ANYONE WHO IS FEEDING DRY FOOD

[opus88]

I'll probably get some flack for this but I want to post it anyway.....since a cat of mine was dx'd with urinary crystals I've done alot of reading and found out alot of disturbing things about a dry food diet....ANY dry food even the high quality ones.
My cat has been on one of the best rated EVO which has NO grains therefore is low in carbs and high in protien....however it is STILL A DRY FOOD. the lack of moisture content is what leads to these urinary crystals and a host of other health problems.....also dry food is loaded with chemicals so it appeals to the pets, the fats become rancid with storage and mites grow on the kibbles...disgusting right!!
This (independent Vet)  has written that even the poorest quality can foods are still better than the highest quality dry foods......yes this does include anything the Vet clinics will sell you for prescription diets.
everyone please read.
www.catinfo.org

[PrettyKitty1]

Dry food does not clean their teeth. I used to believe it as well. I fed one of my cats dry food throughout his entire childhood (or kitten hood) and when I took him to the vet last year he had tartar and needed a dental cleaning. Do not believe what they advertise because it isn’t true. They just want to sell.
On the other side, my other cat was raised on raw food only. The last time I took him to the vet, not too long ago (maybe last month) the vet was surprised at how clean his teeth were, his excellent shape and body weight, his whole demeanor and confidence and amazing health overall. They thrive on foods that have the right amounts of fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, and WATER.  This cat does not need a dental cleaning because there is no tartar or anything….not even minor. He is almost 2 years. My other cat is almost 3 and already needs a dental cleaning, and that is the one who was fed dry food as a kitten.

I wonder what else they are going to come up with to make people believe dry foods are good for cats and dogs.

Jax, the combination isn’t bad. But if you can, make canned foods a priority and what they mostly eat. Even with a bowl full of clean water every day, a cat that is fed dry food only or mostly, will never consume the amount of water it really needs.

Opus’ cat had water available 24/7, and still came down with crystals. If you look at our archives, there should probably be more than 100 posts on cats with UTI………..all written by desperate, sad owners who thought dry food was good.

[Jade59]

Hi Jax, the combo is okay, especially if the main intake is the wet, but all wet would really be best and more especially, it seems, if you have male cats.  The crystals seem to form in male cats more than females, at least, that's been the experience here on the forum and what my vet told me, also.  Someone, please correct me if I'm wrong.  

Just a tip, Jax...cats are lactose intolerant and milk will upset their tummy and possibly cause diarrhea.  Just water would be best.  There's a milk product made for cats that is lactose free that can be found at the market.  Kitty is still getting the milk taste without the side effect of the lactose.  I'm sorry, I don't remember the name of it, but it's on the pet aisle and is the size of a juice box.  

Do check out the website above left by PrettyKitty.  There's another website she listed on another thread that's loaded with great info, too.  Here it is:

http://www.catinfo.org/feline_urinary_tract_health.htm

You sound like a great mom who loves her babies :)  

[Jax1964]

I have always fed my cats all 3 of them on wet and dry, they each have 1 bowl with 2 compartments, 1 side i put canned food and the other side i put dry food, they also have a big bowl of water that they share and a bowl of milk, i feed them morning, lunch and then about 6pm, am i doing it right because uve got me worried now about the dry food, i always thought a variety is good and dry food is good for there teeth thats why i put some dry out aswell! can someone let me know if im doing it right or wrong.
Many Thanks
Jax(",)xXx

[opus88]

thanks again PK for putting this all into perspective.
Its a matter of THRIVE vs. SURVIVE! on what they eat.

[mj6000]

Thank you very much!

[PrettyKitty1]

Good question! You will find the answer on www.catinfo.org. But we can certainly help you with that. Here is a list. Remember they are more expensive; but worth buying.

Quality canned foods without Grains:
Merrick
Wellness
Nature's Variety
EVO
EVO 95%
Wysong’s Au Jus Canned Meats
Wysong’s Archetype
Country Pet

Quality canned foods WITH grains:
PetGuard
Felidae
Innova
Pinnacle, APD, Avoderm
Precise
Eagle Pack
Evolve
Newman's Own
Trader Joe's
Natural Balance

And here is the direct link to the above list with more details and information you need to know before you decide which brand you want to buy.

http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcannedfoods.htm