I might just reduce the dry food after reading this and give him more of the other more natural foods I mentioned. Looks like I would be wasting my money getting Hills Science Direct as well as being less healthy for him than the above.

Hi Phillip, it’s worth considering our own eating habits to answer that question.

Over the long term, what would you consider the health benefits of a good diet over a mediocre diet? Or a daily diet of meat and veg compared to one of processed frozen foods?

There is never a definitive answer. We can eat healthy and die young, or eat nothing but junk food, drink, and smoke, and live to a ripe old age.

But we have to assume eating a healthy diet will give us the best chance of a long and healthy life.

As for kibble keeping teeth clean – perhaps it may help to some extent, but it’s not as if we clean our teeth with processed foods. Carnivores in the wild keep their teeth clean by gnawing on bones, and many raw fed dogs and cats have far cleaner teeth than those fed kibble, and I would say much more so than those fed wet mush.

But aren’t you overlooking that most people don’t feed their cats dry food exclusively. I feed mine twice a day with Dine wet food and a helping of Whiskas dry food. Also he gets leftovers like cooked chicken and fish and raw pilchards. Should I be worried about the dry food – i could cut it back a bit?

So if the premium brands are only marginally better should I just stick to Whiskas? Note I give my cat wet food at the same time, Dine (twice a day). Also he gets gets leftovers like cooked chicken and fish, as well as pilchards (bait left over from fishing trips). I would have thought at least the dry food might be good for his teeth.

Hi Lang,

It feels like most pet food brands in the US have a class action lawsuit filed against them. It seems to be the norm!

When it comes to pet foods, issues can and do occur – manufacturing issues, contamination issues, ingredient issues which affect a handful of batches. The bigger the brand, the more likely this will be noticed. So when it comes to a brand like Hill’s which is sold worldwide it’s inevitable you’ll hear bad things about it.

My opinion – as you would’ve noted in this article, I don’t feel it’s overly appropriate for a pet carnivore based on the ingredients, and I always question how much profit is the key motivation over pet health.

In America we don’t have many brands which cater for specific conditions. It’s really only Hill’s, Royal Canin, and to some extent American brand Lifewise.

In most cases, especially for a cat, the wet foods are almost always the better option in terms of ingredients, but do cost more.

And yes, I’m sure veterinarians would prefer you to buy products from them, but you’re right these brands are available elsewhere as well (often for a better price!)

Very good question, which is harder to answer than you may expect.

Some may argue becoming a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist is your only path to credibility, but I find a strong discord between human nutrition and the nutrition of cats (as carnivores) and dogs (which we’re told are omnivores like us).

Another option is paying for a pet nutrition course which can be completed in a matter of hours, and despite teaching you almost nothing about pet nutrition, will allow you to claim a certification. This is a route I see many take, whether to promote their pet food product or give the impression they know what they’re talking about. I have such a certification, and I’ll readily tell you such a certification is absolutely meaningless.

Perhaps it’s better to translate what we know about human nutrition to that of pets, because when you compare the science in human nutrition to the pet space you’ll unearth all manner of questions.

How do I contact the author / pet nutritionist that wrote & published this article? 🙂 would love to send them an email in regards to where to attain formal nutrition qualifications,
I am a veterinary nursing student with an interest in nutrition.

I believe the natural diet with some raw bones is best,