So called "dental foods"

Chowder is having his first dental next week and they're estimating about five extractions.  The vet said she wanted to be proactive and pull any that look like they could worsen in the next few months.  

My question is, what's the deal with these dental foods?  I have recently transitioned Chowder to an all canned food diet and really don't want to put him back on a kibble, but the vet insists that a dental kibble is the only way to go once he's healed after his extractions.  I looked up the two she mentioned, Royal Canin and Hill's - they have horrible ingredients.

The ingredients are as follows for anyone interested:

Royal Canin:

Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, brown rice, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, wheat gluten, powdered cellulose, rice hulls, dried beet pulp, calcium sulfate, natural flavors, sodium bisulfate, fish oil, potassium chloride, L-lysine, sodium silico aluminate, vegetable oil, ground psyllium seeds, DL-methionine, fructooligosaccharides, salt, calcium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, hydrolyzed yeast, choline chloride, taurine, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin, biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate), rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

Hill's:

Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, DL-Methionine, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract

I really don't want Chowder eating that crap, not to mention concerns about him not getting proper hydration and developing urinary problems.  I was thinking about the extractions I would buy some of those CET Chews and see if that helps, I also asked the vet about an enzyme water additive.

Anyone have input?  Does that dental kibble really help?  He swallows most food whole and only crunches once in a while, but the vet said these pieces are too big and they have to chew them.

Both foods are slightly different, I don't know a ton about either but my dogs are on the RC dental diet because we get it for free (one dog is a blood donor, they give us free food). I will say that it has helped clean a lot of nasty stuff off the dogs' teeth, they look great. The cats' here really like it as well, they steal the occasional piece that drops to the floor or take them right out of the dogs' bowls while they're eating.

Both foods have an enzyme in them similar (or the same, I don't know) as the ones in the enzymatic treats and toothpastes. When the pet bites into the kibble, they get the enzyme and the act of "crunching" the food is supposed to scrape off the plaque and tartar. Both of the foods (RC and Hills) do have larger kibbles than normal, but I would think a determined cat, especially if on the larger side, could still swallow them without chewing if they really wanted to. The CET chews are softer but same idea I guess, although instead of scraping I guess they would be more likely to rub the stuff off. I would continue with the canned food and use the dental kibble as treats, it'll be cheaper than buying CET chews and probably more effective.

The RC dental diet has SO index, so the urine pH should be kept at a safe level with that if you were to feed it as a food. Not sure about the Hills. Water enzymes are generally considered useless, the pet usually doesn't drink enough for it to be beneficial and if you use a pet fountain it usually will filter out any of the additive. You can try brushing if he will let you.

"Does that dental kibble really help?  He swallows most food whole and only crunches once in a while, but the vet said these pieces are too big and they have to chew them."
Exactly: cats swallow dry food whole, don't crunch.
I too would be very reluctant to feed my cat Rx kibble for teeth, given what I know about dry food in general.
Here is an article about kibble and teeth cleaning,
and are reviews about several dental products.
Finally, some cats are simply prediposed to dental problems, it can be genetic or poor nutrition as a kitten.
I feed Ritz raw, so she chews bones, and she still has gingivitis and tartar. She was a rescue, and lived on the streets as a kitten, so didn't get good food.

Chowder had the same situation.  I got him when we was 2, but before that he had lived on the streets.  

I guess I'll see how he heals after the extractions, but I really would like to keep him on all wet food.  I could try using the Rx kibble as a treat and give him a small portion to see how it goes.  He usually gets Greenies or Natural Balance Perfect Bites for treats, both of which don't have the best ingredients, so I guess it wouldn't hurt.

I don't like confrontation and really don't want to argue with the vet about it.  The odd thing is she hasn't even asked me what he gets to eat currently.

My previous Vet also prescribed Hill's Dental,   but after reading reviews on Amazon,  I would never purchase this.  Some cats choked on it.  Purina DH also has very large size kibbles.  My cat swallows most food with little chewing.   It's not worth the risk.  I also did not like the ingredients.

My new Vet, who owns 10 cats of her own, wants me to keep Mittens on canned food.  He's had one uti in the past. 

He needs a dental also to remove some plaque.  And she wants me to start brushing his teeth.

Marshmallow2013 said:

 
My previous Vet also prescribed Hill's Dental,   but after reading reviews on Amazon,  I would never purchase this.  Some cats choked on it.  Purina DH also has very large size kibbles.  My cat swallows most food with little chewing.   It's not worth the risk.  I also did not like the ingredients.

My new Vet, who owns 10 cats of her own, wants me to keep Mittens on canned food.  He's had one uti in the past. 

He needs a dental also to remove some plaque.  And she wants me to start brushing his teeth.

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That's really scary.  I'm hoping maybe something like CET Chews will work then.  I don't think he would accept brushing at all.

I can understand everyone's concerns, but to add a little on the other side of the debate, I have decided to stick with the Hills TD prescription because even though I also use daily enzyme tooth brushing with Mouse I can see tartar build up on his teeth within a day if I try adding other food to his diet and if I persist for a few days the red edges to his gums return.  He makes no attempt to eat the large kibble without chewing and crunches happily on it before swallowing.  My main issue other than the high carb' content of the food is the mess it makes: a high volume of crumbs from the crunching that for Mouse leads to waste as he doesn't lick up food (possibly because his rather soft tongue isn't very efficient at it).  I am lucky as he is very good at drinking water and I keep a fresh bowl at the sink that I can monitor to make sure he takes enough in, and the content of his litter tray certainly shows how much comes out.   Longer term I feel the health risks from the oral problems are higher than from the food.

Mouse is a very fit, healthy cat with a nice collection of first prize breed awards who just happens to have FHV and a history of severe oral infections and ulcerated / bleeding gums. He has a tonne of energy, usually keeps his herpes at bay, and his build and coat are in excellent condition.   So far his mouth has remained healthy with the TD food and ensyme tooth brushing and he has managed to retain his teeth to date and his health issues and diet have not detracted from his overall condition.    

I urge anyone to discuss options thoroughly with their vet, including any concerns that they have, and alternatives they would like to try, and see where it takes them.