Are you one of those cat owners who love to pamper their cat with yummy treats but also worry about dental health? Well, one of the most common questions that veterinarians get asked is whether wet food is suitable for a cat’s teeth or not, and to know more about that, first, we need to know what is wet cat food and dry cat food.
Wet cat food is foods that contain a high volume of water, and they are essentially composed of plant-based foods, which include many fruits and vegetables. Cats with certain health conditions like diabetes and kidney disease need to intake food with a higher water ratio than regular food, so wet cat food tends to give additional water to your cat’s diet.
However, dry food is generally made by mixing wet and dry ingredients to form a dough, and then the dough is heated under pressure and cut into kibbles, which are shaped and sized according to product description. These kibbles are then dried, cold, and spray coated. However, there are few differences between wet food and dry food.
Manufacturing Process
Wet foods contain higher moisture content, so they are typically made with fresh or frozen meats combined with a protein source that usually comes from grains. Then the meats are blended with a measured amount of fats, vitamins, and water and stored in a can.
Later it goes through a heating process where foodborne pathogens are destroyed. However, dry food is made by mixing all the ingredients and cooking it at high pressure and temperature, making the starch more digestible.
Moisture Content
This is the crucial difference between wet food and dry food. Wet cat food contains approximately 70% more water than dry cat food. It is said that dry food has around 10% of water and 90% of dry matter such as carbohydrates, vitamins, and fats, and this should be considered when choosing a cat food for your cat.
Nutrients
Dry cat food generally contains more carbohydrates than wet food. Certain dry foods also add probiotics in their formulation. Now when you know how wet food and dry food are made and the differences, you might be wondering whether wet foods are good for your cat’s dental health or not?
Well, wet cat foods tend to contain more moisture than dry cat food, and so it affects dental health as the food gets stuck to the cat’s teeth while eating, causing tartar formation and later resulting in periodontal disease.
Dry cat food helps reduce plaque and tartar formation on a cat’s teeth. A study shows the best cat food for food when it comes to dental health is the fresh raw diet which includes raw meaty bones like chicken necks, wings, or feet. Also, it is said that raw meaty bones are mother nature’s toothbrush for cats.
Lastly, both dry and wet food comes with pros and cons. If you are on a strict budget, then wet cat food is a luxury option for you as it is expensive and its usage is not convenient; also, you cannot preserve wet cat food for a longer time. But if your cat suffers from water intake conditions, wet food is the best option for you.
However, dry foods are a convenient, budget-friendly option and often contain all the nutrients. It is free-fed, so it is pretty challenging to monitor their water intake no matter which type of cat food you choose, it is not an easy debate to answer. I suggest mixing both wet cat food and dry cat food, ensuring that they benefit from both diets.
