Kibble does very little, if anything, to clean teeth because it breaks when it touches the tip. The dental diets are the ones that really reduce tartar. Canned foods may help build tartar on the teeth but kibble doesn't really clean them either. With any food you feed, it is important to brush.
Ellie had mostly kibble for a few years and landed at the vet with severe periodontal disease, so kibble certainly didn't do a thing for her.
Now she is eating homecooked (soft) and her teeth are being brushed (along with OraVet). Her teeth are doing much better.
Ann, did you see the chapter on dental diets in "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition"? It talks about this...
__________________ Crystal  , Ellie May (RIP)  , Rylee Finnegan  , and Gracie Boo🐶 |