Royal Canin Dog Food Review
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Royal Canin is a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., one of the largest pet food companies in the world. Royal Canin is a French company that makes dog and cat foods, selling to an international market.
The company is known for its emphasis on science and nutrition, undertaking research into the formulation and testing of breed- and symptom-specific nutritional requirements for pets.
It makes literally dozens of different kinds of foods for dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds, and health conditions. Find out if Royal Canin would be the right food for your dog with our unbiased review.
Royal Canin Dog Food: Top 5 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/Cup |
| Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult Dry Dog Food | Dry | 22% | 321 kcal/cup |
| Royal Canin Giant Junior Dry Dog Food | Dry | 29% | 307 kcal/cup |
| Royal Canin Large Digestive Care Dry Dog Food | Dry | 26% | 343 kcal/cup |
| Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Adult +8 Dry Dog Food | Dry | 25% | 343 kcal/cup |
| Royal Canin Shih Tzu Adult Loaf in Sauce Canned Dog Food | Dry | 6.5% | 79 kcal/can |
Brand Score
- Dog foods for dogs of all sizes, breeds, and lifestyles
- Makes its own foods at its own manufacturing facilities
- Invests in nutritional research and has veterinary nutritionists dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy
- Does not typically use gourmet, “natural,” or “boutique” ingredients that some other companies use; they use corn and some other ingredients that might be objectionable to some dog lovers
- Does not discuss where they source their ingredients
- Makes so many different foods that it can be confusing trying to select the right food for your dog
- Dog foods for dogs of all sizes, breeds, and lifestyles
- Makes its own foods at its own manufacturing facilities
- Invests in nutritional research and has veterinary nutritionists dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy
- Does not typically use gourmet, “natural,” or “boutique” ingredients that some other companies use; they use corn and some other ingredients that might be objectionable to some dog lovers
- Does not discuss where they source their ingredients
- Makes so many different foods that it can be confusing trying to select the right food for your dog
Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.
We’ve examined Royal Canin dog foods closely and graded the brand according to the PupJunkies.com standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.
About Royal Canin
Founded in France in 1968, Royal Canin has always placed an emphasis on science and nutrition. The company has never tried to make dog food with ingredients that look like foods humans would eat.
At Royal Canin, they operate with the idea that animals have unique nutritional needs. Nutrients in dog food are more important than ingredients that look tasty.
Royal Canin also focuses on nutritional research for pets to make foods healthier.
The company produces a vast number of foods for dogs of different breeds, sizes, ages, and special health needs. They also produce veterinary foods that require a prescription.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Royal Canin, founded in 1968 in France, is a science-based pet food company that was acquired by Mars, Inc., in 2001. The company’s global headquarters are in France, with its US headquarters in St. Charles, Missouri.
Royal Canin has 16 manufacturing plants worldwide, with North American products produced in Missouri, South Dakota, and Canada. The company sources ingredients based on quality, food safety, availability, and nutrient availability and is striving towards sustainability by obtaining raw ingredients as close as possible to each manufacturing facility.
Royal Canin has a good reputation for quality assurance and food safety.
Recall History
Royal Canin had two recalls in 2007 due to melamine in some of their pet foods (dog and cat foods).
In 2006, the FDA issued a number of Royal Canin Veterinary Diets due to excessive levels of Vitamin D3.
You can see a list of the products involved in these recalls here.
What Kinds Of Dog Food Does Royal Canin Offer?
Royal Canin makes dry kibble, wet/canned food, food in pouches, and treats/biscuits. They make the following foods:
- Foods by age (puppies, adult dogs, and mature dogs)
- Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition: Foods by breed (24 breeds on the Royal Canin web site; many breeds have multiple foods for puppies, adults, etc.)
- Kibbles and wet foods
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition: Foods based on size (very small, small, medium, large, very large)
- Special needs (13 categories, many with multiple food options)
Royal Canin currently lists 127 dog foods in the retail foods on their web site. There are also 39 dog foods on their veterinary food pages (not listed here), though these foods require a prescription.
Royal Canin Dog Food: Top Five Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at of the top-selling Royal Canin dog foods as found on Chewy.com so you can get a good idea of what some of these different formulas are like.
ROYAL CANIN GERMAN SHEPHERD ADULT DRY DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 22% Min
- Fat: 17% Min
- Fiber: 5.5% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Ingredients:
Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult Dry Dog Food is formulated specifically for the nutritional needs of adult German Shepherds. Royal Canin makes a number of dog foods for specific breeds.Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brown Rice, Oat Groats, Chicken Fat, Pork Meal, Natural Flavors, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Wheat Gluten, Fish Oil, Vegetable Oil, vitamins, minerals …
Brewers rice contains the same nutrition as other rice but it is broken so it doesn’t look good enough to sell as rice for humans. Many people will be put off by seeing this ingredient as the first one listed. Chicken by-product meal should contain good chicken protein.
