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Royal Canin makes a large assortment of dry and canned foods for dogs and cats, with most of their products being available in many pet stores and veterinarian offices across the globe.
The company is a popular dog food choice by many owners as they offer a variety of specialized diets, including breed-specific foods and ones targeted for pooches with specific health conditions. Royal Canin is one of a few pet food companies which offer such unique diets for different types of dogs, so for owners who have a purebred pooch or one with a particular health issue, they are a tempting choice!
However, before deciding on any dog food for your furry friend, it is important to research the brand thoroughly to help you determine whether their products are a good match for your dog.
If you’re not too familiar with Royal Canin and want to know a bit more about the company and their dog foods, then you’ve come to the right place! I’ve provided all the information you need to know about Royal Canin’s dog food, including their ingredients, recalls, and prices. Alternatively, if you’re looking for Royal Canin dog food reviews, then I’ve taken a closer look at some of their most popular products further down
Quick Links To The Royal Canin Dog Food Reviews
- Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Adult Formula Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Adult Canned Dog Food
- Royal Canin Puppy Appetite Stimulation Canned Dog Food
- Royal Canin Veterinarian Diet Urinary SO Moderate Calories Canned Dog Food
Royal Canin – Everything You Need To Know
Royal Canin was founded by Jean Cathary in France in 1968. Being a veterinarian, Dr. Cathary decided to make pet food for both cats and dogs that focused on the nutritional needs of these animals. Royal Canin creates and distributes all of its pet food in their own production facilities.
Royal Canin’s US headquarters are based in St. Charles, Missouri, and their US pet foods are created in South Dakota, Canada, and Missouri. The company’s worldwide headquarters are in southern France.
Unfortunately, Royal Canin does not specify where they source their ingredients. Despite being very thorough in the details of where their pet foods are made, Royal Canin has not shared much information about where they get the ingredients that go into their products.
The company states that they carefully pick their ingredients and try their best to use raw materials that are close to each of their manufacturing plants. However, sometimes they use international suppliers, so not all of the ingredients that go into Royal Canin products are locally-sourced.
Royal Canin Products And Recalls
Royal Canin offers a huge variety of dry and wet dog food and cat food, such as breed-specific and veterinary diets. The former is formulated for purebred dogs and cats by taking their specific nutritional needs into account.
For example, the ingredients used in the Royal Canin Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog food claim to help with cardiac function. This is a common health concern with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as they are predisposed to heart conditions, such as mitral valve disease.
Royal Canin’s large line of veterinary diets is tailored for dogs and cats that have been diagnosed with various health issues. For example, the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Diabetic dog food is targeted for dogs who have diabetes mellitus.
The company offers pet foods for all life stages of dogs and cats in both dry and wet form. Royal Canin also has pet food options for small, medium, and large cats and dogs. The amount of variety in their products is impressive, so it’s no wonder why Royal Canin is so popular among pet owners.
Regarding recalls of Royal Canin products, there have been a few in recent years. In February 2006, Royal Canin was asked by the FDA to recall multiple Royal Canin Veterinary Diet dog foods and cat foods as they contained high levels of Vitamin D3.
In April 2007, the company was told by the FDA to recall multiple Royal Canin Veterinary Diet and Sensible Choice dog foods due to concerns about possible melamine contamination.
The most recent recall for Royal Canin was in May 2007. The company was told to recall various Royal Canin pet foods, which involved multiple Kasco and Sensible Choice formulas due to possible melamine contamination.
Royal Canin Prices And Quality
The prices of Royal Canin’s dog food products vary, but they are a fairly expensive brand in general. The ingredients used in their dog foods are not as high-quality as brands with a similar price tag since they use controversial ingredients such as maize (corn), hydrolyzed animal protein, and animal by-products.
These types of ingredients are not very nutritious for dogs, and hydrolyzed animal proteins do not name which parts of the animal they come from. These ingredients are typically seen in lower-quality and cheaper dog foods, and as Royal Canin is a fairly expensive brand, their prices don’t quite match up with their ingredients.
For example, twenty-four cans of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal canned dog food costs less than $75. In contrast, twelves cans of American Journey’s Stews Grain-Free canned dog food costs about $20 (or approximately $40 for twenty-four cans) on Chewy.com (at the time of writing).
