So many big brand pet food companies are selling dental treats for cats – and we buy them because we think they’ll help our kitty’s teeth. But do they really?
Our cat’s dental health is super important for their overall health and longevity of life, so this is a subject that shouldn’t be taken lightly. We need to do our best as cat parents to keep their teeth clean – but this also means being informed. We need to know what actually helps their teeth and what can potentially harm our kitties.
What’s in the most popular dental treats for cats – and why we can’t recommend them
One of the most popular dental treats on the market is Greenies™ – despite the fact that they’ve been recalled several times for causing illness and death in cats and dogs. Let’s take a quick look at their current ingredient list…
“Ingredients: Chicken meal, wheat, brown rice, corn gluten meal, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oat fiber…” I’ll stop there because the ingredients are listed from greatest to least – so this is what makes up the bulk of the treat.
Folks… Imagine your toothpaste was made of wheat, rice and corn gluten. Would you use it? I think not.
Here’s the thing. Starches (wheat, rice, corn, oats, etc.) are sugars to the body. Everyone knows that candy isn’t good for your teeth because of the sugar. So why are we putting sugar in a DENTAL TREAT??? The term “dental treats for cats” is misleading to well intentioned cat parents like us. Don’t fall for that marketing gimmick.
Now let’s look at another popular dental treat, called Brushing Bites® by Meow Mix.
“Ingredients: Corn Flour, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Digest, Ground Wheat, Animal Fat (Bha Used As A Preservative)…” I’ll stop HERE because this is just scary.
Aside from the vast amount of sugary ingredients in this so-called ‘dental treat’, these Meow Mix treats contain BHA. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program has identified BHA as a cancer-causing agents that consistently produce certain types of tumors in laboratory animals.” [Mercola]
Not only will treats like this create more dental issues, they could cause actual harm. Why would anyone want to give our kitties cancer causing ingredients??
My message to you is to always read and understand the ingredients in your cat’s dental treats before purchasing them. If we want to do better by our sweet kitties, we must know better.
The best way to help your cat’s teeth is to feed a species appropriate diet, take her in for yearly dentals and try feeding raw meaty bones as treats.
Recommend Product for Feline Dental Care
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