Natural flavors and powdered cellulose are of some concern. Natural flavors is a vague term and can include ingredients that form monosodium glutamate (MSG). Powdered cellulose in dog food is an insoluble fiber that comes from trees.
Yes, really. It is described as “purified, mechanically disintegrated cellulose . . . from fibrous plant materials.” Dogs do need fiber in their diet but some people will balk at the use of wood fiber.
Regardless of what the ingredients may look like or the fact that you and I wouldn’t want to eat them, this food is specifically designed for adult German Shepherds. Many of these dogs can have some digestive issues.
This food is the number one selling Royal Canin breed dog food on Chewy.com, with hundreds of enthusiastic reviews. This is repeated again and again for Royal Canin breed dog foods.
According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 24.4 percent protein, 18.9 percent fat, and 6.1 percent fiber. This formula has 42.2 percent carbohydrates. It has 321 kcal/cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
ROYAL CANIN GIANT JUNIOR DRY DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 29% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 3.4% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Ingredients:
Royal Canin Giant Junior Dry Dog Food is another bestseller on Chewy.com. This food is based on Royal Canin’s size health nutrition for dogs.It's made for young dogs who will weigh more than 100 pounds as adults. For example, giant dogs can take a long time to reach maturity.
In the case of giant dogs such as the Saint Bernard and other similar dogs, Royal Canin makes foods for giant puppies, junior giant dogs, and adult giant dogs. The junior dog formula is for young dogs between 8 and 18-24 months of age so it fills an important growth period.
Here are the ingredients in this food:
Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice Flour, Brewers Rice, Corn, Wheat Gluten, Chicken Fat, Corn Gluten Meal, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Fish Oil, Vegetable Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Psyllium Seed Husk, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharides, vitamins, minerals …
Higher in protein and slightly lower in calories, with a good calcium to phosphorus ratio, this food is designed for healthy bone growth in young giant dogs.
This food has 32.2 percent protein and 15.6 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 3.8 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 40.7 percent, DMB. It contains 307 kcal per cup.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
ROYAL CANIN LARGE DIGESTIVE CARE DRY DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 26% Min
- Fat: 16% Min
- Fiber: 3.8% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Ingredients:
Royal Canin Large Digestive Care Dry Dog Food is formulated for large dogs with sensitive digestive. No prescription is necessary for this food. This formula is one of Royal Canin’s foods for dogs with special needs.It is made for dogs that weigh between 56 and 100 pounds.
You can take a look at the ingredients:
Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Brown Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Brewers Rice Flour, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Fish Oil, Wheat Gluten, Pea Fiber, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Vegetable Oil, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Psyllium Seed Husk, Hydrolyzed Yeast, vitamins, minerals …
We’ve already mentioned some of the ingredients of concern highlighted in this food. This food also contains pea fiber which could be a special concern in light of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s investigation into dietary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Some large breed dogs already have a genetic predisposition to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)so owners do need to be careful about feeding the ingredients mentioned in the investigation. However, since pea fiber is the 11th ingredient here and it’s the only ingredient included, it’s unlikely to be a problem.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 28.9 percent protein, 17.8 percent fat, 4.2 percent fiber, 41.3 percent carbohydrates, and 343 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
ROYAL CANIN SIZE HEALTH NUTRITION SMALL ADULT +8 DRY DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 3.5% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Ingredients:
Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Adult +8 Dry Dog Food is made for small dogs that are age eight years and older. As dogs get older their metabolism can change and they can have different nutritional needs than they had when they were younger.For dogs 8 to 12 years old, weighing between 9 and 22 pounds.
You can take a look at the ingredients:
Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice Flour, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Wheat Gluten, Fish Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, vitamins, minerals …
One of the nice things about this food for small older dogs is that unlike many senior dog foods, this food supplies a good amount of protein and calories for your older dog. Not all older dogs are overweight and many dogs remain active as they get older. They need good nutrition and calories for energy.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 27.8 percent protein, 15.6 percent fat, 3.9 percent fiber, 45 percent carbohydrates, and 343 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
ROYAL CANIN SHIH TZU ADULT LOAF IN SAUCE CANNED DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 6.6% Min
- Fat: 4.6% Min
- Fiber: 2.3% Max
- Moisture: 81.5% Max
Ingredients:
Royal Canin Shih Tzu Adult Loaf in Sauce Canned Dog Food is one of Royal Canin’s breed formulas. In this case it’s a wet/canned food.It’s made for Shih Tzu that are over 10 months of age and it supports their skin and coat health. This is a loaf in sauce recipe.
You can take a look at the ingredients:
Water Sufficient For Processing, Pork By-Products, Chicken, Chicken By-Products, Pork Liver, Corn Flour, Powdered Cellulose, Vegetable Oil, Fish Oil, Carrageenan, Natural Flavors, Carob Bean Gum, Potassium Phosphate, Taurine, vitamins, minerals …
Carrageenan, which is made from kelp or seaweed, is widely used as a gel or food stabilizer in many foods such as ice cream, salad dressing, and wet/canned dog foods. It also thickens foods.
