Healthiest (or favorite) Dry food

[syzygycat]

It's been a couple of years since I reexamined dry food options, NV Instinct Ult, has been my 'go to' vacation kibble, looks like there maybe a few better options now.Aside from when I'm vacation, I0-20% of my cats calories come from dry food, So price isnt a big concern.



Comapared to instinct
Tikicar carnivour seems to be as good
Epigen 90 is better but the inter-species thing is off putting
Dr Elsy's Clean Protein is clearly better.

Anything else Im missing?






I've been giving them mainly NV Instinct which out is not so good even for dry food

As far as kibble goes, what are the "healthiest" options?
(this is 10% of there calories, so price isn't a concern)

 

[MissClouseau]

I don't know about the healthiest but my cat's dry food has been Acana Wild Prairie for over a year now and that's the only food she hasn't had a problem with. Even the wet foods that seem to work not work after a while as she gets bored. She didn't get bored of Acana and it's one of the rare dry foods that didn't hurt her gums. (She has dental problems.)

 

[Kat0121]

Both of my girls give two paws up to Dr Elsey's chicken. IMO it's the highest quality dry out there and they are super picky eaters. The main things to consider are 1) will they eat it? 2) can you afford it long term? If the answer to both is YES, it's the right food. We went through quite a few before we found our winner.

 

[mizzely]

I like Dr. Elsey's but my cat doesn't She does like Epigen 90 though.

 

[syzygycat]

Both of my girls give two paws up to Dr Elsey's chicken. IMO it's the highest quality dry out there and they are super picky eaters. The main things to consider are 1) will they eat it? 2) can you afford it long term? If the answer to both is YES, it's the right food. We went through quite a few before we found our winner.

Did you come across any other brand close to cleanprotein's quality? (No fish, very few "bad ingredients", 5% carbs)
Cost doesn't matter though Dr Elsys is cheaper than instinct

Ive been mixing a 5-6lbs of "something else" into every 20lbs of instinct for years (Learned my lesson when Before Grain was discontinued.
They're a PIA with wet food, but they'll eat any dry food introduced slowly.

 

[Kat0121]

Did you come across any other brand close to cleanprotein's quality? (No fish, very few "bad ingredients", 5% carbs)
Cost doesn't matter though Dr Elsys is cheaper than instinct

Ive been mixing a 5-6lbs of "something else" into every 20lbs of instinct for years (Learned my lesson when Before Grain was discontinued.
They're a PIA with wet food, but they'll eat any dry food introduced slowly.

The Petcurean GO! Carnivore is pretty good. it's not as good as DE but pretty good.

GO! SOLUTIONS CARNIVORE Grain Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe for Cats - Petcurean Pet Nutrition

Sophie better with wet food than Lilith is. Lilith is terrible when it comes to food but she loves the DE dry. I have to leave it out because she's a grazer. She's naturally very small so she needs to have food available whenever she wants because she can't afford to lose any weight. She happily eats the DE even if she decides she doesn't want the wet food.

 

[syzygycat]

The Petcurean GO! Carnivore is pretty good. it's not as good as DE but pretty good.

GO! SOLUTIONS CARNIVORE Grain Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe for Cats - Petcurean Pet Nutrition

Sophie better with wet food than Lilith is. Lilith is terrible when it comes to food but she loves the DE dry. I have to leave it out because she's a grazer. She's naturally very small so she needs to have food available whenever she wants because she can't afford to lose any weight. She happily eats the DE even if she decides she doesn't want the wet food.

Never heard of this. Better than instinct (probably need to be careful introducing this one, its got more than average number or potential allergens)

My oldest eats wet food but not enough to keep from starving (lost 2lbs when we went all wet).
I have to put out dry food out after wet meals for her sake.

 

[movinintime]

Please don't get mad at me but please get ALL kitties off ALL dry food! It dries their kidneys and is so counterproductive to health and longevity. It is like humans eating potato chips all day and then suffering alot of health problems.

 

[IndyJones]

Please don't get mad at me but please get ALL kitties off ALL dry food! It dries their kidneys and is so counterproductive to health and longevity. It is like humans eating potato chips all day and then suffering alot of health problems.

Some cats will literally starve themselves if they don't like a certain food. It's sometimes the lesser of the two evils to feed dry than have a cat go into fatty liver from not eating.

It really depends on the individual what works for them.