American Journey uses real meat as the first ingredient in their canned dog food, whereas water, followed by pork by-products are the first two ingredients in Royal Canin’s gastrointestinal canned dog food.
Compared to less expensive dog food brands, Royal Canin is quite a bit costlier and they don’t use as nutritious or wholesome ingredients.
This is not to say Royal Canin is a bad brand. The huge variety in their pet foods is notable, and they tailor to an array of different types of dogs and cats, whether they are purebred, small, medium, large, or suffer from a specific health condition.
This aspect alone makes it clear why they are popular among cat and dog owners, as not many other pet food brands offer such an elaborate range of products. Based on reviews from consumers, a lot of pet owners are happy and satisfied with their dog foods, so it does show that the brand has worked well with a lot of pets.
Additionally, Royal Canin products are available in most pet stores and even veterinarian offices. For owners who do not have access to the internet or cannot get hold of their pet’s normal food, this makes Royal Canin ideal as the brand is available in a lot of different places to ensure your furry friend does not miss a meal!
Royal Canin Dog Food Reviews
In this section of the article, I’ll be taking a closer look at some of Royal Canin’s most popular dog foods and discussing their good and bad points.
Product Name | First 5 Ingredients | Key Features | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
New Formula: Chicken By-Product Meal, Brown Rice, Oat Groats, Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice Old Formula: Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten, Brown Rice, Oat Groats, Brewers Rice |
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Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Adult Formula Dry Dog Food | Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Brown Rice, Corn Gluten Meal |
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Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dry Dog Food | Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Wheat, Barley, Natural Flavors |
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Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Pork Liver, Chicken By-Products, Pork By-Products |
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Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Pork By-Products, Pork Liver, Rice Flour |
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Royal Canin Veterinarian Diet Urinary SO Moderate Calories Canned Dog Food | Water Sufficient For Processing, Pork By-Products, Chicken, Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil |
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1.Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food
Royal Canin’s Labrador Retriever dry dog food is targeted for, as you might have already guessed, Labrador Retrievers! It’s designed for Labrador Retrievers over 15 months old and helps them maintain a good weight by giving them the correct amount of calories in each serving. This helps keep their hunger at bay.
Labrador Retrievers have a habit of eating too quickly, which can lead to bloating and indigestion. The shape of the kibble in this dry dog food is donut-shaped to try and counteract this by encouraging your pooch to chew their food properly before swallowing it.
The formula is packed with EPA and DHA to keep your dog’s joints and bones healthy. As Labrador Retrievers can often have issues with their joints, EPA and DHA are important for their health.
Nutrients from sources like fish oil keep your Labrador Retriever’s skin and coat in tip-top condition. This breed has a thick, waterproof coat that produces oil to help protect them from chilly weather and water. That’s why it’s a good idea that you look after your dog’s skin and coat with healthy nutrients like fish oil!
One of the best features about Royal Canin’s Labrador Retriever dry dog food is that it takes the health of a Labrador Retriever into consideration, such as their joints and coat. This means the food has been specially formulated to help meet the unique requirements of the breed that other more generic dog foods might overlook.
Reviews for this dry dog food are very positive, with the majority of owners being very pleased with the product. Dogs seem to really enjoy the taste of this food which is a plus!
However, this dry dog food can cause flatulence in some dogs. Additionally, a few of the ingredients used in this food are a bit controversial, such as chicken by-product meal. These types of ingredients are not the most nutritious or wholesome for dogs.
Pros
- DHA and EPA for strong bones and joints
- Fish oil and other nutrients for good coat health
- Unique kibble shape to help prevent indigestion
- Good flavor
Cons
- Can cause flatulence
- Ingredients aren’t as wholesome as other brands
2. Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Adult Formula Dry Dog Food
This dry dog food from Royal Canin is formulated for small breeds of dogs between the ages of ten months to eight years who weigh between nine and twenty-two pounds. Small dogs can often be picky eaters, so the recipe in this dry dog food uses a blend of tasty flavors to make it more palatable.
EPA and DHA are used in the recipe to keep your small dog’s bones and joints healthy, whilst L-carnitine helps support your pooch’s metabolism so they maintain an ideal weight.
