Looking for natural dry cat food that's also a dental health diet?

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.

Great question! Royal Canin has a dry food that is for cats with sensitive teeth, and I will put a link below for it. As for differences between brands, yes there are ones. Cheaper foods will not have as good quality ingredients as the most expensive brands of food, making the price lower. In addition, certain brands of food like Royal Canin and Hill's Science Diet have veterinary nutritionists on staff to ensure the food is formulated to meet the needs of the cat; not all cat food brands have this. Friskies is not one of the supermarket brands I recommend, I personally prefer Purina. Higher quality brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. Best of luck, I hope this all helps! https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-oral-care-dry-cat-food/dp/29863

Hello. I do not know what might be available in Canada, but I highly recommend looking at this website for the Veterinary Oral Health Council. Click on the Accepted Products link at the top, then on accepted products for cats. It will list everything that is truly tested to provide results. Thanks for using PetCoach. https://www.vohc.org

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!

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.

Great question! The Veterinary Oral Health Council is a group of veterinary dentists that investigates and reviews products that are marketed for dental care in pets. You can find a list of the products for cats that have received their seal of approval here: http://www.vohc.org/accepted_products_cats.html

Ark Naturals makes a poultry free dental chew. VetriScience Perio Plus also has a poultry free line. It may be difficult since chicken is an inexpensive, therefore common, ingredient in foods and treats. Another option would be to bake your own dental treats at home. You can find numerous recipes online using your preferred search engine. Search "homemade poultry free dental treat, cat".