 

[MissClouseau]

Please don't get mad at me but please get ALL kitties off ALL dry food! It dries their kidneys and is so counterproductive to health and longevity. It is like humans eating potato chips all day and then suffering alot of health problems.

The OP says dry food won't even be their main food source most of the time. S/he wrote "Aside from when I'm vacation, I0-20% of my cats calories come from dry food "

 

[mizzely]

Sometimes dry is a necessity. Every cat and situation is different. There's also nothing wrong with dry being a small part of the diet for most cats

 

[Kat0121]

Sometimes dry is a necessity. Every cat and situation is different. There's also nothing wrong with dry being a small part of the diet for most cats

Agreed. I wish she didn't want it but she does and I cannot force her to eat food she doesn't like and there are a LOT she doesn't like. Sometimes it is a necessary evil. I'm just glad that the kind she likes is of high quality. At least there's that and Sophie is OK with food. Still picky but not as bad.

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

I feed my boys Ziwipeak's air-dried. Pricy, but it's the only dry food I've felt comfortable giving them. The low protein doesn't bother me since it's such a small part of their diet, which mostly consists of canned and raw.

I've also been giving them Vital Essentials freeze-dried rabbit mini nibs. Technically it's considered a "treat", I guess, but it's a whole ground rabbit with organs and other good ingredients, and they love it, so I usually put a little of each in their bowls for the night.

 

[syzygycat]

Please don't get mad at me but please get ALL kitties off ALL dry food! It dries their kidneys and is so counterproductive to health and longevity. It is like humans eating potato chips all day and then suffering alot of health problems.

I'm going to get berated on this site for saying this but... despite "the internet saying so", dry food is not any more unhealthy than than canned food. They are both comparable to eating take out/fast food. But all the perils of dry food are from over feeding, high carbs, unhealthy ingredients, under hydrating.

Anecdotal evidence and actual studies show different things. as long as a cat is properly hydrated, not overfed, not given a high carb diet there's no increased health risk of dry food over canned food. An appropriate amount of quality dry food and a cat water fountain is overall better for a cat than feeding grocery store brad wet foods.
Cats haven't evolved to eat kibble, they haven't evolved to eat cooked food, or fish, or cows, or even chickens.

It makes sense that canned food is better for them, I 100% agree feeding all dry is a terrible idea, but that's an opinion in spite of the known evidence, not because of it.

Sorry.

 

[syzygycat]

Late reply;
So I got around to trying just about everything better than instinct original. With the corona virus sky rocketing prices, buying now is better now then buying one at atime.

QUOTE="Kat0121, post: 5118802, member: 68965"]
GO! SOLUTIONS CARNIVORE
[/QUOTE]

All my cats ate this when I put it on their bowls, its a keeper for sure but I will mix if in slowly just in case.
Tiki cat Carnivore Chicken was the only other food the all liked, the reaction was ever stronger with Go, they at it like its a treat, chasing each other for one pellet.
Cleanprotein did ok, 2 of the cats ate it as is, the I had to mix 1/3 old food to get the other two cats to like it.
Instinct Ultmate Protein was the biggest surprise, its got a few less ingredients than their regular food. Thats the only one I have to gradually mix in

I like Dr. Elsey's but my cat doesn't She does like Epigen 90 though.

I ordered a sample back of rpigen 90 and their freeze dried foods, but I did it 10 days ago. Right before the curfew, store closings,and only essential employees going to work. So it maybe a while til i get it and by then if its still instock the apocalypse pricing is in effect.

I feed my boys Ziwipeak's air-dried. Pricy, but it's the only dry food I've felt comfortable giving them. The low protein doesn't bother me since it's such a small part of their diet, which mostly consists of canned and raw.

I've also been giving them Vital Essentials freeze-dried rabbit mini nibs. Technically it's considered a "treat", I guess, but it's a whole ground rabbit with organs and other good ingredients, and they love it, so I usually put a little of each in their bowls for the night.

While technically dry, I wouldnt put either of these soly in the dry food category.

But I have very interested in dehydrated cat foods Do you rehydrate either product? Or have you ever? If so, what was your cats reaction. My2 older cats wot touch the stuff, the other two only eat it in dry form.















