I think it was two years ago when another vet whom I consulted for four of our cats recommended Royal Canin’s Dental for dental hygiene. Since then, I’ve bought quite a few packets for our cats and everyone loves it.
Then, I stopped giving it for some months. It’s not as readily available as the other RC prescription diets.
This evening, I went to buy a packet again for our cats.
I had been doing my own research on what might be best for our cats in terms of their dental hygiene since I cannot brush their teeth effectively. Orozyme also does not really yield the desired results. Ordinary kibble also may not do the trick since most cats would just swallow the pellets whole.
The vet whom I brought it from said his cat of 10 years has been on RC dental and has reasonably good dental hygiene. No scaling needs to be done. He has also recommended it to many of his clients. The vet further explained that it’s not just the bigger size of the pellets that does the trick by making the cat chew, it’s also the shape of the pellets formulated to “brush’ the teeth.
The bonus is that RC Dental has the S/O index too. So this will help with the prevention of urinary issues as well. When it has the S/O index, it means it has the ability to dilute the urine. But do take note that RC Dental has to be given daily for it to be effective.
What prompted me to explore cat food with the S/O index is Robin’s FIC. And I learnt some new things about it today, from this vet.
He says if Robin’s ultrasound showed the presence of “sediment”, it means it’s no longer classified as FIC. I was told that the ultrasound showed “crystals” but this vet says it could be sediment and not crystals, because the only way to tell if it’s crystals or not is from a urine sample, not an ultrasound.
We were not able to take a urine sample because Robin’s bladder was too small during the consultation.
And he said in fact, I could already take Robin back for another check-up now. If it’s sediment, it can sometimes clear after three weeks, and once it is cleared, Robin does not have to go on the Urinary diet anymore. He could go back to normal food.
So now, the best thing I can do is to collect Robin’s urine sample. That’s not going to be easy, of course. This vet had several very interesting suggestions, though. One of them is to use a certain type of litter where the urine floats on it. Then, it can be syringed up and sent for examination.
Robin’s vet did mention that I could give Robin a subcut hours prior to his revisit so that his bladder will be full and a urine sample can be taken via a fine needle aspiration, but I would want to avoid using this method for Robin.
Let’s see how it goes…I haven’t quite decided on this yet.
But I did ask this vet exactly what the S/O index is and he says he too has been puzzled for a long time (yes, so have I!) but he will ask RC and find out for me. At last…let’s hope this mystery will be solved.
RC Dental is a complete food and meant for long-term use for the prevention of dental plague and for its tooth-brushing effect.
It’s not suitable for kidney and heart patients, though. Please take note of this.
Initially I was going to purchase RC Neutered Satiety for weight control, but after discussing it with this vet, I decided on RC Dental instead. Neutered Satiety also has the S/O index but does not have the dental component.
Disclaimer: This is only a sharing. Please consult your veterinarian for expert advice for your cats.
We got talking further and came to the subject of getting terminally-ill cats to eat. This vet is of the opinion that in the event that whatever medicine, supplement or even food we are attempting to give our sick cat causes the cat to be unduly stressed, we should take a step back and relent. Let the cat live on for those few extra years comfortably and happily instead of being forced against their will on a daily basis.
Yes, that makes sense to me.
Just do our best and leave the rest. Comfort and happiness are more important. Quality of life vs quantity.