Wet food or dry food

[Rshep]

Hello,
I have a 4 year old male cat who had an inflamed pancreas, dehydration and constipation months ago, he was eating quality dry food at the time (Acana grasslands), I then read that dry food can cause all those things and that some cats can't digest it properly, he actually was vomiting almost every few days and there was almost always undigested kibble in it. We switched him to wet food (Merrick purrfect bistro) a few months back and he loves it, he hasn't vomited undigested food, and he's super playful now, he wasn't before.
I am just wondering because my vet says the dry food doesn't cause this and we didn't have to switch him to wet food, is he better off on the wet food? It seems that way to me but maybe there is a different kibble that he can digest better? I have no problem keeping him on wet food, just curious to see what other people think.
Also, I know wet food isn't the best for teeth, and he doesn't like dental treats at all, we have tried a bunch, he isn't really into treats at all really, he likes his dental toys but he doesn't play with them constantly, I have also tried to give him big country raw's chicken necks but he won't even smell them, he isn't crazy about chicken either. Is there something I can try to make sure his teeth are healthy? He won't let us brush them either lol we tried. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[maggie101]

Wet food is better for the teeth. Imagine you eating chips. Then you get cavities. Many cats eat too fast then throw up their food. Less likely to happen with wet. He also gets more moisture.

 

[daftcat75]

Yes, dry food can cause pancreatitis, dehydration, and constipation. Dry food does nothing for dental health. If anything, it's worse for dental health because it's high in carbs and oral bacteria feeds on carbs. Dry food can also contribute to the development of IBD and possibly even lymphoma later in life.

If the vomiting has stopped with the wet food, why would you look for another dry food?

Stick with the wet food, and perhaps look for a different vet. It sounds like this one is giving you all the wrong answers. Dry food isn't necessary for anything except maybe convenience. If he's happy eating wet, don't look back. It will be better for his long-term health all-around.

Dental treats usually don't do anything either. What works for dental health is chicken gizzards. They are a chewy organ. But many cats don't like chewing through them.

Something else that would fall in line with what vets think dental treats should do is a dental toy. This one seems to be very popular with cats. I see my Betty pick this up a couple of times after her meals. That is probably the closest either of us will get to flossing her teeth.

https://www.chewy.com/catstages-crunchy-pickle-kicker-plush/dp/308646

 

[daftcat75]

Three things that keep cats' teeth clean in the wild:

1. Chewy meat/organs like gizzards
2. Pulling feathers or fur through their teeth like tearing into prey
3. Eating a bio-appropriate diet that is high in moisture and low in carbs

You have #3 and you may not get your cat onboard with #1. But besides that pickle toy, you can find them toys with feathers and fur that they like to sink their teeth into and make sure they play with them. Easiest would be to find a wand toy like Da Bird or this shoelace toy is fairly popular with cats.

Cat Dancer Rainbow Charmer Wand Cat Toy - Better Pets Today

You can also look into brushing your cat's teeth if you want to make sure their dental health is covered. But some dental disease like tooth resorption can start below the gum line despite your best efforts. An annual dental exam with X-rays is recommended. February is dental health month and a lot of vets offer a discount that month. It would be a good idea to simply make it an annual habit to get him in for an exam and cleaning every February.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I totally agree that wet food is better. Of course, that's just my opinion, but I've had nine cats, and used to feed dry food only. Three of my previous cats had kidney disease, and I attribute that to them eating dry food. Can't prove it, but that's my theory, and it's shared by many people. Cat's typically don't drink much water, not like dogs do, and with dry food they need to drink a LOT of it to make up for that kibble. I feed my existing cats only wet food, and go so far as to add water to each and every meal just to make sure they are well hydrated.

As far as their teeth go, I do take them in to the Vet twice a year since they are seniors, and if they need their teeth cleaned, then we schedule a dental. Oh, and my kibble fed cats also needed their teeth cleaned. Unless you feed giant sized kibble, it does nothing to clean their teeth because they typically don't chew it. Just pick it up and swallow each piece. You may see their mouths moving, and that's to maneuver the pieces back to their throats. It's not chewing and it's the chewing that cleans the teeth.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

" For kitty the worst wet food is better than the best dry food " .

 

[lisahe]

Is there something I can try to make sure his teeth are healthy? He won't let us brush them either lol we tried. Thanks for any suggestions!

Enzymatic toothpaste, such as CET, can help even without brushing. If your cat likes the taste, you can just feed him a little.

