
Goats’ digestive systems are in no way equipped to process meat, and food that goes undigested in their gut can cause serious pain and discomfort.
It also lacks most essential nutrients that goats would need in their diets.
Even if they were able to comfortably eat it without getting sick in the short term, in the long term, a dog food diet is going to leave goats with sever nutritional deficiencies.
There’s really very little comparison between the diets of dogs and goats.
It’s easy to understand, then, how a goat eating food formulated for a dog would not be good for it.
Related – Can Goats Eat Cat Food?
Can goats eat dry dog food?
Dry dog food is likely to be the less harmful of the two varieties, since dry kibble usually has a lot more vegetable ingredients.
There are indeed vegetarian dog foods which might be okay for goats.
The fact is, though, that it’s still formulated for a completely different animal with different needs.
A little bit of dry dog food without a high meat content wouldn’t be a huge problem for your goat.
That said, there’s really no advantage to it, either.
The only advantage would be to you, cutting costs by allowing your goats and dogs to share food.
But this would not be good for the goats, and they will not get the nutrition they need even from vegetarian dog food.
Goats can and do eat almost anything in some cases, and it may be that you’ve simply noticed your goat really enjoys a few bits of dog kibble.
If this is the case, then, like I said, a small amount won’t hurt.
But don’t overdo it.
Can goats eat wet dog food?
Wet dog food should certainly be avoided, and never fed to your goats.
Wet dog food is usually mostly meat and jelly, making it extremely bad for your goats.
They simply do not have a digestive system equipped to handle this.
A goat’s diet should be mostly hay, grass and forage.
Simple, fibrous plant matter.
They should also eat fruits and vegetables, as I will look at shortly.
But this gives you an idea of why feeding goats dog food, especially wet dog food, is a bad idea.
Their usual diet is very simple.
They have no place in it for meat.
So, dog food is a no.
If you are feeding very small amounts to your goat, you might not see any issues.
But it should neve be a replacement for their proper diet, and they should never eat more than a very small amount.
So, what is a good treat for goats?
What can you feed goats as a treat?
The best way to get treats to goats is through fresh fruits and vegetables.
They will love these, and their packed with healthy nutrients that are actively good for your goat.
Banana is a great choice that your goats will love.
Carrots are great, too, and very fibrous.
Seasonal favorites include pumpkin and squash or even sprouts.
There are countless great options for treats you can feed to your goat that aren’t dog food.
Fruit and veg is always the best option, as, most importantly, they all contain high quantities of fiber, which is the cornerstone of a goat’s diet.
So, just as the name implies, dog food is best left to the dogs.
Goats may be voracious foragers, but dog food is formulated for omnivorous dogs, and contains too much that is likely to be unsafe for your goats.
There are plenty of better treats for your goats that they could even share with the dogs, if you’re looking for a food, they can both eat.
Ultimately, though, dog food is no good for goats.