10 Vet Recommended Cat Dental Treats: Only the Best for Your Kitty!

All cats should have a proper daily home care oral routine; dental treats are one part of it. Even with professional cleaning, you will notice plaque buildup on the teeth of your cats. If you don’t maintain good dental hygiene for your cat, it can result in periodontal diseases for them. We recommend making an oral routine plan that includes brushing their teeth and feeding them vet-recommended cat dental treats.

What Do Dental Treats Do?

The mechanical action of chewing food that is firm in terms of texture can help to partially remove the plaque from the teeth. Cats have 30 adult teeth and are quite pointed in shape. Since they don’t have that flat surface that we do, it can wear the teeth down.

Cats are definitely carnivores who need a protein-based diet to survive. Wild cats are not prone to chewing their food a lot since the pointed, sharp teeth are mostly used for killing or propelling the prey further back into the mouth. The toothbrush for such cats is mostly fur and feathers from the prey they ingest.

For tame household cats, the diet is mostly made up of kibble or small pieces of meat. These can be essentially swallowed whole. This is why vet-recommended cat dental treats are so important for household cats. These treats are larger than kibble, which provides a good surface area for the abrasive cleaning of the teeth to take place.

You should remember that it doesn’t really work for the canine or incisors of the kitty –the front teeth- since they are quite small. They are both designed to capture the prey instead of eating. The dental treats are designed for molars or premolars since they are used for grinding or chewing.

The Best Vet Recommended Cat Dental Treats

The following dental treats for cats come in all sorts of delicious flavors that can help their teeth get sparkly clean!

1. Purina DentaLife for Cats

Purina dental treats are available in tasty chicken and savory salmon flavors that your cat will surely love. Every treat ball has a really satisfying crunchy texture but is porous as well. This ensures that the cat can break the treat with their teeth. It does take work, though, which helps to remove any plaque or tartar that has built up on their teeth.

Even if you brush your cat’s teeth daily, there are some teeth that can be quite hard to reach for you. These treats clean out even those teeth that you may usually miss. The Veterinary Oral Health Council has confirmed that they will help control the tartar.

The physical design of each treat ball aside, they all contain taurine and calcium that are essential for strong teeth. They have no artificial colors or flavors, so you can be rest assured that they won’t harm your kitty. They are a guilt-free, affordable, and fun snack for the cat.

2. Feline Greenies Treats

The Feline Greenies’ Oven Roasted Chicken dental treats are a true staple for many pet owners. While they have other flavors, this one is definitely the most popular one. The treats are quite crunchy, which reduces the buildup of plaque and cleans them all out. You can also choose other flavors such as tempting tuna, savory salmon, and catnip. The last is especially great at enticing the cat to turn towards dental treats. These treats are made in the U.S. and have a unique formula that is packed with taurine, vitamins, and minerals. This supports ensuring that your cat has optimum nutrients for their health.

3. VetriScience Perio Plus Everyday Health Feline Bites

 The VetrScience treats are designed to be soft on the inside but crunch on the outside. These are the best treats for cats that are usually picky eaters. They have quite a unique texture that most cats can get behind. The design is also very intentional – it’s not just to please your cat. The outer shell of the treat is shaped like a flower and helps to reduce plaque and clean the teeth. It promotes fresh smelling breath as well.

The soft inner part is full of taurine and zinc. It helps to maintain gum tissue integrity. This is important for the overall health of your cat. The chewy texture and large size also make sure that the cats take their time chomping on the treats before they swallow them. The delicious chicken flavor is another plus point to entice your cat with.

4. Meow Mix Brushing Cat Bites 

The Meow Mix treats are quite yummy since they come with real chicken! They are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which promotes strong teeth and improved oral health. The crunchy, ridged texture is perfect for felines to munch on when they want a snack. It also helps to remove the plaque from the teeth and clean them out.

We recommend giving this treat daily so that you have the best results possible. Since the flavor is made from real chicken, the cat definitely will not refuse, even if they are a picky eater.

5. Virbac C.E.T Enzymatic Chews for Cats 

You will be surprised to find out that Virbac’s vet-recommended cat dental treats aren’t crunchy at all! They are soft chewables that clean the bacteria that are responsible for creating plaque in the mouth. The Dual Enzyme action of the chewables ensures that no tartar forms around the teeth. They also have an abrasive texture which contributes to the cleansing and antiseptic properties of these treats. A lot of vets and pet owners actually recommend these as an alternative to brushing when you are unable to get your cat to sit down to brush their teeth.

6. Emerald Pet Dental Cat Treats with Salmon 

Cats tend to flock around fishy treats, so the treats from Emerald are really going to make your cat take notice! If your cat doesn’t really go for fish flavors, you can also get these in chicken flavor. These crunchy treats come in a fun fish shape that stimulates mechanical chewing action and are large in size. This improves the overall oral health of the kitty and reduces plaque buildup in the mouth.

If the cat has any allergies or is usually sensitive to any commercial food, these treats may still be a good idea. They are free from dairy, soy, gluten, and grain ingredients, which make the treats safe for felines with intense allergies too.

7. WholeHearted Salmon Smart Smiles Dental Treats for Cats

These are some of the best vet-recommended cat dental treats because salmon actually helps fight bad breath! The WholeHearted Smart Smiles treats are textured and designed to properly support the dental health of your cat. They are designed to reduce tartar and plaque, which can often lead to the bad breath that cats often have. They have unique ingredients that ensure your cat will thoroughly enjoy the treat but also have peppermint that can refresh the cat’s breath.

These treats are also great for overweight cats since they only have 2 calories per treat. They also contain healthy prebiotics that ensures better digestion for cats.

8. Hartz Dentist’s Dental Treats in Chicken Flavor 

The Hartz Dentist’s treats come in cute heart shapes and a tasty chicken flavor. The cats need to chew way more, which allows them to keep their gums healthy, breath fresh, and teeth clean. The texture has the biggest impact that cleans the surface as your cat chews on the treat. This can reduce the buildup of tartar and helps by massaging the gums. Hartz cat treats are also infused with DentaShield technology that can reduce any tartar from forming in the future too. It bonds with the saliva of the cat to protect the treat.

Since it eliminates old tartar and prevents new ones from emerging, it is indeed one of the best vet-recommended cat dental treats.

9. ProDen PlaqueOff Cat Dental Bites 

The ProDen bites are made without any additives, gluten, added sugar, or artificial preservatives. They are made with natural ingredients, making them one of the healthiest choices on the list. Ingredients include an olive oil that is reinforced with minerals and vitamins as well as algae that is specially selected and harvested from the North Atlantic coast. It is also packed with iron and magnesium.

10. In Clover Smile Daily Dental Soft Chews 

The InClover treat is a natural treat for felines since it improves dental and oral health. It was developed by expert biochemists to ensure that oral diseases are curbed. These soft chewables are an amazing blend of prebiotics, flavonoids, green tea extract, and catnip. All of these ingredients combine to remove any bacteria that create plaque and result in better-smelling breath. They don’t have any wheat, grains, soy, corn, preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors. This makes them great for cats with allergies.

Any of the vet-recommended cat dental treats will work well for your cat. It is amazing that you are looking for ways to improve the oral health of your cat since it is so vital.