And yes, as the others have said, stick with the wet food! If he's not barfing plus (bonus here!) more playful and loving his food, why go back to dry food? Dry foods tend to have lots of ingredients that can cause vomiting and all the legumes -- red lentils, green lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans! -- are just plain crazy. Cats don't need that sort of stuff in their diet, they're built to digest meat, not beans.

 

[louisstools]

Yeah, generally speaking wet food is better mostly because of hydration.

I had a situation where new vet wanted to do a transition from the only food my girl had known for 10 years, a dry rx, to wet food to see if we could get her off the rx. I tried -- no joke -- around 50 brands/flavors and found one that she would consistently eat and another one she "refused less than others." Eventually she just refused to eat the wet food so we were forced to put her back on the rx dry.

My new "rule of thumb" is if a cat eats it don't change it up. That transition and then trying to find food she would eat did a number on my girl. I'm 19 months into trying to get her back to consistently eating...it's been pretty much a full time job that's got her on appetite stimulant and a behaviorist.

 

[lisahe]

Yeah, generally speaking wet food is better mostly because of hydration.

I had a situation where new vet wanted to do a transition from the only food my girl had known for 10 years, a dry rx, to wet food to see if we could get her off the rx. I tried -- no joke -- around 50 brands/flavors and found one that she would consistently eat and another one she "refused less than others." Eventually she just refused to eat the wet food so we were forced to put her back on the rx dry.

My new "rule of thumb" is if a cat eats it don't change it up. That transition and then trying to find food she would eat did a number on my girl. I'm 19 months into trying to get her back to consistently eating...it's been pretty much a full time job that's got her on appetite stimulant and a behaviorist.

And, yes, this is the flip side of things.Sometimes trying to force a new food (even if the new food would, theoretically, be better for the cat) just doesn't work. We've also had trouble changing foods: it can cause lots of stress for humans and cats.

We were able to find a compromise of sorts for Ireland, though, after she decided a few months ago that she wanted to go back to eating only dry food. (We put the cats on wet food only many years ago!) She has a microchip feeder for her dry food (fortunately, it's Dr. Elsey's chicken, which is very low-carb with no fillers) but I also feed her small portions of wet food several times a day. Sometimes she eats it, sometimes she doesn't, though she generally eats at least one small serving a day. (Of course her favorite is the most expensive brand!) Fortunately, she also drinks plenty of water on her own. And she's happier, more relaxed, than ever. I'm just glad it all works.

 

[Alldara]

Dry food when eaten absorbs water in the tummy and bloats up. So that's a lot of what causes vomiting because the cat eats until it's full but then it bloats up until they are more than full.

So not only does dry food not have any water to it, but it then takes water away from the cat. Of course, that means it is more likely to cause some dehydration and then also constipation.

To not have constipation you need the right combo of water, fat and fibre. Dry food will have less of both water and fat, but more fiber which can make poos too hard and large.

That being said, dry food is very economical and some dry food can be a necessary part of people's budgets. It was also the first stepping stone of cat nutrition etc. Think of it like fortified cereal for cats. It's not awful, and they can have some every day but it's also not the best thing for them either.

 

[Alldara]

Hmmm. I just thought now how dry food is even kind of like fortified bread. Bread soaks up water in our stomachs when we eat it. It technically contains what we need, but a diet of solely bread would still likely cause issues long term.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

Dry food when eaten absorbs water in the tummy and bloats up. So that's a lot of what causes vomiting because the cat eats until it's full but then it bloats up until they are more than full.

~ That explains why my cats only vomit dry food. I only use it as a snack - never a meal.

 

[Kflowers]

Depends on the cat. All of ours up to current cat have eaten wet food. Only one developed kidney disease. Current cat's first solid food was wet food. As she moved into her third or so month of eating solid food, she started throwing it up regularly. We tried different brands not realizing many were by the same manufacturer. By the time we and the vet decided she must be allergic to something in the base of the two large manufacturers' foods, she was done with wet food. She won't touch it. If she would, she'd be on wet food. Note: she gained weight very quickly on the Orijen dry food, so that's something to keep in mind if you switch to it. Always, check the calories in the food you feed. It makes a difference.

 

[Alldara]

~ That explains why my cats only vomit dry food. I only use it as a snack - never a meal.

Yes. I actually count the kibble peices for my cats (obnoxious, I know!). Magnus's limit is 4 kibbles/treats if the large dental ones, or 10 if the small bite sized ones. Calcifer doesn't have issue with vomiting kibbles but he actually crunches them.