View Single Post
  #6  
Old February 9th, 2011, 08:44 PM
sugarcatmom's Avatar
sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 5,357
Quote:
Originally Posted by jencell View Post
i'm very glad that I found him, did a lot of research...
I have to commend you for wanting to do what's best for your kitties and for doing all this research. The minimal-to-no vaccine thing will give your guys a major health advantage.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jencell View Post
As for the reason for the dry food, thanks to its composition the dry component completes wet food and helps keeping the cat’s teeth and gums in good health. Like if they eat a mouse, they eat ''wet part'' but also dry part (bones etc..)
Ah, I see now. That would be great if that was actually the case, but dry food is as far removed from any semblance of bone as one can get. It really doesn't do a thing for dental health, and can actually be detrimental. Those starchy nuggets just shatter when bitten into (that is when they aren't being swallowed whole) and the pieces are easily trapped between teeth and under gum-lines, giving bacteria a nice sugary food source. For cleaning teeth, you have 2 options: get your cats used to having them brushed, or start feeding them the bones and resilient meats (like gizzards) that would be keeping their teeth clean in nature.

Some more info to check out on this topic:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/d...ean-the-teeth/

And the link to an article by Dr. Shawn Messonnier is broken, but here is the text:

Quote:
Question: "Can you address the issue of diet and dental disease? I feed my cat canned cat food. She loves it and will have nothing to do with dry food. Several of my pet-owning friends say that a diet of exclusively canned food will make her teeth go bad. They say she needs dry food to help prevent dental decay. I disagree with them. What is your advice?"

Answer: What a great question! Many veterinarians, including myself, were taught that dry food was better for the teeth due to the abrasive action of the pellets. However, clinical experience over the last few years has shown this to be a myth. For example, just about every pet needs its teeth cleaned at least once a year, yet most of these pets are eating dry food. Obviously the dry food is not preventing dental disease. I see no difference in my own practice in the amount of dental disease regardless of type of diet.

Several references I consulted on diet and dental disease agree. For example, in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, the authors state, "Although consumption of soft foods may promote plaque accumulation, the general belief that dry foods provide significant oral cleansing should be regarded with skepticism. A moist food may perform similarly to a typical dry food in affecting plaque, stain and calculus accumulation. Typical dry dog and cat foods contribute little dental cleansing." In the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry (September 1996) the author states that "In a large survey, dogs consuming dry food alone did not consistently demonstrate improved periodontal health when compared with dogs eating moist foods."

Interestingly, my clients who feed their pets raw foods plus meaty bones for chewing report the least amount of dental disease, many of these pets do not always require an annual dental cleaning. And finally, the speed with which dental disease occurs in dogs seems to be related to breed and size; most large-breed dogs do not need their teeth cleaned as often as their smaller counterparts. New recommendations on feeding cats encourage wet food to increase water consumption and decrease the chance of diseases such as diabetes, as canned food most closely mimics the natural diet of cats. The best thing you can do to control dental disease is to regularly brush your pet's teeth, and have a professional cleaning whenever needed. So tell your friends that they can feed whatever kind of food they wish, but that your cat is eating the most appropriate diet."

Sincerely,
Shawn Messonnier, D.V.M.
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb

“We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler
Reply With Quote