My new vet shocked me

[abacat]

Thank you all for the wet food advice.

It has only been a few days since I started giving Abby more wet and less dry but things are going well. For the second day in a row she has had some dry left in her bowl when I got up in the morning to feed her. I have also been mixing in a little warm water with her food to warm it up and she seems to like it. I will be ordering her some dehydrated chicken to use a a snack. I may keep some dry on hand just as a treat/snack.

 

[chaoran22]

from what i've read - wet is better health-wise for a cat. cats are carnivores unlike dogs and really shouldn't have carbs - which is what dry food is full of and it makes them fat. a lot of really obese cats lose weight very quickly when they go on an all wet diet. but while it's better for their bodies, it's horrible for their teeth. you really have to be committed to brushing every day because having really bad teeth can cause health problems too, you may just be trading one health problem with another. but if you can be committed to brushing teeth, then wet is definitely better (and more expensive). on the other hand - wet is not better for dogs, dogs are omnivores and can handle carbs and such. there are some that say raw (all raw meat) diets are best for dogs and a lot of breeders/showers swear by it so that's a whole other discussion but whether or not it's better, a dog can handle the mixed food matter that comes in dry food better than a cat can since cats are not ominivores. i was a dog person first and always heard how bad wet food is because it is horrible for teeth and dry food is just as healthy (yes some disagree but this is more or less the consensus) so there is no reason to feed wet so when i heard that all wet for cats is better i was really surprised but after reading a lot into it (scientific articles and talking to vets) i found out that the big difference is just that cats are carnivores rather than omnivores and just process food different from a dog even though i always assumed they were more or less the same.

 

[sharky]

NOTE ...

cats are OBLICATE carnivores

dog are carnivores : http://dogsobediencetraining.com/inf...n_dog_wiki.htm

Dogs digestion is VERY simliar to a cat ... JUST FYI

 

[lebouski]

I wish my cat liked dry better. When i am out of wet food and i don't have any for her, she looks at me with the saddest look a cat can give

.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by chaoran22

from what i've read - wet is better health-wise for a cat. cats are carnivores unlike dogs and really shouldn't have carbs - which is what dry food is full of and it makes them fat. a lot of really obese cats lose weight very quickly when they go on an all wet diet. but while it's better for their bodies, it's horrible for their teeth. you really have to be committed to brushing every day because having really bad teeth can cause health problems too, you may just be trading one health problem with another. but if you can be committed to brushing teeth, then wet is definitely better (and more expensive). on the other hand - wet is not better for dogs, dogs are omnivores and can handle carbs and such. there are some that say raw (all raw meat) diets are best for dogs and a lot of breeders/showers swear by it so that's a whole other discussion but whether or not it's better, a dog can handle the mixed food matter that comes in dry food better than a cat can since cats are not ominivores. i was a dog person first and always heard how bad wet food is because it is horrible for teeth and dry food is just as healthy (yes some disagree but this is more or less the consensus) so there is no reason to feed wet so when i heard that all wet for cats is better i was really surprised but after reading a lot into it (scientific articles and talking to vets) i found out that the big difference is just that cats are carnivores rather than omnivores and just process food different from a dog even though i always assumed they were more or less the same.

Actually dry food does nothing to help clean a cat's teeth. Cats do not "chew" - their jaws move only up and down and not side to side. Cats generally swallow dry food without chewing or if they do break the dry kernel, they use the tip of the tooth and then swallow.

I like to use the example of a human eating a dry cracker versus a tablespoon or so of Beef Stew. You'll find that the saliva in your mouth mixes with the dry cracker and you'll end up with more food left on your teeth than you will after eating the stew.

So, no, dry food doesn't do a thing for their teeth. As for brushing, some cats are more prone to tartar buildup (just as with humans). It's not a bad idea to get kitty used to having their teeth brushed anyway.

 

[breakfromundane]

Wow, I'm glad I read this thread! My original vet told me to feed my cats indoor formula to keep their weight back, and it worked for a while, until we went out of town and the lady we got to watch the cats (trusted and family) overfed them so they got insanely fat (in just 10 days). They love the wet food much better than the dry, so I think its worth a try.

Thanks for the helpful hints guys!

 

[persi & alley]

I wish I had a feline vet around. I get tired of sitting with snakes, skunks, lizards, various birds and bunnys. Really, how can the vet be an expert on all of these?

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

I wish I had a feline vet around. I get tired of sitting with snakes, skunks, lizards, various birds and bunnys. Really, how can the vet be an expert on all of these?

yes a vet could be well versed in common issues of all those...lol ask anyone with fish you learn to be there vet ... Expert would depend on what you define it as ...