Wet food vs dry food?

Question

I'm confused, everyone I knew in Europe feed their cat with wet food, we fed out cat wet food (only premium brand) once a day and dry food all day. All the cats are healthy and regularly checked by the vet. The oldest one today is like 17 years old.

Now I'm in the US and we bought an 8 weeks old kitten, and the Vet told me not to feed the cat with wet food because the cat will get plugged?!?

He is the pet doctor, and I'm not, but it's really hard for me to believe that wet food is bad for my kitten-- when no other Vet told me anything like that for the past 15 years. Should I just change my Vet?

Answer 1

Cats are more likely to become "plugged up", whether you mean urethral obstruction or constipation, on a dry food only diet. Kitties are horrible drinkers and one on dry food alone will not drink enough water to make up for the lack of moisture in her diet. She will compensate by producing super-concentrated urine. This works ok for a young, healthy cat but will catch up to her one day when her kidneys start to fail. By then it may be too late to introduce her to canned food - many older cats simply refuse it if they've never had it before. So then you end up with a dehydrated cat in kidney failure or prone to constipation.

To prevent this from happening, feeding a good mixture of dry and canned food, or only canned food is a good way to go. If kitty refuses canned food, do all you can to encourage drinking. You can do this by providing scrupulously clean water bowls, with fresh water provided everyday. If your tap water is very hard or odorous, filtered water may be a good idea. Some kitties love drinking moving water, so purchasing a kitty water fountain may help. Adding tuna juice or other flavoring to water also encourages drinking.

Those who say canned food rots kitty's teeth are misinformed. Poor dental care causes bad teeth, not the food. Dry food simply crumbles in kitty's mouth and does nothing to scrub the teeth anyway - with the exception of certain new foods on the market designed specifically for the purpose of scrubbing teeth. Examples are Hill's t/d (which my kitties eat) or Oral Care, Purina DH and Royal Canin Dental DD. Make sure kitty's teeth are examined every time she visits the vet and follow the vet's recommendations concerning dental cleanings and home care, and you'll be fine. Also, dry pet food was designed mostly for the convenience of the owner in mind - it can be left out for long periods of time without spoiling. This does not not necessarily equate to what's best for the pet.

All that to say, yes, you might consider finding another veterinarian who is more informed in feline nutrition.

Answer 2

Canned IS better. I'm not sure about what's best for kittens specifically though. So in this instance he may be right.

I have heard that most vets know next to nothing about cat nutrition, so don't second-guess yourself.

One thing you may wish to reconsider is not free-feeding your cats. Leaving dry food out all day for them to graze on is a bad idea. Some cats do fine this way, but you may end up with one like mine who has no self-control. You just don't want a cat with a weight problem! It's far better to have set meal times where you feed the cat at least twice per day. Whatever they don't eat is removed.

Don't worry about the "dry food is better for the teeth" stuff. It is a myth. The idea that dry food helps to clean the teeth SOUNDS good, but isn't actually true. For one, not all cats chew their food! Canned food (good quality ones that is) are actually better for the teeth. Here's a snippet from the link below:

"Let's get this one straight once and for all: dry food does not clean your cat's teeth! In fact, dry food really has no benefits for the cat. It is merely a convenience for the guardian. If you haven't already read "Why Cats Need Canned Food", that's a good place to start in your quest for accurate, up-to-date information on feeding cats. "

Here are some articles that may be of use.

Answer 3

Diets are a big cause for debate in the veterinary community. Each doctor has their own opinion about the best brand of food, the best flavor of food, the best time of day to feed the food, the prettiest color bag...

Certainly wet food is not more prone to constipating a cat than dry food. Occasionally wet foods are more rich than dry foods, but that usually manifests as diarrhea, not the opposite. There is some evidence that wet foods are better for maintaining healthy weight in cats.

If this is your only qualm with your vet, it might not be worth changing. There are a lot of less-than-agreeable veterinarians out there, and if your doctor is otherwise friendly and competent, it might be wort hing sticking with him. However, if you find you don't get that warm-fuzzy feeling with him, it can be difficult to trust him with the care of your kitty later in life. After all, he will be your best source of advice and counseling when it comes to future problems.

Good luck with your kitten!

Answer 4

Actually, though most people don't realize this, the ideal is to feed cats a combination of wet and dry foods.

Dry food is better for the digestion, and aids in healthy teeth.

Wet food supplies water, which most cats drink very little of directly, and is far better liked by most cats. Proponents of wet food diet also point out that it's closer to what cats would eat "in the wild" though it's important to note that tigers and housecats haven't really got much in common after thousands of years of domestication! (kindof interesting also, that many zoos feed their wild cats a primarily DRY diet, studies have shown they live longer that way!)

A mix of the two is ideal, giving cats the best of both worlds. It satisfies their need for water IN the food, their taste buds, and all their health and physical needs.

Answer 5

what a riot - I've always fed my cats dry food, and the last time I was there - my vet told me to feed him wet food because it's better for them! obviously - we have conflicting vets...

personally - we've had a boatload of cats growing up and now I own 2, and we've always fed them quality dry food. mine get wet food as a treat a couple days a week, but that's it.

as long as they're happy & healthy - at this point, I've given up believing one or the other is better for them. 17 years is a long healthy life for a cat - I'd keep feeding yours the way you are, and this time, ignore your vet :)

good luck w/ the new kitty!

Answer 6

From the research I have done, wet food is best. But I would do what you have been doing, feeding wet food and dry food. That is what I do for my cat. Wet food has more water in it which is good since cats don't normally drink enough, which can cause urinary tract problems. A lot of urinary tract problems are a direct result from crappy quality dry food.

Answer 7

They all say that here in the US; even for dogs. Personally, I feed my dog a combination of wet and dry foods. He is fine. I think the dry foods do not have all the nutrition they need. I cook for my dog because he likes stewed chicken and I feed him Solid Gold dog food - one of the best

http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/

You were doing fine so keep it up. If you feed wet and dry food the cat will not become constipated. I think they need a treat sometimes just as we do and they enjoy wet food so much more.

I think a lot of the dry cat food and dog food has too much soy and by-products in it so I feed my dog cooked chicken meat and also sometimes beef.

Get a new Vet.

Answer 8

If you really feel that the vet is wrong i would wait a few months befor giving wet food to the kitten. with my experiences every cat i have given wet food to gets diarreah. also the cat food might be different here than in europe. goood luck.

Answer 9

Wet food is pretty much a treat. Once a day is fine but not for a regular diet. There was on brand called Professor O'conners that is sold at petcetera. I dont know if they have a cat formula out yet but their soft doog food was safe enough fo human consumption(though not reccomended) And it said it could be fed as a regular meal. Cats and dogs NEED the solid food for their teeth though. It what helps to remove plaque and prevent tooth decay

Feed your new cat as you have fed your old ones. Just be carefull with a kitten because they can get the runs pretty easy

Answer 10

For most of their lives, my kitties have eaten dry food and have no trouble at all. Although when they were kittens I did dampen to food just a bit so they could chew more easily.

Our vet was quite pleased: They had less tartar build-up on their teeth than most cats of comparable age.