There is some debate about it and whether it might be harmful to the digestive system. It’s found in many canned/wet dog foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers this ingredient to be safe at this time.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 35.1 percent protein, 24.7 percent fat, 12.4 percent fiber, 11.3 percent carbohydrates, and 79 kcal per 3-ounce can
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
How Much Does Royal Canin Dog Food Cost?
Royal Canin foods are priced comparably to many other premium dog foods. They cost slightly more than Purina Pro Plan dog foods which we consider to be similar.
What Do Customers Think Of Royal Canin Dog Food?
Royal Canin dog foods get high ratings from most customers. Dog food critics dislike some of the ingredients used in the foods but results count when it comes to dog food. Many people report that Royal Canin foods keep their dogs healthy and happy.
Overall, Is Royal Canin Dog Food A Good Choice?
We think that Royal Canin dog foods are mostly good foods, with few exceptions. Royal Canin places an emphasis on the nutrition in the food instead of ingredients that sound good enough for humans to eat.
The company has good quality control. As one of the biggest pet food companies in the world, they have had remarkably few recalls or problems in their history.
They also invest in pet food research to make their foods better. We recommend Royal Canin foods.
Where Is Royal Canin Dog Food sold?
You can buy Royal Canin dog foods from Chewy.com and other online retailers as well as many pet stores.
Lisa Garcia
My 9 lbs. Pomeranian has been on Royal Canin: Puppy Small Indoor dry food & Puppy Appetite Simulation wet food since he was 8 weeks old. Dry food & fresh water is available for him 24/7 and he gets the wet food twice a day, along with a spoonful of yogurt twice a day. He gets homemade treats of cooked beef liver, cooked sweet potato, cooked egg and fresh ground almond butter on a lick pad. Am I feeding him well? Advice from a veterinary nutritionist would be greatly appreciated.
Carlotta Cooper
Hello and thank you for your comment. It sounds like your Pomeranian is eating very well indeed! Let me say that I am not a veterinary nutritionist. I have been analyzing and reviewing dog foods since the mid-1990s, however, and written for several dog food companies. Your dog's diet sounds very good. The yogurt is great as a probiotic. With the treats, do keep in mind how many calories your dog needs per day so he doesn't become overweight. A 9-lb Pomeranian needs somewhere between 320 and 400 calories per day, depending on his age, activity level, and other factors. Treats shouldn't make up more than about 10 percent of those calories every day. Thank you for writing and give your Pom a hug!
Carol Haynes
My Beauty had been on Royal Canine Renal Support S Dry Dog Food for over a year. I alwayd buy the 17.6 lb bag. In recent weeks it's become impossible to get it. They say it's on back order. Why? This is very important food for dogs in renal failure. Back order or could it be something else. I had to buy a 6 lb bag which in the long run costs more. And I also noticed the color of the nuggets were different. The nuggets in the bigger bag were much darker than the smaller bag. Why is that. Sure seems suspicious to me. Need less to say, I need a dependable company who has plenty of renal food processed. I am switching to Hills Science Diet for renal failure. You have really let done a lot of dog parents who want the best for their babies.
Carlotta Cooper
I'm so sorry you have had these problems with the Royal Canin food. We don't make or sell any dog foods at Pup Junkies. We only review the foods but this is something that is important for us to know. It's possible that Royal Canin could be having some supply or production issues due to Covid-19. Their Facebook page says that they have had global supply chain interruptions, starting in 2019; and there were widespread fuel protests in France. I found this news release from earlier this year but I don't think it mentions the renal food you use: https://www.uppet.com/covid/RoyalCanin.pdf. The renal food and other special diets could have become scarce after this was released. As for the color of the nuggets, many better quality dog foods do not use artificial coloring or dyes in their foods. This means that the color of the food can vary slightly from cooking in each batch. It's like baking cookies. Sometimes they turn out darker than other times. There shouldn't be anything wrong with the nuggets. Now, if it smells bad or you notice mold or something suspicious about it, that would be a different story. Be sure to check the sell by or best by date that is stamped on the package to make sure it's not old or out of date. If you are dissatisfied with the food and want to return it, take it back to the place where you purchased it or, if you bought it online, call or e-mail them to let them know about the problem. You can also contact Royal Canin customer service to see if they have any better advice for you. This is the Customer Care page for customers in the United States: https://my.royalcanin.com/contactus/customer-care
bri
What is the benefit of corn for my dog? (it's the first ingredient) Isn't chicken by-product meal unspecified body parts? (heads, feet, eyeballs?) How does corn gluten meal help my dog?
Amy
Hi Bri, Corn is a good source of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid required by dogs. It also contains abundant amounts of antioxidants, such as vitamin E and beta-carotene. Although it’s called “corn gluten meal,” it’s actually gluten-free and only contains corn proteins. Corn gluten meal is a great source of energy, protein, and pigments for animals, and it’s utilized in pet foods for digestibility.