Comparing the pellet size of Hill’s Dental Care, Oral Care and Royal Canin Calm

Hill’s Prescription Diet have followed my recommendation and made their pellets larger! Yes, I am convinced (!) that Hill’s have followed my advice delivered years ago to finally make their dental care dry cat food larger. Way back on Jul 22, 2013, I queried whether dry cat food pellets were too small as they were hoovered up by cats and barely crunched. Some cats just were not sheering it (chewing on it, but cats don’t chew food they sheer it) because it was and still is too small. They swallow the small stuff whole sometimes.

Hills introduced Oral Care which is much larger and I was given a sample of Dental Care by my vet recently which is even larger. It is exactly the size that all dry cat food should be. There is no reason why all dry cat food can’t be this size. You know the supposed advantage: to allow the pellets to rub against the gum line and teeth to try and remove some tartar to help keep teeth healthier for longer and avoid gum disease. Correct: the reason why Hill’s don’t make all their dry foods the same size as their Dental Care product is because it would undermine their Dental Care product! Not a good reason.

Comparing pellet size of Hill's Oral Care Dental Care and Royal Canin Calm
Comparing pellet size of Hill’s Oral Care Dental Care and Royal Canin Calm. Image: MikeB

So, what’s the big deal about this new Hill’s product called Dental Care? There is no big deal. It is just a bigger pellet. I believe that Hills have gradually realised that all kibble should be much larger. All the original dry cat foods and most of the cheap stuff is way too small. There is no need for the pellets to be small. Why are Royal Canin manufacturing their ‘Calm’ product with pellets that are a fraction of the size of Hill’s Dental Care? That’s very odd.

The only dry food I feed my cat is Hill’s Oral Care or, now, Dental Care. Royal Canin Calm works pretty well, by the way, but the pellets are too small. But for day-to-day feeding of your cat with dry cat food I’d choose Hill’s Dental Care. Yes, I know it is expensive but we owe the best quality to our cats if we decide to give them something so artificial and unnatural. At least make it good. My cat prefers it to some of the best wet foods I can get. An indication that the flavourings are addictive. He gets lots of wet foods too. It is important.

There are stories of cats developing health issues from eating poor quality dry foods all the time, such as diabetes and urinary tract diseases which are miraculously cured when their diet is changed to wet. If you are buying cheap, crap dry cat food, I’d reflect on it. You may even save money if you buy the food I recommend as it may avoid veterinary costs. I am not being paid to promote Hill’s foods just in case you had that thought.

Hills say:

Hill’s Science Plan Adult Oral Care cat food contains fibre to reduce plaque and tartar build-up, unique kibble technology for clean teeth and fresh breath, and other essential nutrients for your cat’s overall health.

They also say that 70% of cats have periodontal disease by the age of 2! And other gum diseases can occur earlier. My cat does not have gum disease. He is approaching 7-years-of-age if my memory serves me correct. I don’t clean his teeth. He eats Hill’s Oral Care and mice! Maybe the mice are helping.

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