Quote:
Originally Posted by Floppy Dog
I free feed my cat Royal Canin dry kibble for indoor cats (with furball control). Yes, I know most of you recommend the wet stuff, but my cat's a rescue from the humane society. There's no way he'd let me near his mouth with a toothbrush! So kibble and Greenies denta treats it is to keep the tartar off his teeth. Judging by his coat, eyes and activity level, doesn't seem to be doing him any harm.
|
Well if kibble actually cleaned a cat's teeth, that would be great. But it doesn't. In fact, it can actually CAUSE dental disease because it's so full of sugary carbohydrates that feed bacteria in the mouth. And it doesn't offer the abrasive plaque removal that you might think it would because if the cat isn't just swallowing it whole, the kibbles shatter when bitten, and those smaller pieces get lodged between teeth and under gum-lines where they do their real damage.
Besides, people don't clean their teeth with pretzels and corn chips, why would it be different for the teeth of an obligate carnivore, designed to tear into meat? And another thing to consider: if kibble was so great for preventing dental problems, why is dental disease one of the most common health issues for cats, despite the overwhelming prevalence of kibble-fed cats?
I urge you to read these links if you don't believe me:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...dcleantheteeth
http://home.ivillage.com/pets/cats/0,,p8ds,00.html