The size of the kibble is small to make it easier for little dogs to chew. The texture of the kibble also helps reduce plaque and tartar build-up on your dog’s teeth.
Reviews for this dog food from Royal Canin are mostly positive and a lot of pooches seem to do well on this diet. This dog food is also effective for picky eaters as a lot of dogs enjoy the taste of it!
However, some dog owners found their pooches developed digestive issues when initially switched to this food. To help counteract this, you should make sure you gradually switch your dog’s diet by mixing in their old food with their new food for at least seven days. Additionally, the ingredients used in this dry dog food are not as wholesome as other brands.
Pros
- EPA and DHA for good joint and bone health
- L-carnitine for a healthy metabolism
- Small kibble size
- Good flavor (works well for picky eaters)
Cons
- Can cause digestive issues initially
- Ingredients aren’t as wholesome as other brands
3. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dry Dog Food
This dry dog food from Royal Canin is designed for pooches who have trouble digesting fat. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, and EPA which have been sourced from fish oil. This keeps your dog’s coat and skin healthy, and also nourishes their GI tract.
Some digestive problems that this food can aid with include loose stools, vomiting, and poor appetite. Easy-to-digest proteins and prebiotics are used in the recipe to help soothe your pooch’s digestive system. Prebiotics also work to maintain healthy levels of good bacteria in your pooch’s gut.
As well as being good for your dog’s digestive health, this dry food also keeps your furry friend’s immune system functioning normally. A mixture of antioxidants is added into the food to aid with this.
Based on reviews for this dry dog food, a lot of owners have found this product works well with dogs with digestive issues. This is most likely due to the easy-to-digest proteins and prebiotics in the recipe.
A couple of downsides with this dry dog food is its flavor and kibble size. Some pooches are not too fond of the taste and the size of the kibble is a bit on the large side. If you own a small breed dog, then the kibble size may be a bit too big for them to chew.
This dry dog food does contain a couple of controversial ingredients like chicken by-product meal, so this is also something to be aware of.
It is important to note that this dry food can only be purchased with a vet’s authorization. To do this, simply provide your vet’s details at the checkout or send a copy of your vet’s authorization to [email protected] or by fax on 1-800-619-7973. These steps are necessary in order to make sure this food is a good match for your dog and their health.
Pros
- Ideal for dogs with digestive issues
- Uses easy-to-digest proteins and prebiotics
- Contains antioxidants for immune health
- Low fat
Cons
- Possible lack of flavor
- Kibble size is a bit on the large size
- Ingredients aren’t as wholesome as other brands
4. Royal Canin Adult Canned Dog Food
Royal Canin’s adult canned dog food is suitable for small breed dogs over the age of ten months and large breed dogs over the age of fifteen months. The food contains a good range of B vitamins, such as niacin, biotin, and riboflavin. It also contains minerals like zinc proteinate and zinc oxide.
These nutrients and minerals are great for your dog’s overall health. Amino acids, vitamins, and antioxidants are also included to give your dog a shiny coat and support their nervous system.
The canned food’s texture is formed into a loaf that is coated in a sauce to make it more palatable for your dog.
This adult canned dog food from Royal Canin has mostly positive reviews, and a lot of dog owners have praised this food for keeping their pooch’s coat and skin healthy and nourished.
Although a fair amount of dogs enjoy the taste of this canned dog food, some picky eaters may take a while to get used to it. It is also important to note that this food contains chicken by-products and pork by-products, so its ingredients are not as wholesome as other dog food brands.
Pros
- Suitable for large breeds and small breeds
- Contains a good range of nutrients
- Includes amino acids, vitamins, and minerals
Cons
- Possible lack of flavor
- Ingredients aren’t as wholesome as other brands
5. Royal Canin Puppy Appetite Stimulation Canned Dog Food
This canned dog food from Royal Canin is targeted for small breed puppies up to twenty-two pounds and ten months old. It has been designed to help with pickiness and fussiness that is common with small breed dogs.
Easy-to-digest proteins from fish oil and beet pulp are used in the recipe help support your puppy’s digestive tract, whilst vitamins C, E, lutein, and taurine keep your young dog’s immune system working efficiently. This canned food can be used as a complete food or as an accompaniment to their dry food.
