Dry Food/Dental Health Dilemma

[bbleho]

So my 6 month old male has bad gingivitis (the vet was surprised), though his teeth look good. The vet gave us some stuff to put in his water, some antibiotics to help with the current infection, and a toothbrush. She also recommended we switch to a dental formula dry food - specifically she gave us the Medi-Cal Dental Formula pamphlet to read through.

I do feed our 2 cats both wet (Performatrin) and dry (Eagle Pack), so feeding dry isn't an issue, but I'm skeptical that this food will be helpful. It claims that larger kibble size promotes chewing (which I question) and tartar removal and that polyphosphates reduce tartar formation. But the ingredients aren't too inspiring: Chicken meal, rice, corn, wheat gluten, chicken fat...though out of the dental formulas available, it seems to be one of the better ones (compare Friskies!).

So yeah, my dilemma is whether we should invest in this food or not. I obviously want the best for my cat and his oral health, but only if it really IS the best! I was thinking of maybe feeding half dental/half regular dry? Has anyone used this stuff? Positive or negative experiences? All feedback and opinions appreciated!

 

[carolina]

I wouldn't.... The larger kibbles do make sense, as most cats swallow the small kibbles whole.

You can do a couple of different things though, with the same results... Offering him some raw cubed meat, raw chicken necks might help. Also, there are plenty of tartar preventing treats that can complement a healthy diet...

I think by feeding him healthy and offering something on the side is better than feeding him poor quality food, that could compromise his health overall.

Mos of the vets have "an agenda" in prescribing food... just be aware of that...

 

[sharky]

I would have a sit down with your vet ... see the RX dentals are clinically proven so they do aid in teeth cleaning ... As a general rule regular kibbles do little for dental health as cats tear and swallow not chew

 

[bbleho]

Oh I know they have an agenda, that's why I get skeptical when they start recommending their products! Today our vet said that Max Cat wet (which I was formerly feeding) isn't too good, meanwhile the canned stuff they gave us a while back while our cat was in recovery had by-product as the first ingredient!

So Sharky, you think that maybe it's worth a try? What do you think of the 50/50 split with a good quality dry?

 

[fulpmes]

I've never had a gingivitis diagnosis, but my vet made the following suggestion since my girls get mostly wet food and only a little dry: She suggested feeding them just a few kibbles of the dental formula. She certainly didn't try to sell it -- she gave me a couple of baggies of samples "so I wouldn't waste my money if the cats didn't like it" and then said I could get it from any vet since she knew her office was quite far from where we live. I don't know if the "just a few kibbles" approach would be sufficient to help with a cat with more serious issues -- perhaps as a maintenance thing after the problem is cleared up. It is sort of funny because my cats just LOVE these things. They have learned the name "toothbrush treats" and when I ask if they want their toothbrush treats, they hop up, one starts meowing, and they run to the kitchen. One is an especially big fan (the meower) and if I don't ask if they want them in a timely manner, she'll go to the kitchen and meow to remind me.

Anyway, my own vet's apparent lack of financial incentive led me to trust her advice completely and for my girls at least, apparently just a few are helpful.

Good luck!

 

[bbleho]

Thanks for that tip! His gingivitis is clearing up already in just two days on the antibiotics, so we're going to see how he's doing once this is over and probably try mixing the two dry foods too. I really hope this isn't a life-long condition though!

 

[motoko9]

One of my Siamese has gingivitis. He is only two years old, so we know we have to get it under control. My vet suggested the Science Diet dental formula (T/D, I think?), and like you, I was really reluctant to feed it. I know that it has been shown to be helpful in cleaning teeth, but I don't like the ingredients.

What I'm doing now is feeding all three cats a few of the Science Diet kibbles per day - this is in addition to their wet food and their premium dry, so it's like a treat for them. I also brush their teeth every night. We'll see how we're doing when they go in for their next check-up!

 

[sakura]

If you are brushing the cat's teeth and using a dental rinse or water treatment, the food isn't going to make a big difference. The brushing & treatment is plenty!

Mattie needs a dental cleaning, her teeth are awful. Chloe's gums are a little red but her teeth are ok still. I brush their teeth with a toothbrush the vet gave me and we use an oral hygiene rinse for them too. I'm taking Mattie into the vet for a dental cleaning sometime soon, I just have to decide where. (I live by one of the top vet schools in the country, I think I'm going to take her there if it's cheaper).

 

[auntie crazy]

Dry food, of any type, cleans a cat's teeth about as well as eating chips cleans ours, regardless of the additional chemicals they load their "special" diets with.

(It's very telling that all these young cats on dry food are coming down with oral issues, isn't it?)

