My vet says NO wet food ?

katiemae1277

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My vets wer actually happy that I fed both wet and dry, but then the 2 vets that I go to at my multi-vet practice both graduated in the last few years, maybe there are a little more up on the latest info?? but I cannot afford to feed my crew all wet or even 50% wet, but they do get a wet food "dinner" everyday, and they love it, which for no other reason than that is why I feed it to them, to make them happy
 

mzjazz2u

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Wet food will attract flies and spoil if it is left out. That's why you just feed as much as your cat will eat right away.
 

mermaid

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Originally Posted by catz07

Last time I took my cat to the vet he said I should never feed him wet food just dried food for the rest of his life! I think this is a bit harsh isn't it lol he loved his wet food the vet said because fly can lay eggs in the wet food and it causes worms and fleas...
Can I have your thoughts on this please?
Thanks
I really really hope your vet didn't really say that flies lay eggs in canned food, and that causes worms and fleas. I hope you just misunderstood that. It's totally false that your cat is more susceptible to worms and fleas due to canned food, and that flies can transmit these things. Yes, flies will lay eggs in canned food, but they are not a parasite of cats or anything else. They're just...flies.

From what I have learned about the subject, it is a mechanical issue. Dry food tends to scrape down the teeth, and canned tends to stick to the teeth and build up.
For the record, I feed my cats both.
 

carolpetunia

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I had one vet who said never to feed WET food, only dry! But then, he's also the one who said if a cat scratches you, you should "toss him in a cage and leave him for the rest of the day so he'll learn!"

Sheesh! What makes a nasty person like that become a vet in the first place?
 

persi & alley

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We are just having a discussion and thank you for joining. The fight I was referring to was the friendly fight that does in fact always ensue on this hotly debated subject. Debate was my favorite subject in college, I guess I still like to engage in one every once in a while and this is for sure one of the most hotly debated subjects on the forum. Another one is the wearing of collars but my dear old grandmother gave me the answer for this one: "If God had wanted cats to have collars, they would have been born with one." Even I could not argue with my grandmother...
 

moggiegirl

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I don't think any vet has the right to "dictate" what kind of cat food we feed our cats, unless it's a matter of life and death or we're truly making our cats ill. The phrase "never" feed wet food is bossy and close minded and adamant and if a vet told me that I would find another one and tell him that I don't agree and I'm not going to take away the wet food just because he says so. He's no authority on pet nutrition anyway so why be obedient to such a demand?
 

booktigger

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It amazes me how many vets are saying this at the moment, I personally feed a mix of the two and I know my vet does. If any cats come here eating dry only, they get wet introduced, as I dont feel they can drink enough to compensate for a dry only diet - I wouldn't like to try and drink enough to increase the moisture of what i had just eaten by about 70%.
 

beandip

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I vaguely remember reading something recently about the dry food/clean teeth theory. I thought it (whatever article it was) said that most dry food shatters on 'impact' and therefore doesn't really 'scrub' the tooth...it just leaves little particles stuck to the tooth - actually contributing to plaque buildup. I don't know.
It seems like my cats only chew about half of the dry that they put in their mouth anyway.

Personally, I feed both...shooting for 50/50 dry/wet.
 

luxum

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Many years ago i listened to a vet that told me this, that cats should only eat dry since it was better for their teeth. I really regret listening to that advice. It didn't help their teeth and there is such a benefit to feeding wet (generally better quality and quantity of protein, less carbs, more moisture) that i really wish i'd been feeding it right from the start for at least some meals. Rajah doesn't like it because she has always eaten dry and she became anorexic rather than eat the soft food after significant dental surgery was necessary, and i almost lost her. So since she only eats dry, she gets dry, but i wish she'd take some of the wet that Elvirah loves.
 

moggiegirl

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Originally Posted by luxum

Many years ago i listened to a vet that told me this, that cats should only eat dry since it was better for their teeth. I really regret listening to that advice. It didn't help their teeth and there is such a benefit to feeding wet (generally better quality and quantity of protein, less carbs, more moisture) that i really wish i'd been feeding it right from the start for at least some meals. Rajah doesn't like it because she has always eaten dry and she became anorexic rather than eat the soft food after significant dental surgery was necessary, and i almost lost her. So since she only eats dry, she gets dry, but i wish she'd take some of the wet that Elvirah loves.
That's an example of what a breeder once told me which is "The best cat food is useless if the cat won't eat it."
 

moggiegirl

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Originally Posted by booktigger

It amazes me how many vets are saying this at the moment, I personally feed a mix of the two and I know my vet does. If any cats come here eating dry only, they get wet introduced, as I dont feel they can drink enough to compensate for a dry only diet - I wouldn't like to try and drink enough to increase the moisture of what i had just eaten by about 70%.
We benefit from foods containing water too. Strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, grapes. I notice that I don't get as thirsty when I eat foods that contain water. I don't remember the TV show but there was a nutritionist who once said that we don't necessarily need to drink 8 glasses of water a day if we're getting it from our food.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by moggiegirl

We benefit from foods containing water too. Strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, grapes. I notice that I don't get as thirsty when I eat foods that contain water. I don't remember the TV show but there was a nutritionist who once said that we don't necessarily need to drink 8 glasses of water a day if we're getting it from our food.
You are aware that GRAPES are posionous??? Oranges and tomatos need to be monitored carfully as they can be toxic to some////
 

batgirl2good

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

I had one vet who said never to feed WET food, only dry! But then, he's also the one who said if a cat scratches you, you should "toss him in a cage and leave him for the rest of the day so he'll learn!"

Sheesh! What makes a nasty person like that become a vet in the first place?
That's horrible! I cannot believe that anyone would say or even think that! Cats don't learn from treatment like that. Stuff like this makes me want to cry!
Oh, dear! ***runs to hug her cats***
 

katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by sharky

You are aware that GRAPES are posionous??? Oranges and tomatos need to be monitored carfully as they can be toxic to some////
I think she was referring to her eating these fruits, not the kitty


but that brings up a good point, we're supposed to get 8 glasses of water a day, does anybody really drink that much? and we KNOW we're supposed to drink that much, cats don't and certainly don't say "Gosh, I haven't drank enough water today"
 

sicycat

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Originally Posted by sharky

You are aware that GRAPES are posionous??? Oranges and tomatos need to be monitored carfully as they can be toxic to some////
As far as cats go right? I thought she was talking about humans/herself in her post.
 

sharky

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OPPPs seem the dsylexic one here didnt read right.. yes in cat they are issues...

LOL. I have yet to see a cat say hey did you drink your water to a buddy
 

xocats

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Grapes are toxic to cats?

I didn't know that.
Thanks for the warning.
 

luxum

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but that brings up a good point, we're supposed to get 8 glasses of water a day, does anybody really drink that much?
I drink more than that.
Drinking bottled really helps, most tap water tastes nasty and it discourages you from drinking. Rajah loves bottled water too, somehow she realized that water was in certain bottles and if you're drinking from a bottled water, she's up on your lap trying to fit her head into the bottle!
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by xocats

Grapes are toxic to cats?

I didn't know that.
Thanks for the warning.
Yeah and that is why I shake my head at formulas using grapeseed oil( concentrated part of the toxic part of grape...
 

xocats

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I really am glad that you told us about the grapes.
Probably not many people know about that.
 
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