'

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

syzygycat I've never rehydrated either food. The rabbit mini nibs (which I discovered is an entree' not treat) is too hard to rehydrate. Never tried with ziwi. My boys don't like rehydrated things, anyway. Not sure if it's the texture or taste, but they prefer dehydrated foods and treats to remain that way.

Like I mentioned, dry is such a small part of their diet, and I only give it as a snack, so moisture isn't really a concern for me. They have a fountain and mostly eat wet. Though I wish they liked rehydrated food. I have more buying options online lol

 

[Azazel]

I'm going to get berated on this site for saying this but... despite "the internet saying so", dry food is not any more unhealthy than than canned food. They are both comparable to eating take out/fast food.

No, not quite. Pet feed that is constituted of "complete meals," which is what most cats eat, is very different from any form of human food, including take out or fast food. These complete meals are formulated such that the cat only has to eat that single food to survive. A person could not survive on say, a fast food burger and fries, for their entire life. It's very different. Given that most cats are eating the same few different kinds of foods day in and day out, the impacts of an unhealthy diet can be harsh. This is why it's important to really pay attention to what's in the food that you're feeding, its quality, and where it comes from.

But all the perils of dry food are from over feeding, high carbs, unhealthy ingredients, under hydrating.

Anecdotal evidence and actual studies show different things. as long as a cat is properly hydrated, not overfed, not given a high carb diet there's no increased health risk of dry food over canned food. An appropriate amount of quality dry food and a cat water fountain is overall better for a cat than feeding grocery store brad wet foods.

Okay.. but the issue is that all dry foods are high in carbs and low in moisture. So therefore they do pose a health risk, by your own points. Cats will not obtain enough moisture by drinking water from a fountain alone. Cats are supposed to obtain moisture from their food. This is why they have a low thirst drive.

It is true that many wet foods also have questionable ingredients and quality issues. But, the fact that hydration and high carbs are leading issues in terms of the most prevalent diseases we see in cats such as kidney disease, diabetes, and urinary issues, means that, in general, wet food is always better than dry because it will tend to be higher in animal protein, lower in carbs, and higher in moisture.

It makes sense that canned food is better for them, I 100% agree feeding all dry is a terrible idea, but that's an opinion in spite of the known evidence, not because of it.

Sorry.

What evidence are you referring to? Feline nutritionists recommend wet food over dry.

 

[syzygycat]

No, not quite. Pet feed that is constituted of "complete meals," which is what most cats eat, is very different from any form of human food, including take out or fast food. These complete meals are formulated such that the cat only has to eat that single food to survive. A person could not survive on say, a fast food burger and fries, for their entire life. It's very different. Given that most cats are eating the same few different kinds of foods day in and day out, the impacts of an unhealthy diet can be harsh. This is why it's important to really pay attention to what's in the food that you're feeding, its quality, and where it comes from.


Okay.. but the issue is that all dry foods are high in carbs and low in moisture. So therefore they do pose a health risk, by your own points. Cats will not obtain enough moisture by drinking water from a fountain alone. Cats are supposed to obtain moisture from their food. This is why they have a low thirst drive.

It is true that many wet foods also have questionable ingredients and quality issues. But, the fact that hydration and high carbs are leading issues in terms of the most prevalent diseases we see in cats such as kidney disease, diabetes, and urinary issues, means that, in general, wet food is always better than dry because it will tend to be higher in animal protein, lower in carbs, and higher in moisture.


What evidence are you referring to? Feline nutritionists recommend wet food over dry.

I knew it was going to be a mistake to go against what the internet says.

Peruse the internet, find an actual study that links dry food and not the high thing carbs to health issues, granted getting enough water will be very rough feeding all dry, that alone is good reason to at least feed a mix. But carbs are the devil in all the anti-dryfood studes, any ingredient higher on the glycemic index will be worse for a cat than anything lower be it wet or dry. We have many many wet foods that contain 25%+ carbs, a few dry foods with under 15%, Even a brands have flavors higher in carbs than any of the dry foods I've mentioned. "All dry food is better than all wet" food isnt true, just like 15 years ago when "all grain free is better than anything with grain" wasn't true. (when this corona virus thing pass and I go back to work, Ill dig up cat food studies off the scientific journal database) its painful to find study info on google however Dry foods and risk of disease in cats touches on some issues, sights more. It mostly focuses on feline obesity and diabetes but does sight a study on Burmese cats that reported a significantly increased risk diabetes in cats fed either dry or wet diets than in those fed mixed diets.
sights another study "the percentage of dry food in the diet was not significantly correlated with the development of [diabetes]" those two alone give evidence that a mixed wet / dry diet is better or as good for your cat than wet alone. (shocking!) and these don't even look at the low carb dry catfoods available nowadays . Going through the rest of it, more of the same... its high carbs, free feeding, lack of physical activity that cause metabolic health problems not the fact that the food happens to be dry.
Aside from parroting someone else, have you ever seen evidence that a mix quality low carb dryfood and wetfood has any ill effects on a cat, or is everyone repeating the same rhetoric assuming "someone" "probably" did some sort of testing. Im sure pet food companies would love it if everyone only bought the far more expensive canned foods.