Reviews for this puppy food from Royal Canin show that a large number of puppies do well on this product, particularly those who are picky eaters. Additionally, the food seems to help with nourishing a lot of puppies’ coats to make them look glossy!
However, even though a fair amount of picky eaters enjoy this food, there are still a few that are a bit reluctant to eat it. If you own a particularly finicky puppy, then it might be a good idea to gradually switch their old food with their new one to make the transition easier.
It is also important to note that this canned food from Royal Canin does use pork by-products and a couple of other controversial ingredients like carrageenan.
Pros
- Targeted for fussy eaters
- Contains easy-to-digest proteins
- Lots of vitamins for a healthy immune system
Cons
- Possible lack of flavor (for very picky eaters)
- Ingredients aren’t as wholesome as other brands
6. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Canned Dog Food
Royal Canin’s veterinary diets are designed to support dogs with various health conditions. This one, in particular, is formulated for pooches with urinary health issues. It is developed to help prevent the formation of struvite and calcium crystals by increasing how much your dog urinates.
If your dog has urinary or bladder issues, then this canned food could be ideal. It also contains twenty-six percent fewer calories than Royal Canin’s normal Urinary SO dry dog food, so it works well for pooches who are a bit on the heavier side.
A great feature about this canned dog food by Royal Canin is its effectiveness at preventing crystals from forming in your dog’s urine. Various owners have found this has benefited their pooches with urinary health issues, as well as stimulating their dog’s appetite.
However, a few dog owners have remarked that there is a bit too much gravy in the can and not enough morsels, so this is something to bear in mind. Additionally, this food does contain a couple of controversial ingredients like pork by-products.
It is important to note that this canned food can only be purchased with a vet’s authorization. To do this, simply provide your vet’s details at checkout or send a copy of your vet’s authorization to [email protected] or by fax on 1-800-619-7973. These steps are necessary in order to make sure this food is a good match for your dog and their health.
Pros
- Works well for dogs with urinary health issues
- Helps prevent the formation of urine crystals
- Tasty formula
Cons
- Contains a bit too much gravy
- Ingredients aren’t as wholesome as other brands
Final Thoughts
Royal Canin offers a huge number of different dog foods to tailor to pooches of all shapes and sizes. The variety in their products actually makes it difficult to find food that doesn’t seem to be personalized to your dog’s specific nutritional needs.
Whether your furry friend is a small breed, large breed, picky eater, or has a certain health condition, there is a diet by Royal Canin for them. The company’s specialized diets and unique formulas are definitely a highlight, as they allow you to choose dog food based on your pooch’s individual needs.
Royal Canin is a bit pricey compared to other dog foods of similar quality, and they do use a few controversial ingredients in their products, so this is something to keep in mind. However, a huge number of dog owners have found that Royal Canin works well for their pooches, so this shows that the company is well-liked and praised by many!
If you take into consideration the high amount of positive Royal Canin reviews from consumers, then their products are worth giving a try to see if they work for your dog. The products in this article are some of Royal Canin’s most popular dog foods on places like Chewy.com, which makes them worth checking out if you’re curious to see what they’re like for yourself!
Top Picks For Our Dogs
- BEST PUPPY TOY
We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. - BEST DOG CHEW
We Like: Bones & Chews Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. - BEST DOG TREATS
We Like: Crazy Dog Train Me Treats - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies. - BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.
For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining.com blog.
10 comments
This is the worst dog food you can buy.
I used it for a year and a half and then my lab got sick when they changed he formula.
I emailed them they denied it. He lost almost 20 lbs. I had so many tests ran on him and it came back to as soon as I changed the dog food he started to get better. Every time i see or hear the name Royal Canin i cringe. I beat myself up because I thought this was such a great dog food and i fed this to him.
I will never make that mistake again. This food is crap.
How can this ‘ food ‘ be recommended by vets. if the ingredients aren’t of the best quality. Again , yet another example of vets. just being in it for the money , with little or no regard for the animal’s welfare.
Vets don’t have any skin in the game when it comes to recommending foods… they recommend brands that research their formulas to back up their claims because it would be irresponsible not to. That is their job. Maybe other brands are healthy too but not all of them have the research. So at the end of the day feed what you want but it’s asinine to suggest vets are in it for the money.
