What dry food is best for cats with sensitive teeth & wet food brands?

It is a common misconception that dry food is better for teeth than wet foods. Once a cat takes a bite of the kibble and crunches it, there is no advantage in mechanically or abrasively cleaning the teeth. Exceptions come into play with certain prescription diets, such as Hill’s t/d, which have been proven to mechanically clean the teeth. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (www.vohc.org) rates the variety of dental diets and treats on the market with respect to their efficacy in controlling plaque and/or tartar. At the end of the day, daily tooth brushing is the best preventative measure for keeping a cat’s teeth healthy.

Hi and thanks for posting. A brand that comes to mind that may be what you are looking for is Sojos which is freeze dried food. You add a small amount of water to it and the food pieces are on the softer side but not mushy. I hope this helps!

Hello, and thank you for your question. The most important thing to look for in a pet food is an AAFCO label, which tells you that the diet went through either a clinical trial or met a certain minimum standard when formulating the diet. This will ensure that the diet is complete and balanced. As far as specific brands, I like Royal Canin and Science Diet as reliable, high quality pet store brands. They do have specific wet diets for senior cats. I hope this helps, and that Lilly is happy and healthy!

It's really important to consider your sources when it comes to information about pet foods. For example, a popular pet food "review" website here in the US is run by a human dentist with no veterinary training. I recommend feeding balanced diets that meet the World Small Animal Veterinary Association nutrition guidelines (https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/global-nutrition-guidelines/). Examples of these good quality brands, which I recommend, include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, Iams and Eukanuba. All of these brands have been formulated by a veterinary nutritionist and have been appropriately tested. I think Royal Canin (or one of the other brands I'd mentioned) is a much better option than Merrick. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. The first three brands are a little pricier, but they are very high quality. Iams is also high quality, but it's at a more reasonable price. If you are looking at a supermarket brand of wet cat food, I recommend Purina. I hope this helps!

There are many different opinions about pet food, even in the veterinary community. I think it is fine to offer canned and dry food to cats. Most people will leave dry food out and will offer the canned food once to twice a day but don’t leave that out as it will spoil. If the cats are heavy, look for low-calorie foods. Dry food isn’t that good for the teeth unless it is a special dental formula. These formulas have kibble that will not break until the tooth is fully engaged into the kibble. Otherwise kibble only helps to keep the tips of the teeth clean and not the gumline. Kibble is however not bad for the kidneys. Canned food is better for the kidneys because of the water content but if kidney disease does develop, cats will need a special diet for kidney disease. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions about Moe and Mac.

Hello and thank you for your questions about Molly. Unfortunately there are no dental diets that are labeled as natural. That does not mean that these diets are bad however. The kibble of these diets are formulated to remain intact until the tooth is fully buried in the kibble. This is unique and will help to scrub oof tartar and massage the gum tissue which creates better oral health. Normal cat kibble will break apart as soon as the tooth begins to push into the kible. It does not maintain its form to create a scrubbing action or promote gum health. These diets have been shown to improve oral health and the cats who eat them. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.