Wet food is the closer to natural moist food as found in nature. In comparison, dry food is heavily processed, overheated and bereft of many nutrients lost in the process of making dry food cheap and non-perishable.
Here is what some experts are saying:
Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, DVM says:
The three key negative issues associated with dry food are:
1) water content is too low - often leading to painful and life-threatening urethral obstructions
2) carbohydrate load is too high
3) type of protein – too high in plant-based versus animal-based proteins
In addition, dry food is very heavily processed which includes being subjected to high temperatures for a long time resulting in alteration and destruction of nutrients.
There is no doubt that dry food is responsible for far more intestinal problems, and other diseases, than most veterinarians and cat owners realize.
The protein in dry food, which is often heavily plant-based, is not equal in quality to the protein in canned food, which is meat-based. The protein in dry food, therefore, earns a lower biological value score... ... Link
Dr. Karen Becker: Epidemic of Feline Kidney Disease.. kidney disease is a leading cause of death for housecats but not for wild cats, we must ask why feline renal failure in domestic cats is at epidemic proportions… Feeding kitties over-processed dry food for a lifetime will absolutely increase kidney stress. A combination of dry processed diets, toxins in the environment, poor water quality, inbreeding, and too many vaccines makes kidney disease inevitable for today’s housecats. ... Link
National Institute of Health - NIH.GOV: .. suitability of carbohydrates in dry foods for cats. Cats are recognized to have evolved as obligate carnivores, consuming foods (small mammals, insects, birds) containing mostly water, protein, and relatively little carbohydrate or fat .. association between the carbohydrate content of dry cat foods and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes ... Link
ConsciousCat.net: Dry food is the leading cause behind most urinary tract problems.. Dry food can lead to diabetes.. Eliminate all dry food from your cat’s diet .. ... Link
Cats are obligate carnivores, though most commercial cat food contains both animal and plant material supplemented with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Cat food is formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats, in particular containing the amino acid taurine, as cats cannot thrive on taurine-deficient food. Optimal levels of taurine for cat food have been established by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition
The three key negative issues associated with dry food are:
1) water content is too low - often leading to painful and life-threatening urethral obstructions
2) carbohydrate load is too high
3) type of protein – too high in plant-based versus animal-based proteins
In addition, dry food is very heavily processed which includes being subjected to high temperatures for a long time resulting in alteration and destruction of nutrients.
There is no doubt that dry food is responsible for far more intestinal problems, and other diseases, than most veterinarians and cat owners realize.
The protein in dry food, which is often heavily plant-based, is not equal in quality to the protein in canned food, which is meat-based. The protein in dry food, therefore, earns a lower biological value score.
