Studies on dry food and teeth

[solaritybengals]

I know there was a study done but it wasn't very well researched... I left a vet once for telling me to get my cat (Clover at the time) off of wet food and do dry only because of this *new* research that was done. Basically it told me she didn't know much about cats so I found a new vet. Of course since then I like doing raw foods but Clover is still on dry/wet diet as he is no longer in my household (but still considered one of my babies!).

This is a breeder that does raw and is a bit on the extreme side but makes a lot of good statements about dry. She has also authored some books on felines and has done a lot of research:
http://www.blakkatz.com/dryfood.html

I do agree with her though..the only way to successfully eliminate gum/tooth problems in cats is chunks of meat. I have been feeding ground meat to my cats (with bone too) and still find they have mild gingivitis. Now I feed chunked beef a couple times a week and it thrills me to see them gnawing/chewing more on each piece (to soon to tell if the gum health is improving). Plus they just love it. I know its so healthy for their gums. My vet also has given me those peacock feathers. Evidently chewing on the stem of these feathers is great for the teeth and acts as a natural tooth brush. So far Meeka is the only one that has figured out she can gnaw these to death but maybe the other 2 will come along with it eventually.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by SolarityBengals

My vet also has given me those peacock feathers. Evidently chewing on the stem of these feathers is great for the teeth and acts as a natural tooth brush. So far Meeka is the only one that has figured out she can gnaw these to death but maybe the other 2 will come along with it eventually.

That may explain why Bijou and Mika's teeth looked so good at their last vet visit. A friend of mine gave me a whole handful of peacock feathers and the kits love them.

 

[blue ash]

Feeding dry food offers no more of a oral hygiene benefit then us eating a pretzel does.

Cheers!

 

[jaycee]

BTW, my sister only fed her cat dry food (she was in the wet food is too smelly category) and the cat died of kidney failure when she was 14. The cat also refused to drink water out of a bowl (only the toilet or sink).[/quote]


sorry if this sounds argumentative but id say 14 years is a good life span for a cat. im sure there are cats eating wet food that dont live past 14 either. all bodies get worn out at some point even if they re fed the best food possible.

 

[ping]

I would think though dieing on kidney failure is not very nirmal though. And that something had to have caused that. And after being here and reading lots of great info. I started paying closer attention to health problems in people's cats and what the cats ate. I noticed a higher incidence of UTI's, crystals in urine, urine blockage and kidney problems with cats fed soley dry food. No wet at all. IMO that shows me that dry alone may not be best.

 

[sharky]

12-14 years is ave for a cat ... though thru better nutrtion and better educated owners they are living much longer... An old country vet told me that if a cat lives long enough 90% will have some kidney disease .... While not NOrmal it is a old age issue in many cats not just a diet issue

 

[pat]

Exactly what Sharky said...many cats now live to late teens, early 20's and my vet also said this is why they now see certain conditions in many oldsters. It is my strong belief that chronic renal failure, hyperthyrodism are no longer unusual to see in the older cat population.

 

[emw]

What exactly are the symptoms of a UTI? I don't think my kitties ever had one.

 

[phantomsr]

Some good points in here. Sharky probably already knows what I'm going to say.

Dry food is not the best for your cats. As everyone else is realizing, it doesn't clean their teeth in any way. Watch your cat eat some dry, most of them don't even bite it, it's down in one piece. Also, pieces of dry food are high in carbs. Saliva converts these carbs into sugars. Bacteria love sugars. Any dry food bits left in their mouth after eating will promote bad breath and tooth decay. Dry food is also harder for you cat to digest. It absorbs a lot of water from your cats body to hydrate, it contains a large portion of undigestable plant materials, and most of the meats are cooked which makes nutrients less bioavailable to your cat. All of this serves to slow digestion. This is why dry food has so many additives and suppliments to ensure the correct nutrition. But your cat will get the correct "nutrition".

Wet foods contain a lot more moisture which will help with hydration. This has numerous benifits already listed including a reduction in UTI's and crystals. Wet foods also contain a much lower percentage of carbs and undigestable matter. This usually reduces the amount of waste your cat will produce. The smell is not caused by the food being wet but actually the preservatives, additives, suppliments, and the cooked meats. Not all cats will have smelly feces on wet food and usually a different kind of wet food will help if you have issues. As for their teeth, the reduction in carbs will help some, but the cooked meat chunks require very little chewing and still won't really clean their teeth. Brushing and cleanings will still be required but possibly at delayed intervals.

Raw food when ground up is much the same as prepared food with possibly less carbs and undigestable matter depending on the manufacturer or what you choose to put in. Raw food however has no preservatives and very few additives or suppliments, again depending on manufacturer or personal addition. Cats on raw food will produce less feces and the odor is reduced significantly.

Chunks of meat and raw meaty bones like chicken necks have the added benifit of allowing you cat to chew, rip, tear, and gnaw the meat off which assists in cleaning teeth.

My cats are currently on a ground raw diet as I am unable to find a suitable supplier of free range meats. They still require the occasional brushing but nothing like they did on dry food. They also produce much less waste and drink much less water.

Q: Will your cat be fine on a dry food diet?
A:For sure.

Q:Are there better choices available?
A:You bet.

Q:Will your cat go straight for canned food or raw food?
A:Not likely, would your kids rather have pizza or a salad? Just because they like it doesn't mean it's good for them.

Q

o I have any degrees or certifications to back my statements
A:Nope. I'm just another concerned pet owner like the rest of you. I've done a lot of research and feel comfortable with the information I posted but it's always up to you.

PS: You can find confirmation of anything you want to belive on the internet if that's all you look for.