Dump the dry altogether and go wet, or, as a previous poster recommended, go wet with a little raw thrown in. The raw has to be chewed, and that's what's going to keep your furbabies teeth clean - not to mention the other benefits of feeding raw. Start with smallish pieces so as not to discourage your cat, but get bigger as he becomes accustomed to working his food.

Whatever you decide, good luck to both of you! It's never fun having a sick kitty.

 

[darlili]

<(It's very telling that all these young cats on dry food are coming down with oral issues, isn't it?)>

Are there actual clinical studies out there yet on this? IMO, some dental issues can be genetically linked - I have two cats, adopted separately as adults, now about 6 years old, both on the same diet - the girl has beautiful teeth and gums, the boy has already had one cleaning and may need another next spring. Neither are keen on my attempts at brushing their teeth. But it's probably a bit like humans - cleanings can help, but some people are more prone toward dental issues.

For me, if the vet thought a prescription, clinically tested food would be worth trying, I think I'd try it, as prescribed. Is the OP using the Oxyfresh liquid - that seems to be helping my boy a bit.

 

[auntie crazy]

Unfortunately, the only nutritional training that vets get during their schooling is funded by the pet food industries. So vets are taught right from the beginning of their careers that the PFI is the ONLY authority on pet foods and whoa unto anyone who won't feed the stuff they churn out.

It's vets like Lisa Pierson (catinfo.org) and Elizabeth Hodgkins (yourdiabeticcat.com) you want to listen to. They stopped to wonder why so many cats are so sick, and stepped back far enough to actually see the big picture, so to speak.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by darlili

<(It's very telling that all these young cats on dry food are coming down with oral issues, isn't it?)>

Are there actual clinical studies out there yet on this? IMO, some dental issues can be genetically linked - I have two cats, adopted separately as adults, now about 6 years old, both on the same diet - the girl has beautiful teeth and gums, the boy has already had one cleaning and may need another next spring. Neither are keen on my attempts at brushing their teeth. But it's probably a bit like humans - cleanings can help, but some people are more prone toward dental issues.

For me, if the vet thought a prescription, clinically tested food would be worth trying, I think I'd try it, as prescribed. Is the OP using the Oxyfresh liquid - that seems to be helping my boy a bit.

The RX dental diets and Some over the counter diets have CLINICAL studies to Prove they work ... the catch is the cat still has to chew some of the food and the ACTUAL % of plaque removed( tater NOTHING outside of a dental cleaning by the vet will remove)... My PERSONAL issue with most rinses is the chemicals IMHO are worse than RX foods ... Personal experience with young cat with gum issues was easy , FOOD allergies .... I took out the offending foods ( one grain one meat one legume) and in my case no more gum issues ... My older cat RB had her first dental at 13 ate wet and dry to that pt of low quality and had NO teeth removed ... Dahlia had bad teeth and gums upon arrival and now is also fine again another ALLERGY girl

 

[bbleho]

Interesting, I never thought it could be allergy-related. Thanks for the links Auntie. To a previous question, yes, I'm using the oxyfresh water additive.

 

[darlili]

<It's vets like Lisa Pierson (catinfo.org) and Elizabeth Hodgkins (yourdiabeticcat.com) you want to listen to. They stopped to wonder why so many cats are so sick, and stepped back far enough to actually see the big picture, so to speak.>

I've looked at these sites and just didn't see any clinical studies either vet has conducted separately or in conjunction with any major vet schools - maybe I just missed that, even though they have a lot of anecdotal stories about their observations. Although I applaud Dr. Pierson for her annotation that nothing in her site replaces working with your own vet. I firmly believe that is the best way to go for any pet parent.

I believe nutritional research is yet in its infancy, but don't have the reaction that all industry-related studies are wrong just because they're funded by industry. And, honestly, do we really think all vets toss aside all their training in scientific method just because any given company sponsors trials? I agree, it's a shame that there are so few certified feline nutritionists at this point, but it's a science that's developing, and most vets/scientists can only go by what's been tested to date.

Obviously, many cats are now reaching their late teens pretty regularly, and many of those cats are eating commercial foods. Correlated? Longitudinal feeding trials are expensive to run - but when you don't have those, you're really just trading stories back and forth. It all ends up, I think, with what works for your pet, and keeping abreast of all current, well-done studies as they develop to discuss with the health care professional who actually sees your pet on a regular basis.

I've taken stories I've read in the Cornell & Tufts feline newsletters to my vet for review, and we've adjusted my cats' diets (which is, actually, based on Nutro at this point). I honestly think most vets welcome discussions about their patients, and would suggest anyone at least try that route before changing diets based on what they've read anywhere, maybe most particularly what they've read on the internet.