A cat fed low quality dry foods live more than twice as long as cats that eat what they catch (yeah that's correlation causality
It makes sense that the more processed a food is, the chance of it being worse weather it be for cats, dogs, or humans. I would never advocate feeding all dry, but I've also never met a vet that pushed 0% dry food, or pushed garbage wet foods over quality dry food. The idea that dry food will kill your cat is one blown out of proportion and born from the internet and anecdotal cases not statistical evidence.

*That said, Im confident feeds premium wet foods as often as possible is going to give your cat the best chance of a long healthy life and if you can afford to pay someone to feed your cat wet food every time your not going to be home for over 12 hours great!

 

[IndyJones]

I honestly think feeding what your cat will eat is the most important thing. Some will go on hunger strike if you try to force a specific food on them.

 

[Azazel]

I knew it was going to be a mistake to go against what the internet says.

Peruse the internet, find an actual study that links dry food and not the high thing carbs to health issues, granted getting enough water will be very rough feeding all dry, that alone is good reason to at least feed a mix.

Finding a study linking kibble to health issues rather than high carbs isn't going to prove your point. If high carbs are related to health issues then dry food being high in carbs will be the issue. Food being dry in and of itself just means that it lacks moisture, which you yourself said is also a primary issue.

We have many many wet foods that contain 25%+ carbs, a few dry foods with under 15%, Even a brands have flavors higher in carbs than any of the dry foods I've mentioned. "All dry food is better than all wet" food isnt true, just like 15 years ago when "all grain free is better than anything with grain" wasn't true.

Yes I know that there are a few wet foods that are high in carbs a few dry foods that are low in carbs. This is why I said I'm generalizing in my statement.

Nobody here is claiming anything about grain free foods.

Dry foods and risk of disease in cats touches on some issues, sights more. It mostly focuses on feline obesity and diabetes but does sight a study on Burmese cats that reported a significantly increased risk diabetes in cats fed either dry or wet diets than in those fed mixed diets.
sights another study "the percentage of dry food in the diet was not significantly correlated with the development of [diabetes]" those two alone give evidence that a mixed wet / dry diet is better or as good for your cat than wet alone.

I do not have time to read this entire study, but it looks pretty poorly reported. They are providing p values in that citation that you refer to without any effect sizes or estimates of precision.

Aside from parroting someone else, have you ever seen evidence that a mix quality low carb dryfood and wetfood has any ill effects on a cat, or is everyone repeating the same rhetoric assuming "someone" "probably" did some sort of testing. Im sure pet food companies would love it if everyone only bought the far more expensive canned foods.

I am not making any claims about mixing food. I'm saying that there are very solid reasons why people choose not to feed dry food, particularly that it tends to be high in carbs and is always low in moisture.

The idea that dry food will kill your cat is one blown out of proportion and born from the internet and anecdotal cases not statistical evidence.

I disagree

*That said, Im confident feeds premium wet foods as often as possible is going to give your cat the best chance of a long healthy life and if you can afford to pay someone to feed your cat wet food every time your not going to be home for over 12 hours great!

You contradict yourself about 3 times in this post. I'm honestly confused.
But anyway... there are a lot of 'premium' foods that aren't that great. And many of us use timed feeders or leave wet food out for the day. There are options.

Back to your initial question.. I cannot comment on 'healthy' dry foods as I do not feed dry nor do I believe that it is a healthy option for cats. I'm sure you will find that most published peer-reviewed studies tell you that Royal Canin and Hills dry food are the healthest foods though (since these companies are the ones with money to fund the studies), and since you trust published academic research by veternarians as the ultimate source of knowldge then I think you may want to stick with those brands.