My dog ended up with a tumour now diognised wuth high grade treminal t cell lymphoma after vomitng every morning after eating dry royal cannine biscuits, i took him off them for two weeks no vomiting, then re introduced them just to see, again he started vomiting after eating grass, this brand was recommended by my vet because she said he was a little animic no way i would ever recommened this brand, now hes dying, were devestated, spent over 18,000 thousand dollars in vet bills, i blame royal cannine he was so healthy before i introduced this food.
My dog was put on royal canin SO for bladder stones. After 2 weeks he refuses to eat this, has vomited every day and has lost 17 pounds. I put him on a bland diet and he has stopped vomiting and is finally eating. This food is crap and was basically making him deteriorate.!!!!
Some dogs require precise protein levels to support healthy liver function. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Hepatic canned is a highly palatable and digestible dog food, restricted in copper content and formulated with nutrients essential to support liver function. The high energy density helps reduce necessary food volume in dogs with poor appetites while this formula contains a precise blend of antioxidants to help support a healthy immune system. With the help of your veterinarian and Royal Canin, there’s not just hope – there can be a true difference.
Hi, I feed Royal Canin to my dogs as this was recommended to me by my sister (who is a vet and also feeds this to her dogs), because they are one of the few brands that actually does studies on their food to show that it will do what it says (eg dogs will lose weight on their weight loss formula, have fewer skin problems on their skin support formula etc). Just wondering what your qualifications are in canine nutrition (since you seem to poo poo vets so much) and also if you can provide any studies stating that dogs can’t digest corn, as I’ve never heard this from a vet before. Thanks
My dog had nothing but unexplained health issues on this product suggested by a vet that all dramatically improved after switching to a much higher quality product in which all the ingredients are known. This is about as unhealthy as a dog food can possibly be & an expensive one at that. With the GI, Low Fat dry food product, the 1st highest ingredient is Brewers rice (cheap filler & dogs don’t need grains especially as the top ingredient) the 2nd highest ingredient is Chicken-by-products. That should be enough to say bye-bye to this product! Any part of the chicken could be included as a by-product. #3 is wheat (unnecessary grain cheap grain filler), #4 is barely (another cheap grain filler), natural flavors is #5 which can be anything as it is completely vague & could include a harmful flavor additive. Next ingredient is dried plain beet pulp (that is beet pulp not beef as it should be-again is another cheap filler). Has hydrolyzed yeast (hydrolyzed is very controversial & yeast is yet another grain). This product is loaded with cheap grain fillers & doesn’t have one quality meat/protein source unless you consider chicken-by-product as one. Nor does it contain one healthy veggie ingredient. Only 20% protein so is mostly loaded with cheap filler carbs. Advertises & markets its EPA/DHA omega 3 content but is only .09%. Not even 1% of the good omega 3 fat critical for dogs health. Like this author states, Royal Canine is fairly expensive but lacks the quality ingredients you would expect from such a higher priced brand & includes several harmful & controversial ingredients. It also lacks a single quality meat/protein source. They won’t disclose where they source their ingredients from & sometimes use international suppliers so none of the ingredients are consistently locally sourced & could come from any country. You are never getting the same consistent product with the same sourced ingredients for sure by them using international suppliers. That’s leaving a lot of trust to other foreign country’s pet food supply policies, over sight & most importantly, standards or lack there of.
Since Royal Canin was taken over by Mars and produced in China, I don’t believe the original, carefully formula is the same.
Sam: there is little point in saying ‘vets don’t have skin in the game’ and insulting people who write their own experiences.
I happen to know, for sure, that they do.
Moreover, at least one major organisation here *does* get a kick back and feeds Royal Canin exclusively. When their dogs are trained and go to new owners, it is even specified they too must feed Royal Canin – no choice. Insult me too if it pleases you but I know whereof I speak.
I fed my two dogs (a French Bulldog and a Shih Tzu) Royal Canin’s Hydrolyzed Protein dog food for four years because they had allergies. Last week I had to put both of them down because of massive liver tumors. I can’t draw a through-line to their tumors and the dog food, but if I had it to do over, I would choose another brand.